Concrete driveways are a common part of the exterior of a home. They provide an even surface for vehicles and can be an integral part of providing access to a home. However, concrete will almost always crack and this is often times just part of the curing process.
Ask any contractor if they can guarantee that the concrete patio they pour won't crack, and they will all give you the very same answer: No. This is because concrete will crack; no matter what anybody does, there is just no avoiding the fact that concrete cracks.
As the shrinkage begins, the concrete will crack where it is the weakest. Cracking typically starts within 12 hours of the finishing process. Weather conditions will slow or accelerate it. Shrinkage cracking is typically planned for and handled with control joints.
Actually, concrete cracks are very common, some are even inevitable.
In residential concrete, 4 inches is the minimum thickness for walkways and patios. Garage slabs and driveways should be 5 to 6 inches thick if any heavy truck traffic is anticipated, otherwise 4 inches is adequate.
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.
It's easy to brush off a small crack in your driveway as a sign of its age, but that might not be the case. In fact, many things could cause cracks in a driveway, such as settling, improper installation, and more. These cracks can lead to expensive repair bills if not taken care of promptly.
In applications such as concrete slabs and residential foundation walls, cracking is inevitable and expected. As the surface of concrete dries, water evaporates from the spaces between particles. As this water dissipates, the particles move closer together, resulting in shrinkage of the concrete.
Concrete cracking can show up at any time, even on a one year old slab like yours. It is possible the base under your driveway wasn't compacted correctly, and that may have caused the concrete to sink or settle slightly, and thus to crack.
Quikrete 50 lb. Crack-Resistant Concrete is designed to significantly reduce the amount of cracking caused by drying shrinkage. This concrete is ideal for driveways, walkways, floors, sidewalks and patios.
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.
Changes in the temperature of concrete can cause cracking. As the concrete gets hotter, it expands; as concrete gets cooler, it contracts. This is similar for many other materials you have probably learned about.
Small cracks here and there that are narrower than ¼ inch are most likely the result of shrinkage as the driveway cured. Like spider web cracks, these small cracks do not indicate a larger problem, and they often show up soon after the concrete is poured.
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.
Shrinkage: The most common type of cracking in concrete, especially early on, is shrinkage. Concrete is a mix of cement and water. As the concrete hardens, which is caused by the cement and water forming bonds, some of that water escapes through evaporation.
Poured correctly and well-maintained, asphalt pavement can last for nearly 20 years. However, it still requires steady maintenance over time. A driveway should be resealed about every 3 years and often, asphalt driveway cracks develop and need to be repaired more frequently than that.
The average life of your concrete driveway will depend on installation methods, environmental conditions and temperatures. However, you can expect your surface to last anywhere from 25 to 30 years with proper care. The key to prolonging the life of your investment is to pay attention to wear and tear each season.
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.
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.
For large scale projects like buildings, concrete should last up to 100 years if it's properly cared for. Concrete projects that experience more wear-and-tear like sidewalks and driveways have an expected lifespan of about half that—50 years.
Concrete driveways are typically poured four inches thick, giving the concrete driveway enough strength to withstand loads of regular vehicles (up to approximately 8,000lbs).
The higher the PSI the more durable your concrete will be and will thus be resilient to cracking. The average residential project uses a minimum of 2,500 to 3,000 PSI; however if you're concerned about cracking then we recommend talking to your concrete contractor about stronger products on the market.
Improper strength of Concrete
For example, if anything less than a 4000 psi is used for a driveway, the concrete can definitely crack. Often times a higher psi strength concrete is recommended for driveway installations. It is important that you get the manufacturer's recommended strength for the appropriate use.