Concrete Surface Repair: How, Why, and When

Concrete is one of the most durable construction materials. However, everyday wear and tear and extreme temperatures take a toll on concrete surfaces. When the concrete surfaces lose their ability to hold binding concrete materials together, the surface needs hardening. Although the concrete surface will remain functional, it will look bad and may have a chalky appearance.

Before you begin the repair work,  investigate what could have caused the weakness. The investigation reveals how aggressive the repair needs to be. Whether it’s a full-depth repair, partial depth repair, or an overlay, the choice should be aimed at extending the life of the concrete surface.

To ensure proper concrete surface repair, contact professional concrete suppliers in Brisbane.  You get the appropriate concrete for cracks, physical impacts, chipped-out surfaces, or surface scaling.

Let’s look at some of the common concrete surface problems.

Cracked Concrete Surface

One of the common problems with concrete surfaces is cracking. Cracking is caused by thermal contraction, subgrade settlement, drying shrinkage, and applied loads. To repair a crack, use a hammer and chisel to knock away the crack and rinse the area thoroughly. Scrub the area with a wire brush to dislodge any loose particles and then order concrete repair mix. Force the concrete mix into the crack and smooth the product with the surrounding concrete.

Blistering

Blisters are formed when bubbles of trapped air get stuck underneath an already sealed concrete surface. The air produces bumps of varying sizes. To repair blistered formation on concrete surfaces, use a gel-like and consistent slurry to fill the void. To prevent concrete blistering, order concrete mix from professional concrete suppliers in Brisbane. Apply appropriate construction techniques when placing concrete to prevent blistering.

Curling

Curling is a distortion that usually shows up during the drying process. Curling is due to differences in moisture content or temperature between the top and bottom of a concrete surface, corners and edges. One way to reduce curling is to usereinforcing mesh. Repair is done by chipping out concrete below the desired profile and patching to the required elevation.

Dusting

Dusting is a fine loose powder caused by a weak concrete surface. It is caused by improper curing, a bad sand cement ratio, or the use of an unvented heat source to keep a project warm. Dusting can be prevented by using a low slump concrete mix. High-quality concrete mix ensures that the concrete surface has good wear resistance. The repair is done by applying a chemical floor hardener or wet grinding the surface. 

Crazing

Crazing is a network of very small cracks that spreads out over a large area or the entire concrete surface. It’s caused by finishing the concrete with bleed water on top. When the finisher trowel forces down the bled water into the surface, it increases the ratio of water to cement, creating a weak surface layer. Grout can be used while repairing to fill the cracks.

Conclusion

Concrete offers many benefits, but certain conditions can cause a few common concrete problems. Fortunately, most common concrete problems can be avoided. Don’t let these problems wreak havoc on your concrete surface look or durability. Contact the professional concrete suppliers at Reocrete for all your concrete supplies needs.