New concrete can differ in curing time depending on the type of concrete and or materials used. Generally, standard concrete with a layer of reinforcing mesh should not be driven on until the concrete has been allowed to cure for at least seven days when its compressive strength will be about 80% of the final Strength.

New Concrete takes 28 days to fully cure to maximum strength. Once the concrete has hardened after 24 hours, to ensure the best possible strength, your concrete slab should be watered and kept damp as long as possible. Using a sprinkler will usually solve this problem. This can be somewhat hard is you cannot keep the slab constantly flooded with water.

Water is one of the active ingredients of concrete. If water evaporates too quickly from newly poured concrete, this can cause an undesirable effect call plastic shrinkage cracking. PSC happens when water evaporates during the curing process too quickly not allowing the cement and aggregate to bond strongly and can cause the rapid shrinking of concrete as the volume the water takes up in the concrete has to be filled, undesirable aeration can result.

Once you have accepted the quote, then the job can be scheduled to be completed. Usually you can expect to have us on site within 10 working days of the quote being accepted. Please note; that concreting is an industry dependent on weather situations. Inclement weather can set back work. Unexpected delays can occur from time to time, which are out of our control. We will always do our best to work to agreed upon start and finish dates, but as we know from experience that not everything goes according to plan in this industry. We will notify you if there are any foreseeable delays with starting your job. Although at times you may experience delays, when McLeods Concreting Ltd Contractors do get to your job, you will find that the wait was worth it. It’s why we are so busy all of the time.

One of the first things to consider when it comes to pouring new concrete is “where will the water go”? In some cases, water can be drained away naturally using the levels and contour of the concrete without the need for a sump or drain attaching to the storm water system. In other cases using sumps and drains to move the water away is unavoidable and necessary. The issue of drainage will be discussed onsite with you when you arrange your free quote.

Unless the area is very small, the answer is yes! Concrete tends to naturally crack during the curing process from exothermic expansion and contraction. Construction cuts are used to control the cracking by becoming controlled cracking points and therefore keep the concrete aesthetically pleasing and ensure that cracks do not occur where you do not want them to. Sometimes concrete will crack where you don’t want it to. It is an unfortunate reality. We can’t control everything that leads to unwanted cracking, but we can certainly limit the amount of potentially unwanted cracking. Construction cuts are required to be a third of the thickness of concrete. Depending on the total length of cuts, depth and width of cuts the price will vary. Concrete may also be cut into decorative patterns. Contact us for job specific pricing or you can find standard pricing rates in the standard pricing list.

Each job is different and requires individual attention to pricing. Things that will be considered when pricing your job are: Excavation & disposal of Fill (How much excavation will be needed?)
Accessibility, (Can the site be easily accessed by excavating equipment, Concrete truck access?), Size and finish, how complicated the job is? Are there steps – Height changes? There are many considerations to allow for when it comes to pricing. Please contact us to arrange an onsite, obligation free quote on your potential job.

Concrete sealer is a either a water based or urethane based sealer. Sealers come in many types and varieties depending on the function of the concrete area. Some sealers penetrate the concrete surface making the abrasion resistance much higher, some waterproof the concrete, others are petrol & oil resistant. They can be glossy, hi gloss matte finish etc. Please ask us about job specific pricing or refer to our standard pricing list for standard seal application.

Acid washing is simply that. Diluted hydrochloric acid is applied using a broom to wash concrete free of efflorescence, dust, dirt and any debris on the concrete surface. Acid washing is recommended before applying sealer to any concrete surface because acid washing will bring out the best finish and lustre and the sealer will lock in the appearance of the newly cleaned concrete. To find out more you can contact us or you can refer to our standard pricing list for rates.

We strongly recommend and insist that all decorative concrete be acid washed and sealed upon completion to enhance the look and final quality of your finish. With plain or coloured concrete it is not necessary to have it acid washed, but all concrete will benefit in appearance and durability. Please be aware that some contractors will not add this into their quote, at McLeods we will always incorporate decorative concrete to be acid washed and sealed because we want to ensure that the best quality finish is always achieved.