Concrete is a durable material used for so many things; from driveways to walkways, from landscaping to interior flooring and even countertops. If poured correctly, a concrete pad, path, or driveway could last over 20 years!
Besides there being so many uses, there’s a lot you can do with concrete, like add colour, designs, textures, and more to really make it decorative.
Fortunately, because it is such a sturdy material, concrete repair and maintenance is usually a pretty simple task.
Basic cleaning
There is a little controversy over whether it’s a good idea to use a pressure washer to wash concrete.
Loose pieces or cracks tend to get the worst for it with the extra pressure applied. Depending on your viewpoint washing your concrete with a pressure washer is one fairly thorough method.
Alternatively, using a brush, like a deck brush, and a gentle soap often does the trick when cleaning concrete.
A few preventative ideas to help with the process may be to:
• Clean up spills right away after they happen, so they don’t have time to set and stain
• Avoid using sharp objects on the concrete
• Don’t use chemicals on the concrete. Salt based products tend to be harmful to concrete. And even safe chemicals, if left on the concrete for a long period of time, may do damage
• Bacteria and mold growth can break down concrete as well
If you have oil, grease or soot stains that have already set in and left their mark on the concrete, try using an alkaline cleaner or degreaser. Be sure to use it with hot water.
Handling cracks
Though you might see some thin hairline cracks and think it’s fine, consider that over time, that crack can grow.
Weather can do further damage. Sand and even weeds can get into the crack and widen it.
The thing to do is catch it early.
Depending on the depth and width of the crack, you’ll need either concrete patch (for the bigger projects) or concrete filler which typically comes in a tube or can be used with a calking gun.
Here are several easy steps to filling the cracks in concrete:
1. Clean the crack and the area around it. You want to get all the loose material away from the area so the sealant or patch can adhere
2. For thin cracks, use the concrete sealer by opening the tube then fill the crack with a smooth bead of the sealer
3. For wider cracks:
a. Lay sand in the lower section to help even out the bottom of the crack
b. Mix the concrete patch as directed (unless you got the premixed then skip that step)
c. Fill the crack with the patch
d. Apply enough of the patch to go above the crack and allow you to feather (by using a trowel and smoothing part of the patch over the existing concrete on both sides of the crack) the patch all down the crack.
4. Finally, let the sealer or patch completely dry
As a quick note, if you are repairing coloured concrete, it’s very difficult to perfectly match the colour. If you are desiring to have the coloured concrete match, you might consider removing the entire section and re-pouring it.