Sealing can prevent bigger problems down the line, and the non-sag consistency and matte gray color of Advanced Polymer Concrete Crack Sealant will even out the surface and is textured to blend into the existing driveway, disguising the fact that there ever was a crack. Flexibility is key to a good sealant.
When to Repair and When to Replace a Broken Concrete Driveway. Hairline cracks or cracks under 1/4-inch wide may not indicate serious underlying damage, but if water gets into them and repeatedly freezes and expands, and vehicles continue to drive over them, the cracks can get bigger and the problem can worsen.
If the concrete has deteriorated so much that the repair will only fix part of the problem, a full replacement is necessary, no question. Where the decision becomes a little more grey is when a repair will solve the issues of your cracked, flaking or worn down concrete but the problems will surface again quickly.
Can Sealing Prevent Cracks on Concrete Surfaces? Concrete sealing can stop most types of concrete fractures. This fact is especially true if the crack is a result of poor-quality work in the concrete mix or site preparation. However, sealing can prevent future damage that may start from the top layer of the concrete.
While you may see small driveway cracks as nothing important, they can be the first sign that you may have foundation issues.
Epoxy sealers like Rust-Oleum Concrete Patch & Repair are waterproof products that are extremely strong and durable. These are good for cracks in foundation or basement walls, as well as horizontal cracks on concrete pavement or driveways.
You'll get the best results if you take the time to repair cracks in the surface of the driveway before applying a final coat of sealant.
Can you pour concrete over cracked concrete? Pouring concrete over cracked concrete before at least repairing the cracks is not going to go well. If the issues that caused the cracking to occur on your existing concrete surface are still present, they will affect your new concrete surface, too.
Since they ideally happen near the surface, reinforcing your concrete is not going to help prevent them. The only preventative option you have is to use a good mix design that offers low shrinkage tendencies. However, you may still have to deal with hairline cracks, especially if there is moisture around the structure.
Driveway sealing can protect your investment. The bottom line is that sealcoating and proper maintenance for your driveway can prevent small cracks from turning into big ones and keep water from seeping into the base material.
According to HomeAdvisor, a driveway repair professional will charge as little as $300 to fix minor concrete driveway cracks, but most homeowners can do the job on their own with a rubber or synthetic crack filler. This costs about $0.10 to $0.15 per linear foot—but watch out if cracks are larger than 1/8 of an inch.
For use on Driveways, Parking Lots, Streets, Highways, and Airport Runways. Flex-A-Fill® is a hot-applied polymer modified asphalt sealant used to seal cracks in asphalt concrete or Portland cement concrete pavements.
Put simply, concrete cracks when it experiences more tension than it can withstand. There are many circumstances where this may occur, the most common being: Excessive weight, such as from large vehicles, bearing down on the concrete. Heat, causing the concrete to expand and push against another inflexible material.
Evaluating Concrete Crack Severity
However, they should be monitored for any growth. Cracks of greater width than 0.3 mm may present structural durability issues. If a crack on a concrete floor or slab widens sufficient to present a tripping hazard, it is considered serious and requiring repair.
Here are some potential problems if a crack gets wide enough for water to seep into the slab: Water can rust your rebar, causing serious damage to your concrete. Rusting/cracking weakens the foundation.
Too much water can wash away the soil supporting your concrete. Too little and it can cause the soil to shrink. And when water freezes and thaws over and over and over and over again, it can cause the surface of your concrete driveway to crack, pit, and crumble. Think of your driveway as a giant sponge.
A concrete sealer can reduce freeze-thaw damage by reducing the water absorbed by the concrete. However, it must be re-applied periodically. There are a number of sealers available, and they usually contain the chemicals silane or siloxane. One effective product that protects concrete from cracks is Sikagard 701W.
While the advantages outweigh the negatives, there are some disadvantages that you should keep in mind before sealing your concrete driveway. Sealant can make the surface slippery. Sealants tend to dry down with a glossy or semi-glossy sheen that can be quite slick, especially when wet.
Reactive penetrating sealers are the longest lasting concrete sealers, wearing away only if the substrate surface itself wears away. These can last up to 25 years in some cases, but we recommend re-sealing concrete driveways every 5-10 years.
As a general rule, if the cracks are less than a quarter-inch wide, you can get away with repairing the surface. You may then opt to reseal or refinish the entire surface to ensure the driveway has a uniform appearance. For cracks greater than a 6.5mm, repairing is simply a Band-Aid.