Freeze and thaw damage
Water gets into a slab through surface pores, cracks, and open joints. When it freezes it expands, and every cycle pries the concrete apart a little more. That is what causes the flaking, pitted surfaces you see on older Leavenworth driveways and front steps. Salt and de-icer accelerate it. When we replace a slab here we care about air entrainment in the mix, a base that drains instead of trapping water underneath, joints that are sealed and maintained, and a surface sealer suited to a climate that spends months below freezing. Doing those four things is what separates a slab that lasts from one that spalls in three winters.



