Concrete is one of the most durable building materials that has been around since early times. The earliest known buildings made of this material belong to the Mayan civilization and are found in Mexico. Its durability delays concrete repair requirements in residential properties.
Other civilizations also made extensive use of this material, though the ingredients and their amounts varied from one another.
Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks made immense use of this material and the raw ingredients used were quite different with each civilization, as it depended on their access to the type of materials.
In fact, the Roman Colosseum is mainly made of concrete.
With the invention of this magical material, people in ancient times were able to give shapes to their buildings making them masterpieces with their architectural excellencies.
It is for the longevity of this material that we are able to witness the architectural capabilities of ancient societies and learn about their social lives.
Albeit concrete is the most durable building material but is susceptible to wear and degradation. It is therefore that Concrete Repair Services are provided to help you restore your concrete pavers and driveways.
Concrete is commonly used for the flooring of the following places:
- Driveways
- Patios
- Pavers
- Garages
- Sidewalks
- Steps
Concrete due to its strength and persistence is also suitable for building commercial structures like:
- Roads
- Dams
- Buildings
- Bridges
- Motorways & highways
- Pipelines
- Canals
ADVANTAGES OF CONCRETE:
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Durable:
Concrete is considered to be one of the most long-lasting building materials. For this purpose, it has been used in the making of architectural monuments that have lived for thousands of years.
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Strong:
The strength that this material has, makes it suitable to be used in constructing bridges, motorways, and large roads. All these structures host heavy traffic and are only made able to do so due to the impeccable strength of concrete.
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Cheap:
Affordability combined with all the other attributes makes cement the most commonly used building material since the early days. It is by far the cheapest material than any other material available.
The cost-effectiveness is due to the availability of its raw materials in abundant amounts.
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No Special Conditions Required:
Cement, water, sand, gravel, and air combine to form semi-liquid concrete.
This can be applied on a skeleton of bricks in multiple ways and hardens at the normal temperature, without the need for special conditions and temperature.
It is for this flexibility in concrete’s nature that builders and homeowners prioritize it.
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Eco-friendly:
Concrete manufacturing doesn’t require abundant amounts of energy. In reality, cement/concrete manufacturing involves little energy expenditure as compared to other building materials, like steel.
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Recyclable:
The fact that broken concrete structures can be recycled makes them an ultimate winner in the building industry.
Broken concrete structures are crushed into smaller pieces and used as raw materials for other concrete solutions. Larger pieces are shaped to make large bricks and building blocks.
Recycling concrete structures saves the environment from the accumulation of waste materials.
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Pressure-resistant:
Structures made up of concrete are resistant to all kinds of pressure.
Concrete roofs, walls, or floors will not crack up all of a sudden due to some heavy objects banging into them, which is common with other types of structures.
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Water-resistant:
Wood, steel, and other materials are easily degraded by water. On the contrary, the level of degradation caused by water to concrete is little to no.
In fact, researchers postulate that pure water has no negative impacts on concrete and it is the presence of minerals like sulfates and chlorides that have corrosive impacts on concrete structures.
Therefore, structures most exposed to water like dams, canals, pipelines are made up of concrete.
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Fire-resistant:
Unlike wood or PVC structures, concrete is highly resistant to fire. It is for this reason that important industries and factories have concrete as their major building constituent.
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Maintenance:
Not only is concrete easily available everywhere around the world, but also its maintenance costs are relatively lower. Its persistence makes it withstand tough conditions, thus requiring fewer repairs and modifications.
Despite its strength, concrete is susceptible to cracks and degradations. Concrete Repair Services are offered to fix these problems in less money and time.
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Aesthetics:
The fact that cement can be used to create any shape and size makes it an extensive building material. This ability of cement helps builders enhance the beauty of walls, roofs, and floorings.
Walls can be shaped in any form-curved or straight, floors can be patterned and designed the way you desire. Concrete walls can be painted in any color you prefer.
Concrete roofs are the strongest roofs and are least likely to get damaged during harsh weather.
Why are Concrete Repair Contractors Hired?
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Concrete Resurfacing:
Repair services are hired if your concrete surfaces suffer any degradation.
These service providers offer concrete resurfacing services, in which a new layer of concrete is poured after removing the uppermost layer of the old concrete surface.
The new layer has chemical materials inside that enable the adhesion of two surfaces to one another.
Concrete repair contractors prefer this over complete concrete replacement because it is a lot cheaper and requires less effort.
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Decorative Concrete:
Are you sick of the boring dull concrete paver in your house and want to add a touch of splendor to it? Worry not. Concrete Repair Contractors can be hired to add decorative elements to concrete.
Different colors and patterns of concrete flooring can be installed. Colored concrete is made by adding colors while mixing the ingredients.
You can also use a contrast of two different colors for extra spice, or probably match it with the theme of your exterior house painting for increasing your curb appeal.
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Dealing with Cracks:
Cracks can be very inconvenient and unpleasant to the sight, which is why repair service providers are given a quick call. Narrow cracks on a concrete surface can be repaired by filling these with a caulking gun.
Concrete is easy to handle when wet. However, once it hardens, it can be difficult to fix. Floors must be properly leveled to prevent water from pooling.
This is done while the concrete is still wet and can be tricky if you are not trained and experienced. When it comes to pattern printing, a professional works fast and stamps the concrete well enough before it dries.
Even staining concrete requires great skill, especially if it requires staining by hand.
To prevent any trips, wider cracks are filled and smoothened by putty knives.