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Are you a homeowner worried about cracks in concrete? The concrete surfaces around your house get weaker and weaker with each passing day. Like any other material, concrete is also bound to degenerate and eventually break apart without any proper maintenance being done. Especially when it comes to old concrete floors with no proper touchups and maintenance being carried out regularly, cracks are a common site to witness.
Cracks in concrete usually start small, and as time progresses, they get larger and deeper. However, these cracks can easily be fixed with some repairs, improving the overall life of your floors.
Go over this article to learn everything about fixing cracks in concrete.
Why does Concrete Crack?
Concrete can crack due to a variety of different reasons, which are explained below.
Aging
Aging causes the strength of the concrete to deteriorate. It gets brittle and cannot support large amounts of pressure and, therefore, gets susceptible to damage and cracks.
Low-Quality Materials
If the materials used to make the concrete floor are not of good quality, then you cannot expect the concrete to last a very long time before it starts cracking apart.
Usage of Excess Water
Excess amounts of water used in the concrete mix can surely reduce its strength and effectiveness.
Fast Drying
After the concrete has been laid, it requires slow and steady drying to ensure a long-lasting product. However, some workers often try to get the wet concrete dry at a faster pace which eventually leads to the increased probability of having cracks and breaks in the concrete.
Repair Wide Cracks in Concrete
It is important to fix any cracks in concrete, especially if they are wide and deep. This would prevent further damage to your floors or any other concrete surface. These cracks can be repaired by using good-quality concrete patching materials.
Having a house with cracked and patchy concrete gives an old, worn-out, and poor impression to it. This could decrease your house’s worth and property value. If you would like to get a reverse mortgage in the future or perhaps, want to sell your property, the cracks in the concrete would prevent you from getting the appropriate monetary value of your house as it would reflect outdated and broken infrastructure.
Thus, getting any cracks filled in the concrete is a must to protect your house and its value from any damage or depreciation.
Steps to Repair Wide Cracks in Concrete
It is not very difficult to repair wide cracks in the concrete. Here is how it can be done.
Chisel an Upturned V-shape
First, carve out the area where the crack is present in the concrete. Do it in an upturned V-shape to ensure that the repairing material later used fixes the crack to the core. Use a chisel and a hammer to get into the base of the crack and make some space to work in.
Clear out the Debris
After chiseling the crack, brush out any debris present in it. If required, the crack can also be washed using a pressurized washer, a spray hose, or a nozzle.
Vacuum the Area
Next, make sure to vacuum out any dirt, debris, or liquid present in the crack. The area should be clean and ensure that standing water is not present in the cracks.
Prepare the Patching Mixture
Make the concrete patching formula according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Fill the Crack
Now, fill the concrete patching mixture or compound into the crack. Use a tool such as a trowel to help you fill the crack deeply and evenly. Make sure that no air bubbles form since they can cause the concrete to crack again once it’s set.
Smoothen the Surface
Make sure to apply some amount of the patching compound around the crack as well to smoothen the overall surface and ensure added strength.
Give it Rest
Let the compound dry fully without any external disturbances.
Finish it off
After the compound has been set, you can paint the overall repaired surface and its surroundings to give it an even tone, color, and texture.
Final Thoughts
Repairing any cracks in the concrete is very essential. It will not only make your existing concrete last longer, but it would also prevent any further damage to it and overall increase the quality of the surface as well. So, what are you waiting for? Make your home look beautiful with these necessary repairs.
Thank you for reading!
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