Concrete shrinkage cracks are certainly the worst nightmare of any homeowner. Nobody wants to live in a leaky house, especially after spending all their fortune in that home. Many reasons can cause this shrinkage to eventually transform into a crack.
However, the excess water content in the concrete mixture is one of the primary causes of shrinkage crack. But besides that, there are other factors at play as well. Complications like these make it imperative for people to hire a competent and reliable construction company like Tide Constructions.
Nonetheless, continue reading to learn more about the cause of shrinkage cracks and measures to avoid them.
Causes Of Concrete Shrinkage Cracks
Some of the most reasons that might be causing your walls and ceilings to shrinkage and crack include:
- Excess Water In The Mix: As mentioned earlier, this is one of the primary reasons behind shrinkage cracks. One must understand that concrete does not require excessive water to gain strength. Instead, excess water can work towards reducing the strength of the concrete.
- Hastened Drying Of Concrete: You need to keep an eye out for the following primary reason for the hastened drying of concrete. The process of concrete transforming from liquid to solid results from a chemical reaction that requires water.
This reaction continues for days and weeks, even after you are done pouring the concrete. This is the reason experts recommend watering the concrete continually to ensure it has enough water to keep the chemical reaction going on.
- Ineffective Strength Of Concrete: Many variants of concrete are available in the market. Each of these variants comes with a different level of strength. So if you really want to design and construct Brisbane like it is meant to, you must always use good quality concrete. This will mitigate and even eliminate the chances of concrete cracking and eventually transforming into a shrinkage crack.
- Lack Of Control Joints: When it comes to building a house, one has to be smart with the construction to ensure effectiveness and quality. This is what makes control joints so important, as it allows the concrete to crack where you want it to. The cracks need to have a slab depth and not exceed two or three times the thickness.
Controlling Concrete Shrinkage Cracks
Over the years, construction contractors have come up with many ingenious ways to control concrete shrinkage cracks. Some of these well-known measures include:
- Using the right proportion of water in the concrete mix
- Ensure effective cure of the concrete
- Be smart and add control joints everywhere you deem fit
- Use as much reinforcement as possible to ensure sturdiness and strength
- Compact the base
Final Thoughts
Of course, concrete shrinkage cracks are not something you want in your home or any other property. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is find a competent and reliable construction contractor like Tide Constructions. Besides that, a detailed understanding of what causes such cracks and ways to avoid them can also help. So make sure to leverage the aforementioned information and build a home free from all sorts of concrete shrinkage cracks.
