MAKE YOUR VISION A REALITY

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Email:info@acltd.co.nz

Concrete Maintenance

CONCRETE DRIVEWAY MAINTENANCE

Site Safe

As the owner / tenant of the property you need to be aware of Health & Safety while living in a construction site.

The foreman/ leading hand will explain to you the safe areas where you can enter / exit your property.

While machinery is being used in proximity to these areas you should attract the attention of one of the workers and he will escort you out of the zone. Use enclosed footwear while walking across job site.

Good communication with the site foreman / leading hand will ensure safety through out the construction time-frame.

Concrete Placement

Key timeframes around placing concrete are: 24 hours after placing is completed, limited walk on access is available, unless specified by the placer. 10 days vehicle access is available, unless this would impact on the decorative finish process.

The first 7 days is critical to how the concrete dries and sets. As the water is expressed out of the concrete through the drying process shrinkage occurs. Areas where there are external corners are considered “at risk”. The owner can contribute by watering “sprinkler” the concrete periodically when weather conditions create faster drying that is considered acceptable. The placer should be consulted to confirm timings when water is applied.

Concrete can crack even when all precautions are taken. This is due to concrete changing from a liquid state to a solid state and the chemical and environmental influences that can occur may sometimes cause cracking. Crack free slabs cannot be guaranteed.

Decorative Concreting

Coloured concrete: The two main types of colouring concrete are: Placing plain concrete and towelling in powdered colour into the wet surface of the concrete. This generally provides a consistent colour however in high traffic areas the colour will wear off. The second type is: Placing the colour, either powder or liquid into the bowel at the concrete plant. This will often exhibit uneven shading of aggregates and / or oxide, giving a look which is sometimes referred to as “mottled” or “aged”. This is the expected finish with decorative concrete and should be considered part of its character.

Exposed Aggregate: Different concrete companies obtain base material from different quarries. This will have an effect on the appearance of the finished product. The customer should provide clear direction of choice at the time of selection using known concrete company brochures.

Decorative concreting requires finishing. This entails acid / soap wash and two coats of acrylic sealer.

The decorative concrete slab should be washed down and resealed within the first twelve months to ensure the finish is maintained.

Dirt Marks

To maintain concrete, spray at least once a year for moss and mould.

Always use low pressure to wash concrete as high pressure breaks down the concrete.

Oil spills are best cleaned up immediately. Soak up with a dry cloth then cover the area with a dry absorbent material (dry dust, dry soil or sawdust) Leave on the spot for several minutes then clean off. Repeat this until the excess oil is absorbed.

Once excess oil is removed clean the surface with hot soapy water and a brush then rinse with cold water.

Tree Roots

Tree roots can cause the surface to lift and crack as they grow under the drive / car park. Avoid placing trees too close to the drive. Roots of mature trees tend to extend to the drip line of the tree.

IF THE ABOVE GUIDELINES ARE FOLLOWED IT WILL HELP TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A SURFACE THAT WILL LAST AND LOOK GOOD FOR YEARS TO COME

Armitage How-to Tips

Tips of caring for your driveway to make it last for the test of time.

MAKE YOUR VISION A REALITY

Check out our "Before and After" Series

We specialise in complex projects and designs from start to finish.
Before and After is a perfect way to showcase the results we can achieve.
For each project, we have Project Management methodology carefully deployed and the Health and Safety plan is strictly abided by to ensure the "reality" that we're transforming to is very much in line with the "vision" in your mind with quality and process optimised to the highest standard.

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