Driveway Gritting and De-icing and the weather
Due to the heavy fall of snow here in the Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Chesterfield and Sheffield areas over the past couple of weeks it has made us here at Drive-Cote think about the situation. We remind ourselves of the possible damaging effects the bad Winter weather and gritting and de-icing can have on our homes, gardens, driveways, paths and patios.
When I was watching the BBC One show one of the guests mentioned about how it can affect our best friends (our four and two legged friends) so I contacted the NCC — Nottinghamshire CC (@NottsCC) January 25, 2013 gritting department via twitter @drivecoteltd and they gave me details- the RSPCA – advice on the effects of rock salt on pets and they gave me some very useful info but it got us thinking.
I think one important thing to remember is that it is a necessary evil and perhaps http://youtu.be/nCqexmC5pGU Olive is on the right road!
How does this affect the our driveway of concrete (which includes imprinted concrete), tarmac, block paving and slabs
Frost damage to
- CONCRETE driveways paths and patios is sometimes called heave. The soil or surface below the driveway has a water content which forms into ice. This can provide enough pressure to lift and crack areas of the concrete driveway path or patio. Newly laid concrete can become affected if the water in the concrete freezes also known as spalling. The best form is prevention. With a correctly and well laid surface this should not happen. Concrete is not an indestructible product but it is a very tough and durable product. Surface damage is not ideal, and does not look very nice but it is a better option than the alternative of a structural damage like heave.
- TARMAC can be due to the the expansion and contraction of water after it has seeped through the tarmac. Cold temperatures cause the water to freeze. It can then expand. This can then crack and can weaken the tarmac when ice melts. Gaps or voids in the surface occur which can form into pothole like areas on roads
- Slabs and Block paving. As these both have independent sections slabs these are a little different. Depending on how well they have been laid and how impermeable the joints are they can become uneven, especially at the edges. This can then allow the ingress of water enabling once again the freeze thaw. In addition they can be a slip and trip hazard and this is where a type of anti slip surfacing may help.
With regard to the roads what happens when salt is brought into the picture ? Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Salt added lowers the temperature that water will freeze. This creates an artificial freeze-thaw cycle and therefore can allow more occurrences of the damaging cycle to occur. Springtime is worse because of the melting that takes place and because the temperatures fluctuating above and below the freezing point very frequently
Tags: anti slip, block paving, tarmac