How to Patch Up Cracks in Your Concrete Driveway
Although concrete driveways are a popular choice for homeowners due to their durability, they are not immune to succumbing to wear and tear over time. This typically presents itself in the form of cracking. The cracks in your concrete will come about for a variety of reasons, ranging from standing water, contraction and expansion of the aggregate, ice, overheating, tree roots and even some forms of bacteria. The good news is that a few cracks in your concrete would not warrant resurfacing of your driveway. Whether your driveway is suffering from hairline cracks or fissures, you can opt to patch them up on your own before they develop into bigger problems such as potholes. Here are some handy steps to patching up cracks in your concrete driveway.
Clean out the crack
The first step to remedying cracks in your concrete driveway would be ensuring that the crack has been thoroughly cleaned out. This includes eliminating any debris that may have collected within the crack. Additionally, you should take out any old pieces of aggregate that may have disintegrated into the crack. Thorough cleaning works toward ensuring the repair material will bond properly with the concrete.
Fill out the crack
To fill the crack, you could choose to use either caulk or opt for a concrete sealer. Concrete sealer is made up of a mixture of concrete that can easily be poured into the crack that has developed. This tends to be a better option as it is much stronger when compared to caulking. Once you have filled the crack, take a trowel and use it to apply pressure onto the filling. This ensures that is densely compressed into the crack. If you have a concrete aggregate driveway, you should fill the crack with sand and apply pressure on the sand to densely fill the crack.
Cure the crack
Once you have filled the crack, it is prudent to allow it to cure appropriately to ensure that it does not disintegrate prematurely. It should be noted that the process of curing is not as simple as letting the crack dry out on its own. Instead, you should cover the patched up area so as to prevent moisture from escaping the filling agents at a rapid rate. You should also try to keep the patched up crack at a constant temperature in an attempt to slow down the drying process. Curing ensures that the filling agent dries at its own pace, therefore not compromising its structural integrity by hardening too fast.
Seal the crack
Once curing is complete, you need to seal the crack. Concrete is a porous material, which makes it susceptible to water damage over time. By sealing the crack with a high quality sealant, you reduce the chances of moisture penetrating the crack and disintegrating it.
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