COMPLETE CONCRETE RESTORATION
Concrete Restoration (or How to keep your concrete healthy for the next 200 years)
How does a building or structure get to be hundreds of years old? By catching and repairing small issues before they turn into large problems. We have all heard it before, its always better to repair rather than replace. This is especially true because concrete is very costly, an average sized driveway can run around twenty-five thousand dollars, imagine the cost of building a skyscraper, church, or office building, easily into the hundred-thousand and even million dollar range.
Routine maintenance and checks are the best way to spot small issues, a tiny crack here and there, and chipping concrete is something Ameriseal commonly sees and restores across the Great State of Ohio. Concrete restoration involves repairing, refurbishing, and extending the lifespan of deteriorating concrete. The goal is to bring the building back up to code, reinforce structural integrity, restore functionality, and to make the concrete look fresh and new again. One of our first steps is to clean the concrete, removing years of dirt and grime, immediately making the area look better, we do this with commercial power washers. Hose attachments allow us to target small areas (like in the above photo), while a spinning bristle allows us to clean large, flat areas efficiently.
Concrete Restoration in any Location - Some of our difficult-to-reach jobs in Loraine, Akron, and Canton
Ameriseal can restore concrete in some of the most difficult to reach places, we have worked in Loraine, on the Charles Berry Bridge
while anchored to a floating barge,
upside-down
on the ceilings of parking garages in Downtown Akron,
dams accessible only
by kayak,
high up on Historic bell and clock towers, and have
even repelled
from Presidential Monuments and Stadiums in Canton, Ohio.
Whatever your concrete restoration needs, Ameriseal can formulate a plan to both access and restore it. We are experienced masons that understand different types and compositions of concrete, structural engineering, and construction in general. We offer free quotes with no pressure, simply
call our office
or
send us a message to schedule an on-site inspection.
We know that concrete restoration can disturb the routine functions of a building or structure, so we plan accordingly with our staff and yours to execute in a way that minimizes disruption to daily activities. We know your time is valuable, as well as your customers time, so we promise to be efficient without sacrificing quality. However sometimes, for the safety of everyone around, portions of the building may need to be closed for us to complete work, there is simply no way around this.
Five steps to Concrete Restoration:
1. Initial Inspection/Assessment - The assessment is step one, an on-site visit to see the damage in person (or by drone in the case of difficult to reach spaces or flooded areas). We determine the cause of the damage and how best to restore it, and prevent it from happening again. This step is where we lay out a plan for the restoration: materials, manpower, equipment, and a time and date best suited for our client.
2. Surface Preparation - This is an important step and one that should never be skipped, proper surface preparation is key to a smooth and appealing concrete restoration project. We use air to blow out debris from cracks, commercial power washers to remove dirt and oil, and determine the best Concrete Surface Profile (CSP). The CSP is a rating between 1 and 10 that refers to how rough the concrete must be to allow a proper bonding with any coatings that are to be applied. Different types of coatings and sealants require a more or less harsh abrasion to properly adhere.
3. Restoration and Repair - This step can compose of many different techniques, depending on the repair.
- Concrete patching involves cutting out around a crack or missing concrete segment to a predetermined depth, chipping out the old concrete and replacing it with a new fresh patch. This works well for minor corner damage to concrete slabs.
- Internal damage to concrete, stemming from water entering via micro cracking, its can appear only as minor cracking on the surface, but cutting into the slab often shows corrosion and rusty rebar, forcing expansion from the inside. All of the rusty rebar must be exposed, removed and replaced.
- Expansion joint repair involves the joints between the slabs of concrete, which allow the slabs to expand and contract in warm or cold weather, sway during high winds, and deflect the loads that are on them. Over time and during long periods of movement the caulking in these joints can break down from external stressors. We consult with engineers to be sure that the repair is as good (or better, as new technologies develop!) as the original design.
4. Waterproofing - Water is the number one destroyer of concrete, and so concrete lifespan is extended when sealed against water penetration. Sealants also resist penetrations and staining from oil and chemicals. Coatings can be heavily tinted to provide more of a painted look, or they come clear and lightly tinted for extra aesthetic to match their surroundings. High-traffic sealants are also available for large commercial spaces expecting lots of use, these last longer than traditional sealants.
5. Maintenance - The final step is an ongoing maintenance program. The National Concrete Masonry Association has this to say on the topic of maintenance:
"Since the useful life of a concrete masonry structure can be directly related to the quality of the maintenance, an established and rigorous maintenance program will greatly reduce the chances of major problems or costly repairs."
-NCMA.org (National Concrete Masonry Association)
See the Ameriseal difference at Bo-Rein Stadium in Niles Ohio
We couldn't have said it better ourselves! A quality maintenance program is the best economical option for proper care of your concrete. Ameriseal is happy to offer these services to our customers as part of our comprehensive preventative maintenance program. We will make a plan to visit for a visual inspection, lay out a timeline for when sealants need to be reapplied, joints need to be recaulked, or when mortar will require repointing. Ameriseal's ultimate objective is to minimize the possibility of unforeseen issues, leaving little room for surprise problems! Call 330-794-8040 to schedule, or send us a message at any time, for a free inspection and quote today!
Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm; Closed Weekends