What is a covering material for concrete for, and which type

Practically at every construction site, concrete is used, its main indicator is strength, which is not always achieved at the desired level. In order for the fresh solution to subsequently gain brand strength in a timely manner (28 days), ideal conditions for solidification are necessary. But in life on large or private construction projects done by the hands there are no ideal conditions, most often concreting is carried out either in the heat or in the cold season.

Care for fresh concrete

The main enemies of the correct process of hardening of concrete, significantly impairing its quality and structure are:

• Cooling.
• Rapid loss of moisture.

The harmful problems arising in the process of keeping up to a set of the design strength of concrete in the cold period of the year are:

• The freezing of water that is part of the concrete mix, which can provoke the destruction of the freshly cast concrete.
• Slowing down the process of cement hydration.
• Lowering the adhesion of concrete to the reinforcement cage due to the icing of the latter.
• Cracking the surface of concrete and even the occurrence of cracks in the body structure.

Rapid loss of water when performing concrete work in the heat may threaten the complete cessation of the curing of the hardening mixture. That, in fact, will lead to costs for repair and dismantling.

But worse is that not always this loss of strength is palpable and is taken into account by construction organizations. This unpleasant fact emerges when the house is already standing, and the foundation sinks unevenly.

Attention! Research in this area shows that the concrete mix, frozen at high temperatures (up to 40 degrees) under the scorching rays of the sun without quality care, at the age of 28 days gained strength 54-56% of the design. And, what is more dangerous, it is almost impossible to compensate for the loss of strength characteristics during such solidification.

Therefore, in order to preserve the strength properties of concrete at a high level, fresh constructions require certain maintenance, which does not take much time, but provides a positive result.

The concrete curing process manual recommends the following care measures:

• Covering with insulating and moisture-retaining materials - and it does not have to be expensive products.
• Moisturizing the concrete surface (in hot weather when temperatures are above 20 degrees).
• Heating using heat guns or electric heating at sub-zero temperatures.

Sheltering concrete

The topic of today's article is covering material for concrete:

• In summer, in the heat, it protects the mixture from premature drying under the scorching rays of the sun.
• In winter, from the damaging effects of low temperatures and frost.

Different types of shelters cope well with these problems; they are represented in the domestic market of building materials in a wide range. Consider the main ones.

Fabric and multilayer

1. Shelters awning without additional insulation.

In this capacity can act:

• Awnings made of synthetic fabrics.
• Awnings made of synthetic fabrics with PVC impregnation.
• Canvas canopy for the shelter of concrete with impregnation (water-repellent and fire-resistant).

1. The warmed awning shelters.

In the role of insulation used:

• Polyester is a synthetic fabric.
• Sintepon with cold-resistant (withstands about 70 degrees of frost) and hydrophobic impregnation.

1. Multilayer tents, representing a sandwich, laminated with a water-repellent and UV-resistant film on both sides.

Sandwich consists of:

• Two layers of woven polyethylene fabric.
• The warming layer between them from izolon.

Film materials

• Polyethylene films, for example - "Izokom". This material is used to cover the concrete directly at the end of pouring the mixture onto a wet surface.

Note! Foamed using a special technology that eliminates the use of harmful substances, this material is highly resistant to aggressive media. It is environmentally safe, not subject to rotting, due to the increased density of a lot of material wrapped with a service life of tens of years.

• Covering material PES and PES NC can be used directly on the concrete surface, without fear of falling on her precipitation in the form of rain and snow. A high degree of water resistance and excellent heat insulating properties will provide reliable protection of concrete at any humidity and temperature in the range from -40 to +90 degrees. Excellent material and cope with temperature changes.

The choice of covering material depends on the conditions in which the concrete work is carried out and, of course, on the construction budget. A private developer may well wait for more favorable conditions for the start of construction and take advantage of the budget option of shelter.

But if there is no possibility to wait, then the best price is for ordinary plastic wrap, which is used for greenhouses. They are suitable for low temperatures and protects well from precipitation, moreover, it can be reused for household needs.

Conclusion

Now you know how to cover concrete in the winter or summer from the adverse effects of the environment. Carefully care for the fresh concrete surface, and it will thank your efforts with a long term safe and efficient operation of the building.

In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.