Just like what we do with our cars, clothing, food, and body, we need to take good care of our real estate property. Though it is obvious that we focus mainly on the indoor factors of our property, you should not neglect the outdoor factors as well. Else, it will turn into a pretty bad situation. Ignoring the outdoor aspects of your property can lead to expensive repairs down the line.
One of the most common outdoor factors that people ignore is the concrete sidewalk. It’s a victim to a lot of weathering problems. Thus, they’re prone to damage. It can be quite expensive to replace a sidewalk. Thus, it’s better to repair it as soon as you notice issues.
Spots with poor water drainage lead to the buildup of moisture beneath the surface of the concrete sidewalk. Your concrete sidewalk is at risk of being weakened by the collected water if it has a bit of a wet surface around the edges. Water on the concrete sidewalk’s surface isn’t a problem. However, the presence of water under the sidewalk’s surface is a problem that you have to repair.
Fading Colors
If you’ve built a concrete sidewalk using stamped concrete, you’ll have a beautiful sidewalk. However, the color and design fade away over time due to exposure to the elements, such as rain and sun. Though this might not appear like an alarming problem, the upper layer of your stamped concrete sidewalk protects the underlying layers from the elements. The inner layer becomes more prone to damage if the color fades away. This can lead to cracks. Thus, you have to replace the faded layer with a fresh one to preserve its integrity.
Depressed or Raised Surface
Oftentimes, sidewalks made of concrete have this problem. A couple of concrete slabs might move out of place because of the constant application of loads or because of the soft soil under them. It’s extremely unappealing since you or another person might end up tripping on the raised edge. This can lead to injuries. If you notice a raised or depressed surface on your concrete sidewalk, make sure you hire a professional concrete contractor to have it fixed immediately.
Broken Edges
Oftentimes, the edges of a sidewalk give in to excessive pressure or loads and crumble away. This is particularly true if the sidewalk is located in a high-traffic area. If not fixed right away, these broken edges can clog the path of the underground drainage. They can also lead to parking problems for cars and trip hazards for people.
Surface Cracks
Your concrete sidewalk is located outside. Thus, it’s exposed to all types of elements. Because of this, it’s normal for them to develop several cracks. Though invisible and tiny cracks might be ignored, noticeable cracks are indications of impending danger. If left ignored, these cracks grow into the surface and completely damaging your concrete sidewalk.
Having a house near the sea offers you the chance to enjoy amazing views of the ocean. Though living right on the sea can be thrilling, it also comes with special challenges and a lot of responsibilities. Typically, you’ll find a lot of seawalls near waterfront properties.
This structure is made to protect the shoreline from flooding and erosion that can possibly cause severe damage to properties near the coastline. If you equip your property with a seawall, you’ve got to guarantee that you’re offering the right maintenance for your seawall to keep its integrity strong and durable.
Aside from hiring a Ft. Lauderdale seawall repair company when you notice some issues on your seawall, here are other tips on maintaining it:
Conduct Regular Evaluations
It can be an easy and simple way to guarantee that your seal is in excellent condition if you take your time to carefully evaluate the surface regularly.
A visual assessment can reveal important details regarding the seawall’s condition. You can examine for cracks if your seawall is made from vinyl or concrete materials. Cracks can signify that you need to fix your seawall since it’s deteriorating. You should search for indications of rot, splitting, or termite damage if the seawall is made from treated wood.
Conducting regular visual assessments will enable you to keep the integrity of your seawall.
Unclog Weep Holes
Every single day, a seawall is subject to a lot of water pressure. The water pressure can come both from the ground saturation of the soil behind it and the actual water the seawall is constructed to contain.
You need to relieve the pressure regularly to avoid the water pressure from damaging your seawall’s structural integrity. The pressure relief valves of a seawall are called weep holes. These holes help divert strong water pressure. Water has to freely move through these weep holes to control the water pressure your seawall endures every day.
Debris such as leaves and dirt can find their way into the weep holes of the seawall. They can clog up these filtration devices. You can guarantee that water can freely move through these holes if you take your time to unclog the weep holes of your seawall regularly. With this, you can prevent a dangerous accumulation of water pressure from affecting your seawall down the line.
Get Rid of Plant Growth
Vegetation is typically attracted to the place since your seawall is built in close proximity to a huge water supply. Though a couple of plants might not present a threat, a lot of vegetation varieties growing near seawalls affect its integrity.
The root systems of plants can produce cracks in the seawall’s façade as they grow in the vicinity of the seawall looking for moisture. These cracks make the seawall less resistant to the strong pressure of the waves. In addition to that, these cracks also enable water to leak inside the seawall. If this happens, it will start to deteriorate the seawall.
Getting rid of the plants regularly will help you prevent this from happening.
Having a house along the coast is extremely amazing. The salty breeze of the sea can be a nice addition to your day-to-day living, and the beach provides a great view. Though there are a lot of sights to see, you might have seen several seawalls near canals or bays, protecting the land from waves.
Are these seawalls necessary? What is their purpose? Today, we’re going to share with you several things you should know about a seawall. We will discuss what they are, why they are necessary, why you’ll need a seawall repair Fort Lauderdale, and much more.
What’s a Seawall?
First of all, what’s a seawall? For those who don’t know, it’s a structure that offers something of protection for bays and canals. A seawall can lower the eroding effect of the waves from the sea. It also lowers the energy of the waves to defend the nearby land and the people. A seawall basically redirects the waves back to the ocean. It prevents possible erosion and damage over time.
Is It Necessary?
Seawalls lower the energy of the waves, as mentioned above. Because of this, it lowers damage and erosion along the surrounding area. Ocean waves can gradually eat away at the landscape if left ignored. This can lead to flooding. If the erosion is big enough, it can easily put the waterside buildings at risk. They can be prone to corrosion or collapse. Also, the residents and their properties are at bigger threat if the area floods.
Basically, seawalls protect people and structures from the negative impact of waves. It can also lower the consequences of strong waves during hurricanes and storms. Furthermore, seawalls can provide a sturdy defense against tsunamis if they are strong and big enough.
There are two different types of a seawall. This includes riprap embankments and vertical walls. Every type offers the same purpose in a different approach. However, a particular type might be more appropriate compared to the other in a certain case.
Riprap Embankments
This type of seawall, also known as revetments, is excellent for low-impact places. They are also pretty affordable. Riprap embankments do not do well against strong waves. However, they can break up the energy of a small wave. This lowers the wave’s erosion effect and securing the coastline.
Basically, this type of seawall starts with a rubble mound. The mound’s side is covered in stones, sandbags, or porous rocks. It’s typically exposed to the sea. This type of seawall is often made from other materials such as construction demolition leftovers or paving. However, limestone and granite are the most commonly utilized materials.
Vertical Seawalls
This type of seawall is quite easy to build. They can easily deflect the energy of a wave to protect the coastline. From the name itself, the structure is upright. It’s made of durable walls that block waves from impacting the coastline. People can install piles in from of the wall to lower a bit the energy of a wave and curtail the wave’s impact on the coastline.
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