How Freeze and Thaw Affects Concrete Here

Summary:

Cesar describes freeze-thaw as a real concern in this area, particularly out toward the foothills where temperatures drop further than they do closer to the water. The mechanism is water getting into the concrete, freezing, and expanding, which pushes outward from inside the slab. A single freeze does no harm; the damage comes from repeated cycling through a winter of freezing nights and thawing days, and it appears as flaking or as the top layer coming away in patches. His defense begins with keeping water from sitting on or under the slab in the first place, which returns to drainage and base construction. Maintaining a good surface seal helps, and the mix specification matters as well.

Answer:

Freeze and thaw is real here, especially out toward the foothills where it gets colder than it does closer to the water. What happens is water gets into the concrete. Then it freezes, and when water freezes it expands. That expansion pushes out from the inside. One time isn't going to hurt anything. But here we go back and forth all winter. It freezes at night, it thaws during the day, over and over and over. That cycle is what works a surface apart over the years. You see it as flaking, or the top layer coming off in patches. The way you fight it starts with keeping water from sitting on and under the slab in the first place, which comes right back to how the site drains and how the base was built underneath it. Keeping a good seal on the surface helps too. And the mix itself matters for freeze resistance, which is something we handle on our end when we order for the job.