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Thread: concrete driveway repair

  1. #1
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    concrete driveway repair

    Anyone had good experience with repairing concrete driveway/sidewalks? I have a lot of ugly spalling and crumbling, getting worse every winter. I am reluctant to pay for a complete replacement so wondering if there are any good overlay techniques that will last. I have patched several places but it just doesn't look right.
    < insert spurious quote here >

  2. #2
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    It is very difficult to get new concrete to bond to older concrete and the color may never match. If you spread salt on concrete to get rid of ice it is likely to spall down the road. The only cure I know is to replace the whole thing.
    Lee Schierer
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  3. #3
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    Thanks Lee, thats what I am afraid of. I've had some luck with patches by using concrete adhesive in the mix, but nothing lasts for long.
    < insert spurious quote here >

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Calow View Post
    I've had some luck with patches by using concrete adhesive in the mix, but nothing lasts for long.
    How do the patches fail? Do they fail because the old concrete under them breaks up? - or does the patch come loose? - or does the material in the patch itself break?

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Calow View Post
    Anyone had good experience with repairing concrete driveway/sidewalks? I have a lot of ugly spalling and crumbling, getting worse every winter. I am reluctant to pay for a complete replacement so wondering if there are any good overlay techniques that will last. I have patched several places but it just doesn't look right.

    There are epoxy mixes that can be used to resurface concrete. You see them mainly used on bridge decks. AIN'T CHEAP!!! Bite the bullet and replace the concrete. Limit the amount of water in the mix to help prevent future spaulling of the surface. Talk to concrete supplier about best choice of mixes for your application.

  6. #6
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    Patches I've done (using patch mix and concrete adhesive) have usually lasted through a summer, but start to crack and crumble after a cold winter. Not so much from salt deterioration (although I have pitting from that too). It happens at the weak points (joint edges or cracks) in the underlying driveway. Freeze/thaw cycle.
    Yeah, will likely replace, just going through that calculation of how much to invest in repairs with a future downsizing in mind, and hoping there was a less expensive solution. Thanks for input.
    `
    < insert spurious quote here >

  7. #7
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    And if you get a new concrete job, be sure to let it cure properly by keeping it wet, by covering it with plastic or by spraying a curing membrane on it. You don't want the surface to dry out before it has reached its initial cure. Concrete is a chemical reaction as it cures, it doesn't cure by drying out. 7 days to reach most of its strength (at which point you can remove the plastic and begin using it), 30 days to reach it's rated strength, but it keeps curing pretty much forever.
    NOW you tell me...

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Wrenn View Post
    There are epoxy mixes that can be used to resurface concrete. You see them mainly used on bridge decks. AIN'T CHEAP!!! Bite the bullet and replace the concrete. Limit the amount of water in the mix to help prevent future spaulling of the surface. Talk to concrete supplier about best choice of mixes for your application.
    Coal tar epoxy will work great. To make it concrete-colored, brush it with some portland cement while it's still tacky... $70 a gallon or so, not exactly cheap
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  9. #9
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    I am experiencing the same problem of concrete spalling and then creating minor craters that crumble around the edges. It does not look good. And looking good is very important to our collective USA egos. I mentioned to my wife how a large percentage of the world has dirt to their front door, and often inside too. In Guatemala I would see the women ( never men) sweeping the dirt path to the door. If they saw our parking/garage concrete aprons they would promptly build a house on it and be very grateful! Yes I hate the appearance of my garage apron but then I reflect for a moment that this is certainly a first world problem.
    That said does asphalt work as a concrete patch if 1to2 inches thick?

  10. #10
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    In a past life, I was a builder. In my opinion, I would jack hammer the old concrete and pour new.
    A patch job will always be a patch job.

  11. #11
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    Currently around here finding someone to do a concrete job is virtually impossible. The big projects are getting done but even if they come take a look they never return a bid. They aren't interested in the smaller jobs at this time. I think it's a combination of things. An abundance of work and trouble getting and keeping help. Maybe it's different in the city but I'd be surprised if it were Stan.

  12. #12
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    Ronald, you're right. Across the board around here, good contractors are too busy for small jobs, and every out-of-work dude with a truck and a shovel fancies himself a contractor.
    Asphalt overlays not allowed in my subdivision, but my prior experience was that they don't last too long either. Looks like I'll tough it out another winter and then replace the concrete.
    < insert spurious quote here >

  13. #13
    Well, I would recommend https://concretedrivewaysadelaide.com.au/ as the right place to ask for construction and maintenance of concrete driveway. They have professional experience and expertise in this niche, so they can help in installing the beautiful and durable driveways cost-effectively.

  14. #14
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    Well, I would recommend https://concretedrivewaysadelaide.com.au/ as the right place to ask for construction and maintenance of concrete driveway.
    Would they bid on a job in Kansas City?

    jtk
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Josh Gilbert View Post
    Well, I would recommend https://concretedrivewaysadelaide.com.au/ as the right place to ask for construction and maintenance of concrete driveway. They have professional experience and expertise in this niche, so they can help in installing the beautiful and durable driveways cost-effectively.
    That explains the cement truck I saw parked on top of a container ship in Long Beach harbor.
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