# How to repair this broken driveway



## karsar (Apr 17, 2012)

Hi,

I have a broken driveway which was in this state when i moved in to the house. Now the association wants me to repair it (or) else they will repair it for me  it seems.

I have attached 2 pics that shows the damage, How can i repair this?

Do i need to replace the entire concrete slab (or) is this something fixable without replacing the entire slab - its a big slab. I am not planning to DIY this myself & planning to hire a contractor. So a rough guestimation of how much it would cost would be very helpful.


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## JoeD (Apr 18, 2012)

That depends partially on the Association. They may insist you replace the entire slab. 
You could try mud jacking and lift the piece back up level. It will still have a crack but it will be level.
You could bust the piece out and pour that section.
You could cut the drive off in a straight line and pour the bottom end only.
It depends on how anal your HA is.


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## Dionysia (Apr 18, 2012)

JoeD said:


> That depends partially on the Association. They may insist you replace the entire slab.
> It depends on how anal your HA is.



The fact that they are making him repair what seems to be a relatively minor break (hard to gauge size from the photo) would suggest that the HA is pretty anal. I would read through the HA rules and see what they say and go from there. 

It would probably be a good idea to get rid of those two dandelions - they will probably cite you for those next!!!


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## BridgeMan (Apr 18, 2012)

Reminds me of why I don't miss living in an area where the characters in charge of the HOA have free reign to dictate a bunch of (mostly) absurd rules.  Last subdivision we lived in (SW Colorado), the HOA had to approve paint/stain/window color.  And they didn't like white windows!

But a proper repair for the broken/settled corner is not that difficult for a DIYer.  Just some grunt work, and knowing enough about concrete to make it pretty.


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## nealtw (Apr 18, 2012)

I think One of Joe answers is the way to go, Have a straight line cut across the slab and remove and replace that section. I would check the minutes of the meetings to see if the previous owners where aware that this needed to be fixed. It would be small depts court for them and there realter. If the new about it they should have declared it.


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## karsar (Apr 20, 2012)

Thanks for all the responses guys. I will check with the HOA to see what needs to be done to get this off my back.

@nealtw - if they say they didnt know about it, what are my options. I just dont want to go to court & all if its just going to waste my time. In any case i will probably need to hire an attorney, etc., which will end up costing me the same amount to get it fixed.


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## nealtw (Apr 20, 2012)

I would get it fixed and if they knew it had to be fixed, I would raise hell with there realestate company, they have a reputation to protect. Small dept court is just like that stuff on TV, no lawyers. But here if you don't have there bank account numbers, the court can't grab the money for you if they don't pay, so winning isn't everything.


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## Garenius (Apr 21, 2012)

Is it cost effective to just replace the broken slab of rock?


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## BridgeMan (Apr 22, 2012)

That broken corner could repaired in one afternoon, in a manner that would look decent, and at a total cost of less than $100.  Slightly more if you have to rent a concrete saw for the 2 sawcuts.  A hungry contractor (smelling blood) will charge you $500+.


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## ConcreteExpert (May 10, 2012)

It actually isn't that bad - that is a very common, very easy crack. I would suggest using a polyurethane crack repair kit, it would maybe cost you $125-$150. Exterior cracks are using caused from shifting, expansion, or weather (freezing and melting of water). A polyurethane will be flexible enough to expand when the crack expands but strong enough to keep the crack repaired. If you find a kit that makes you drill, just don't use the drills - inject the material directly into the crack. I wouldn't use an epoxy - if the crack was caused by movement or weather, a new crack will form around the epoxy because epoxies aren't flexible.


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## nealtw (May 10, 2012)

Concrete: Welcome to the site, I think part of the deal here will be that it has settled and would or could be a tripping hazard at the near end in the photo.


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## JoeD (May 11, 2012)

His repair sounds like a basement leak fix. I call spammer.


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