Cause Of Concrete Patio Deterioration Below Siding

Homeowners power washing their concrete can often cause accidental damage either to their home or themselves.

Cause of concrete patio deterioration below siding.

I have always worked with the notion that a concrete patio should at minimum have a least 2 of clearance from the last row of siding. When the lower edge of the siding is below grade moisture can be wicked up behind the siding and insects and vermin can enter the building unobserved. In preparing for thi. 30 50 and 100 sieves resulting in a sticky or tacky concrete that can become more easily sealed when floating or finishing it at any early age.

Humidity levels can be so high in leaky basements that water vapor can form on the. I have a client that would like me to come over and evaluate his patio. Corrosion of embedded metals fig. Either can cause severe damage to building materials behind the siding.

An excess amount of entrapped air held within the concrete by a high percentage of material passing the 600 µm 300 µm and 150 µm no. A frequent reason behind a darkened concrete appearance is the addition of calcium chloride to accelerate the setting time of concrete see photo 1 especially when calcium chloride dosages approach 2 by weight of cement. How do delaminations happen. When fresh concrete is placed and compacted the solids cement and aggregate settle.

The nails holding up the siding should not be caulked. What s been discovered is a surface delamination in the concrete floor. Concrete absorbs water into its pores. Inadequate mixing after addition of calcium chloride makes the concrete color even more irregular or blotchy.

Concrete can deteriorate for a variety of reasons and concrete damage is often the result of a combination of factors. When the water in the pores freezes it expands causing scaling and delaminations. Siding nails should not be caulked another item that needs room to play is siding boards themselves. Corrosion of reinforcing steel is the most common cause of concrete deterioration.

In the phone interview the concern is over the distance to the siding. Attribute blistering to three principal causes. A diyer or a novice painter might attempt to achieve a cleaner look by caulking the siding nails but the nail is guaranteed to push the caulking material out within a few months. High humidity and moisture is prevalent in basements because the concrete walls are surrounded by moist soil.

In addition to concrete damage power washing horror stories include stripping paint off of houses ripping off siding and shingles damaging wood decks destroying car paint jobs and even causing serious injuries. The following summary discusses potential causes of concrete deterioration and the factors that influence them.