The Great Big World of ConcreteThe Great Big World of Concrete


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The Great Big World of Concrete

Think about how many things in the built environment are made from concrete. Even just in your home, you may have a concrete foundation or concrete basement walls. Maybe you have a concrete pad or patio out back, and you probably have a concrete sidewalk leading to and past your home. Then, there's your greater community. There are likely concrete barriers to restrict where people park. Large, concrete buildings serve as schools, court buildings, and other community structures. The list goes on, but the point is, concrete contractors create all sorts of different structures. We're excited to write articles about them here.

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3 Reasons To Use Residential Specialty Concrete

Odds are you have concrete in your house, whether it's your foundation, walls, or a patio. Most people think all concrete is the same, but it isn't. Concrete is adjustable and can be specialized for various residential purposes. Changing the ingredients' proportions or adding additives alters the concrete, making it more useful for certain residential purposes. So, what are some reasons to have specialty concrete poured at your house?

Shrinkage Reduction   

Shrinkage happens as the water evaporates out of the concrete. That makes the concrete lose mass, which changes the concrete's size. Shrinkage also causes cracks, especially where the concrete connects to other things, like your foundation or the walls of your house. A concrete company that does specialty concrete for residential purposes has a concrete mix that is shrink resistant. Shrink resistance means fewer cracks and strong concrete. Adding things like slag or fly ash into the concrete mix will help with the shrinkage issue and strengthen the concrete at the same time. 

Heavy-Duty Use

Concrete can break down under heavy use and heavyweight. However, specialized concrete mixes are designed to stand up to heavy use and heavy weights. The concrete mix for a high-stress use can be mixed with less water. It can also have additives like graphene added to the mix. Graphene added to the concrete mix will add to the compressive strength of the concrete, as well as tensile strength. These things make the concrete more resilient. More resilient concrete is more robust, which allows the concrete to stand up to the heavy use and heavyweight. 

Maintenance Costs

Regular concrete is in a weird place where it may need frequent maintenance, but the maintenance costs are relatively low, even though they do add up. However, specialty concrete for residential settings is generally more substantial than regular concrete. That means it stands up to the elements better, and things like the freeze/thaw cycle won't affect the concrete as much. This can benefit when used for things like driveways, walkways, and patios.  

concrete is a pretty versatile building material. Nearly every structure that gets built has concrete to one extent or another. Regarding the concrete used at your house, talk to a concrete contractor who handles specialty concrete for residential settings. The contractor will have a mix that will work for you or will be able to use their experience to create a mixture that will work. 

Want to learn more about residential specialty concrete? Get in touch with a company like Decorative Concrete Designs for all your questions.