Every year, southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes. That’s a cool fact from the U.S. Geological Survey. Thankfully, most of them are so small that they don’t even disturb our cappuccinos and chai lattes. We can get through our morning jogs and yoga routines without missing a beat. The bigger ones over 3.0? That’s a different story. They can cause cracks in the concrete driveways and pool decks that most of us have down here and those cracks will need maintenance and repair.
Why? Even a small crack can let water in, and once water infiltrates those concrete surfaces, it can wash away the sand and gravel underneath. That can leave your driveway, patio, walkway or pool deck without enough support and make it vulnerable to more cracking.
Inspect your concrete surfaces regularly for cracks
The next time your ShakeAlert app buzzes, take a walk around your property. Make a note of any place that you find a crack and make a plan to get it sealed. You want to use a sealant that provides a high degree of flexibility because, let’s face it, yesterday’s earthquake isn’t going to be the only one we experience in Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. At The Driveway Company of Southern California, we work exclusively with Sherwin Williams products because of their flexibility, durability and quality.
When you are looking for earthquake damage, don’t overlook the joints. They can open up creating exposure and deterioration and should be repaired and resealed. The industrial grade materials we use are not only highly adhesive, they also provide 50% flexibility to go with the flow when southern California gets a quaker. And our crews are trained at hand-tooling and finishing joint fills to blend with the existing concrete.
Given how often earthquakes happen here, it’s a good idea to reseal your concrete surfaces regularly. We recommend every 2 years in heavy traffic areas, and every 4 years for less. Once you become a customer of The Driveway Company of Southern California, we’ll send you reminders to help you stay on top of that regular maintenance. It’s the least we can do to help you stay chill.