Technology has made a lot of things easier, including repairing your indoor or outdoor concrete surfaces. Gone are the days when a replacement is the only sound option. Nowadays, there are products and methods that can help restore concrete without compromising its aesthetics and function.
Looking at your concrete floors, how would you know if they are still in good shape? Here are tell-tale signs to know if you need to get in touch with a professional concrete contractor:
Cracks
You can not get any more obvious than this. Although cracks occur as early as the new slab dries, these are often small and superficial. But for larger cracks, it can be a sign that the concrete is weak or that water has penetrated past the surface. Cracks can also be a sign of age and heavy usage.
There are two types of cracks: working and non-working. Working cracks recur because it is caused by something that happens regularly like subgrade movement. Non-working cracks are caused by impact and heavy usage and can easily be filled and sealed, depending on how wide the crack is.
Uneven Slabs
An uneven surface is common on a concrete patio. This is caused by a subgrade that was not compacted properly. Although it looks really bad, it can easily be fixed with slab jacking or mud jacking.
This involves cutting a small onto the slab and filling it up with some sort of grout until the slab is lifted back to its original level.
Weak Concrete Surface
This is often characterized by the presence of dust and concrete pieces coming loose from the surface. Not only is this difficult to clean, it is also very unpleasant visually.
This can be fixed with the application of concrete coatings. Overlays and spray texture coatings are ideal for outdoor use while the epoxy is for interior floors.
Discoloration
Concrete has a tendency to discolor, either on its own or from spills that stain. Although the slab is still in good shape, the difference in color can be distracting. The best repair method for this is a concrete refinishing. Concrete stains, either acid or water-based, can help cover up and disguise ugly and uneven slab.
These come in a variety of colors and can be mixed and matched to create more interesting hues. This can be used by itself or as an additional enhancement to coatings and overlays.
