Small crack in driveway
- Thread starter cb104
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nealtw
Contractor retired
You can grind or chip out the area and fill with cement products made for that or the is even caulk made for concrete. The real problem is the way it was installed, on soil that will hold water instead of draining it. Some people fix these cracks and then think the repair failed but in fact the driveway suffers the same movement again and the weak spot open up again
slownsteady
Well-Known Member
I used the caulk recently on a flat surface, and I am very disappointed in the result. First, the color can never really match, so the repair looks VERY obvious. And second, the caulk hasn't held up very well. The ones i have seen in the BB Stores actually state that it's not for use in traffic areas (ie. driveways).
They seem to work better on vertical cracks but still look a bit too obvious.
They seem to work better on vertical cracks but still look a bit too obvious.
H
havasu
Guest
I also used the concrete caulk on a patio and really sorry. It is much more obvious that just the crack and looks horrible, and is going to be a bugger removing.
Around here it's not about looks rather its about keeping the drive from going back to nature after one winter. If you have a heavy freeze thaw cycle like we do a hairline crack will be half inch by spring. You have to do something to keep water out. If you don't have that to deal with just seal the surface and see what happens.
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BridgeMan
Well-Known Member
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Most caulking compounds are junk, and not at all appropriate for repairing concrete cracks. Even if the cracks are routed out and blown clean, the caulking will usually not stay adhered to the base concrete for more than a year or two. And it will always look like dog dung.
The OP's cracks appear to be the result of not having enough control joints (or even expansion joints) in his concrete placement. A wet autumn followed by hard freezing winter weather is often enough to cause them after they never appeared earlier. Corner cracks like the one shown are usually the result of a point load (such as a heavy truck tire) loading an unreinforced corner, especially if a partial void exists under the slab corner. A heavy load will over-stress the concrete, since it has only one direction for distribution instead of an entire surrounding slab.
The best product to use for sealing and repairing such cracks would be a low-modulus, moisture-insensitive epoxy. The term "low-modulus" means it never becomes hard and brittle, but instead retains a certain amount of flexibility. Many such products are available, but usually only at a concrete or masonry supply retailer. Most apron-vest places won't carry them. Doing a search under "low modulus concrete crack filler" will bring up several pages of acceptable products.
The OP's cracks appear to be the result of not having enough control joints (or even expansion joints) in his concrete placement. A wet autumn followed by hard freezing winter weather is often enough to cause them after they never appeared earlier. Corner cracks like the one shown are usually the result of a point load (such as a heavy truck tire) loading an unreinforced corner, especially if a partial void exists under the slab corner. A heavy load will over-stress the concrete, since it has only one direction for distribution instead of an entire surrounding slab.
The best product to use for sealing and repairing such cracks would be a low-modulus, moisture-insensitive epoxy. The term "low-modulus" means it never becomes hard and brittle, but instead retains a certain amount of flexibility. Many such products are available, but usually only at a concrete or masonry supply retailer. Most apron-vest places won't carry them. Doing a search under "low modulus concrete crack filler" will bring up several pages of acceptable products.
H
havasu
Guest
I like your "apron-vest places" description!
no matter how you fix a crack, it will show the repair,,, IF i were you,i'd leave 'em alon,,, they don't look wider than .003" & there's no apparent chipping or spalling which would suggest they're performing as a joint
apron/vest = no licensing fees ? plargarist :beer:
apron/vest = no licensing fees ? plargarist :beer:
