Ideally, concrete driveways are built to last. But there are instances when they become damaged resulting in an unsightly appearance. Some of the common characteristics of worn-out driveway concrete include unsightly cracks, scaling, and distress. Some typical causes of concrete imperfections include the use of a poor quality concrete mix, lousy placement, inclement weather, and wear and tear. Whenever you notice some inconsistencies in your concrete driveway, you can either opt to rip out the concrete and start again or repair the existing driveway.
Before embarking on a driveway renovation project, your first move should be to identify the source or cause of the damage. After understanding the origin of the damage, you can then determine the best repair procedure. Here are some standard driveway repair options.
Concrete Resurfacing
Resurfacing is prescribed to driveways that are experiencing cracking, scaling, or spalling. Before resurfacing the concrete, it is advisable to repair some imperfections in the old base. Doing this is critical to enhancing the quality of the bond and it lengthens the life of your ‘new’ driveway.
Concrete Engraving
This repair procedure is mostly employed to enhance the aesthetics of your driveway. Some driveways have minor cracks or some discoloration, which ends up making the driveway looking messy. Concrete engraving, thus, seeks to conceal these flaws by engraving a pattern over the concrete. Part of the process of engraving involves applying some stain on the concrete before allowing the machine to cut the pattern.
Slabjacking
There are instances where you find some parts of your driveway experiencing localized sinking. This problem is often caused by inadequate compaction. Slabjacking, thus, seeks to restore the function and aesthetics of the driveway by raising the slab back to its original position. This process mainly involves pumping a mixture of cement and sand below the concrete, restoring it to its initial position.
Recoloring
A concrete driveway is often stained to make it look attractive. But after some time, these stains are bound to get eroded due to weathering, exposure to direct sunlight, poor color application, and adsorption of grease and other stubborn stains. Loss of color can be addressed through recoloring and protecting the new surface with a sealant.