Concrete is, without a doubt, one of the most commonly used and long-lasting building materials in the entire world. Structures that are built using concrete are not only durable but also resistant to fire and the various environmental factors that result in the degradation of structures. 

Despite concrete being strong, it’s not a super-substance. For this reason, it also tends to chip and crack with time. Besides, various factors such as chemical damage, fire damage, excessive loads, structural damage, and others can accelerate the rate of concrete failure. This, however, should not be a major cause for worry, as it’s possible to fix damaged concrete so long as you do it the right way. 

What you need to know about fixing damaged concrete?

There are two main ways to restore damaged concrete: concrete patching and crack repairs. In both methods, concrete-based repair materials have to be used for the best results. Some of the materials used in repair contain polymers to improve bonding properties. 

Before picking the ideal repair material the individual fixing the concrete has to evaluate the damaged area and determine:

• The depth, width, and length of the damaged area
• Whether the area should be widened to facilitate effective repair
• The type of repair that should be used (vertical vs horizontal repair)
• If the area gets a lot of traffic (both vehicle and foot traffic)
• Whether the cracks (if any), are moving cracks (cracks that appear to grow larger with time)

After the diagnosis and evaluation of the concrete damage, the next big thing is to select the ideal repair materials. Depending on the kind of damage, the expert handling the project can decide to use one or more of the following cement-based repair materials:

• Fast-setting cement patchers
• Concrete resurfacers
• Fast-setting repair mortar
• Concrete patchers
• Bedding mix and sand mix topping material
• Pre-mixed concrete repair material

Approaches to concrete repair

There are two main approaches to concrete repair, and each one of them may be more ideal depending on the situation:

• Full-depth Repair

This method involves the removal of damaged concrete, through various methods such as robotic hydro demolition. Once the damaged concrete has been cleared from the area, the experts will then have to replace the reinforced steel to facilitate the installation of fresh, new concrete.

• Partial-depth repair​

This only involves demolition around the edges of the concrete that has been damaged, to allow effective removal. After the concrete has been removed, the reinforced steel can be cleaned and repaired, where necessary.

Why you may want to hire experts for your concrete patching project?

For the majority of cases, concrete patching can be complicated, and even dangerous, depending on the situation. For this reason, you may want to hire experts to do the job for you. But is that where it ends? Of course not. You can enjoy a couple of benefits from hiring experts for concrete patching, as listed below:

• Save money as a result of the project being completed the right way
• Get quality results from the use of industry-leading equipment
• Experts can identify hidden dangers and offer effective solutions
• You get to save a lot of time when you trust experts to do the job
• There will be no case of further damage when you leave your project to the experts

Get in touch with us for unrivaled services:

At San Rafael Concrete, we are committed to providing services of unmatched quality to our clients’ satisfaction. All the methods we use are effective and portray the highest degrees of expertise. For every project that we handle, our clients’ contentment comes first.  

Contact us or call us for a free quote (628)204-3030