Cracked Concrete Slab Repair

Fix Ugly Cracked Concrete with Slab Repair!

Over time, the concrete around our homes begins to deteriorate, despite being one of the most durable construction materials on the market. Used in countless applications, concrete is a versatile building material that allows fluid design choices and beautiful landscapes--until they become unsightly detractors from the home’s curb appeal.

When dealing with cracks in the concrete around your home, it’s important to reach out to an experienced contractor that has the knowledge to deal with not only the cracks, but also the root cause of them. Otherwise, the repair will take place and the cracks will reappear over time.

What Causes the Cracks in My Concrete?

There are many causes to cracked concrete, but the most common in the case of slabs is shrinkage cracking. Shrinkage cracking occurs during the drying process when the water evaporates from the concrete mix, leaving small voids between solid particles, making the slab weaker. These cracks are narrow, superficial, and usually necessitate repairs only for aesthetics.

Another common cause for cracking in concrete slabs is expansion. Heat causes concrete, just like anything else, to expand. As the slab expands, it will push against any surface or object in its way. If neither the slab nor the object can move, the force can be enough to crack the concrete. Expansion joints are often used to minimize this problem, as they are typically made from a compressible material, such as rubber or lumber.

There are also settling cracks, heave cracking, and cracking from premature drying of the slab. Each of these problems has a varying degree of severity and an experienced contractor will be able to solve these issues.

Repairs should be decided after a thorough evaluation of the crack. The traditional fix to cracked concrete would be to demo and repour the slab, but there is another option of epoxy injections to fill and stabilize cracks in slabs. This method has been successfully used in repairs to commercial buildings, bridges, dams and other types of concrete structures.