The sun was shining in September, but now in November the red on your thermometer has disappeared and you are worried about the decision to replace the old concrete floor or a new pour for your home addition during cold weather season.
Cold weather concreting, if done correctly, can add to the value of your home all 12 months of the year. Redi-mix concrete can be delivered in most any weather, be it cold, rainy or snowing.
To enlighten and expand on the definition of cold weather pouring, is the meaning to ensure your concrete stays above 50 degrees until it is strong enough to eliminate any damages of freezing and eliminating inferior results. In cooler temperatures the setting time can more than double, but the concrete and the concrete producers take special steps to help the concrete reach key strengths. In cold weather your ready-mixed concrete producer heats materials during the winter months to help ensure that the concrete reaches the job site at the correct temperature. Through heating water and/or aggregates by the ready-mixed producers, the concrete should arrive within optimal parameters.
It is critical the concrete maintains adequate concrete temperatures during the following days. Cement, through the hydration process, generates heat. To eliminate the process of cooling too quickly and to prevent early-age freezing, protection will be provided with insulating materials to capture the natural heat of hydration immediately after concrete placement to maintain the optimal temperature levels recommended by the ACI for cold weather concreting.
The key is to prevent early-age freezing in cold weather concreting and by accelerating setting time and increased strengths over a wide range of temperatures (hot, mild, cold and sub-freezing) with admixtures. Concrete practices, regardless of temperature, are the same but with additional care to protect the new pour.
Additionally, basement concrete floors within the home or business or garage floors can be restored 12 months a year which may include removing existing concrete or restoring the existing floor. If the flooring is found to be suitable for resurfacing, it can also be given a thin overlay of a high performance concrete material that can then be stamped, stained or left "as is" for that new look you desire. The use of an overlay would also reduce cost and save time.
There are a number of concrete home improvement or restoration projects that can be done during the winter months. Projects within flood zones can be accomplished by replacing with overlays or stains of a wide variety of colors, patterns and textures to provide a custom look for your home or business.
