3 Things to Check Before Doing DIY Concrete Repair
Posted on: 4 June 2018
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Concrete repair is something that many homeowners face. The repair is usually on a driveway or walkway. Before you decide to repair a whole or break in the concrete yourself, there are a few things you need to check. By making these quick checks, you can ensure that you are repairing the full extent of the issue and not overlooking something that could lead to replacement.
Check for Erosion
If the crack or break in the concrete splinters off, then follow the additional cracks. You may find that the issue is because of erosion under or around the sidewalk or driveway. If it is erosion, a simple concrete DIY repair will not help. You will need to fill in the area and put in some sort of irrigation system to prevent more erosion in the future. The erosion may come from a guttering runoff or may be from standing water in the area. Make sure to check all of these possibilities before simply doing the repair.
Check for Debris
You will need to clean the area before the repair, but you also need to check for debris before you clean the area. The debris can tell you a lot about what caused the damage to begin with. For example, you may notice a lot of vegetation debris from surrounding trees. If this is the case, you could be getting damage to the concrete from falling tree debris over time or from a large limb that may have fallen and started the concrete break. If there is a lot of debris, you may want to consider cutting back some of the limbs hanging over the area to reduce the chance of further damage.
Safety for Repair
An aspect many people look over when they do a DIY concrete repair is the safety of the repair. For example, you may need to use a sledgehammer to breakaway all the broken concrete pieces. Depending on the location of the concrete and the damage, using a sledgehammer may not be ideal and may cause physical injury due to a small space to work. Make sure you are using the right pieces of equipment for the repair and for the space to make the repair.
You can make basic concrete repairs using concrete and repair kits. If you find that the repair may be more than a simple concrete patch kit can handle, contact your local concrete contractor. They can give you an estimate on the issue and the price to have the repair completed.