Although concrete is one of the strongest building materials and is commonly used for building driveway and sidewalks, Mother Nature still has a way of moving things around, causing the concrete to crack. Before it gets bigger and allows water and debris in, which will help it get worse, you need to repair the cracks
Repairing cracks in concrete is an easy DIY project with today’s repair materials and a little guidance.
Patching Concrete Cracks
Clearly not all repairs require resurfacing the entire driveway. Driveway cracks come in a host of sizes and shapes—from hairline cracks to more significant fissures. Regardless of the size of the crack, there a few simple steps that should be taken before fixing the crack.
Clean It – The crack should be cleaned thoroughly to ensure proper bonding between the old surface and the repair material. Cleaning entails removing loose pieces of the old concrete with a chisel or equivalent tool and then removing the remaining debris with a wire brush and sweeping it away.
Fill It – The crack can then be repaired and filled with something as simple as concrete caulking for hairline cracks or concrete sealer (pourable concrete mixture) designed to fill larger cracks. You should also use a trowel to compress the material firmly into the crack.
For an aggregate driveway, you will want to pour sand over the concrete patch and roll over it with a somewhat heavy object.
Let It Cure – Once the patch is in place, it has to be allowed to dry and cure before you park a car on it. Curing is not the same as drying. Pourable concrete is easier to work with than the polymer coatings, not only because you are working on a much smaller area than you would be if resurfacing an entire driveway, but because they typically dry more slowly, allowing you time to work, plus many patching products are designed to cure quickly, to reduce the wait after you’re done. Obviously, referring to the manufacturer’s instructions will alleviate any difficulties.
If you’ve used sand on the crack of an aggregate driveway, sweep or wash away the excess after the curing process has finished.
Seal It – Concrete is porous and water is one of the major culprits that can do damage to your driveway. To help minimize water damage, it is always a good idea to regularly apply a high-quality water sealer.
Thanks doityourself.com for this advice
Using Slab,will make the project quick and easy and last a long time. Check out the video on the Next Page.
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Patching cracks in your concrete before they get worse, especially preventing water from getting in and freezing, making the cracks a lot worse.
Slab crack sealant is a new product that won’t shrink or crack when the concrete does. Check out the video below.
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