When it comes to home maintenance, it seems like it never ends. There is always something to do. You can save yourself a lot of money by doing some of this maintenance yourself. This includes things like fixing cracks in your sidewalks or driveway yourself before the problem gets too big and you need to call in the professionals.
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How to Fix Cracks in Your Sidewalk or Driveway
Over time, it is not uncommon that sidewalks and driveways start to get cracks and crumble. This is from many factors, including the weather. To prevent the damage from getting worse or from causing an unsafe condition, you want to repair it before it gets too big.
These are easy steps to repairing cracks in sidewalks and concrete driveways.
Make the crack larger
You will want to make the crack larger at the top than it is at the bottom. This is so that the patch will stay anchored. Using a chisel, angle it slightly outwards and tap it with a 3lb hammer.
Remove the debris
Remove all of the crumbles and debris. If you leave this in the crack, it will continue to weaken it. Utilising a pressure washer will help with the removal of debris, ensure the area is dry before moving on to the next step.
Fill the crack with a concrete patch
Sometimes, this is called vinyl concrete. Using a patch mix, create the patch. Then add the patch mix into the crack. You will want to then trowel on the mix. Smooth the surface with a small float or a trowel.
Deal with any pop-put issues
Pop-outs are small chunks of concrete that might have popped out and will leave a hole behind. Use a cold chisel and a sledgehammer to undercut the hole and make it slightly wider. Then clean the hole and re-add the patch mix.
Appy the concrete binder
Apply this with a paintbrush and wait for it to get sticky. This is about 15 minutes.
Anchoring cement
Now pack the hole with a small amount of anchoring cement. Smooth the surface with a putty knife or a small trowel. The anchoring cement will expand as it hardens. While it is usually used for anchoring bolts it works great for patching these holes. Keep the patch moist until it has cured.
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