Damaged Driveway - Repair Or Replace? Three Things You Must Consider

Your driveway is the entrance to your home and one of the first things to get noticed by visitors. If the driveway is busted or overwhelmed with unappealing cracks it can leave an unpleasant impression. More often than not, this is a problem that goes unaddressed.

If you have a driveway that is cracked or busted and are ready to address the problem you have two basic choices, replace or repair. Three things you must consider when making the decision to replace or repair.

1. Most driveways are a minimum of four inches thick. Natural stresses caused this four inch thick slab of concrete to literally tear itself apart. These stresses include expansion and contraction due to heat and cold, the weight of vehicle traffic, and movement of the substrate. Any crack repair material placed within these fractures will undoubtedly suffer a similar fate as the original slab of concrete, failure.

2. Driveway replacement can be expensive but if performed correctly can provide you with fifty plus years of solid use. If you decide to replace a concrete driveway make sure the contractor uses a four thousand psi mix of concrete poured at a minimum of four inches; furthermore, steel reinforcement should be added for increased tensile strength to compliment the already high compressive strength of concrete.

3. Over time, a driveway's surface can become weathered and lose its finish. There are a variety of overlays available. Although relatively expensive, when compared to the cost of replacement, these overlays can be a viable option. I don't suggest overlaying cracked or busted concrete; however, if the desired effect is simply a nicer finish then overlay can do the trick.

Concrete repair can be a risky endeavor. Far too often, I see a repair gone wrong, a costly mistake that never should have been attempted in the first place. Every day, home owners waste money on costly repairs that fail. That being said, cracks can be filled to prevent moisture penetration and good concrete can be overlaid for aesthetic appeal.

Many times, due to budget restraints, the best solution is to simply cut out and replace only the most severely damaged sections. This way, you spend less money and the repair is solid.

Recommend : Music Tracks on Sale Gourmet on Sale Classical on Sale Dining Room Furniture Beauty Cheap Price Short Column

Concrete Floor Repair

There are many reasons a concrete floor would need repair such as:

cracks made by expansion and the contraction of the floor
damage caused by imperfections made before the concrete has cured
or floating objects such as wood that may have fallen into the concrete while it was still wet.

Whatever caused it the concrete floor repair must be done.

To start the concrete floor repair use a ruler to map out the area to be repaired. If the area is small and shallow then a small area repair may be the only thing required. On the other hand, if the area to be repaired is of a considerable size than the whole concrete floor will have to chipped out. Make a rough surface for the cement to bond to it. Rough up a small area you may only need a hammer but if the area is large than a jack hammer may be needed. Clean the area you have chipped of all the chipping debris in order for the concrete to have a good surface to adhere too. The sand and cement mixture you will use to fill the area should be made up of one part cement and two and a half parts of masonry sand. These dry materials should be mixed first.

Bring this dry mixture to a consistency of stiff plastic by using a polymer or latex bonding agent. Wet the area to be repaired with clean water without flooding it. The area should be damp in order for the mixture to bond. If the area is too dry the patch will crack. Apply it to the patch using a trowel leaving it slightly higher to accommodate for shrinking and allow it to dry. After about an hour use a harsher trowel to spread the paste that will rise to the top. This paste is what will make the finished surface. When all is thoroughly dry than use the trowel to scrape off anything that may have remained on the surface or may have spread to the surface nearby. Clean your tools thoroughly.

See Also : Civil Engineering Webboard Ohhh???.Civil Engineer CivilTeamClub's