How To Repair Crumbling Cinder Block Foundation

v Uncomplicated Fixes for Worn Concrete

Concrete surfaces are built to last, but sometimes you need to intervene to brand sure they stay as skilful-looking as they are hardworking. Read on to learn how to tackle five common superficial concrete flaws—and which products are best for each repair.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Concrete is one of the most durable construction materials around, but faulty installation, everyday habiliment and tear, exposure to chemicals, and even the hazards of extreme temperatures can all take a toll on concrete surfaces. If your concrete is starting to look a little rough effectually the edges, take center: You can probably ready it! Whether the trouble is spalling on a concrete slab, scratches on a countertop, or crumbling edges on steps, you can often restore the physical to its former adept looks using the right techniques and quality repair products. Go along reading for DIY solutions to five of the about common superficial physical problems.

Photograph: quikrete.com

The Cure for Crumbling Physical Steps

Aging or chipped footstep surfaces, edges, or corners can really detract from your abode's curb appeal. You lot don't have to put up with the rundown look of chipped, damaged stairs. Every bit long as the steps are structurally sound—meaning, they're not spalling, flaking, or broken all the fashion through—you tin can repair most surface issues.

If you're dealing with cracks and chips, count on the polymer resins in Quikrete's Vinyl Concrete Patcher to generate a tough, durable bond with the existing concrete and fifty-fifty out the surface. The patcher tin be spread over clean and audio chipped surfaces to a thickness of ¼ inch, and its smooth consistency makes it easy to plumage out with a trowel and blend with the rest of the stride's surface. If your patch is thicker, build the vinyl concrete patcher upward in ¼ inch applications. (See this handy video for the technique.)

Restoring aging step edges to their former crisp and abrupt contour appearance requires a unlike product birthday: Quikrete's Quick-Setting Cement. When mixed with Quikrete'due south Acrylic Fortifier, this product yields a flexible semisolid mixture you tin can shape, mold, and sculpt to each stride's exact edge. If making repairs shallower than one inch, adding the acrylic fortifier to the quick-setting cement will increase bonding strength. Follow the tips in this video to prep the physical surface and create new edges with ease.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Resurface a Spalling Driveway

Are you finding flakes and pits in your outdoor concrete? This effect, called spalling, often occurs in concrete that was poured too moisture at installation, only such factors as prolonged snow exposure, repeated employ of chemic ice-melting products, or persistent dripping of water in one identify (such equally under a garage eave or below a spot that lacks gutters) can also cause this type of surface impairment. Fortunately, though spalling is definitely an eyesore, it won't actually compromise the structural integrity of your driveway, sidewalk, or patio. You tin can get rid of it by smoothing Quikrete'due south Concrete Resurfacer over the crude, damaged surface. Physical Resurfacer is manufactured from Portland cement and a unique alloy of polymers and additives that give it actress strength and immovability. And it's tough enough to bulldoze on, to boot!

For the best results, divide large driveways into smaller areas; working i section at a fourth dimension makes it easier to utilise and control the resurfacing product. Clean the existing surface with a power washer, and so mix the resurfacing production using a heavy-duty drill and paddle bit, so spread it on evenly with a long-handled squeegee following these tips from the pros. You lot tin can use a utility broom to add texture that volition keep the physical slabs from becoming dangerously slick when wet.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Eliminate Countertop Scratches and Stains

As cool to the bear on every bit they are to look at, concrete countertops offer a trendy nevertheless tough piece of work surface for the kitchen—a space where the physical will inevitably succumb to stains and scratches over time. Should whatsoever of these superficial flaws announced on your countertop, the all-time way to restore the surface is simply to grind it down, then restain and reseal it. Lucky for you, stains and scratches rarely penetrate deeper than the top layer of a physical countertop, and then you don't have to remove also much of the surface to get rid of them. Wearing a respirator mask and protective eyewear to keep the airborne concrete dust at bay, sand the entire surface in several passes using a handheld grinder fitted with a series of diamond grinding pads. Work in graduated grits, beginning with a 50-grit pad to remove any stains and scratches, so move up to a pad equally fine every bit 400 dust for an ultra-smooth, polished surface.

Next, apply a good penetrating stain like Quikrete's Penetrating Physical Stain to the sanded surface to enhance the natural beauty of your countertop with ane of a variety of rich hues. Protect your countertop'due south fresh new expect with a sealer similar Quikrete'southward Physical & Masonry Waterproofing Sealer, which will prevent damage from acidic spills, such every bit vinegar or lemon juice. (A sealed countertop is probable to develop a warm and inviting patina, which most homeowners dearest, over its kickoff few months.) Finally, one time the sealer is dry out, get your countertop ready for repast prep by finishing with a layer of glossy, food-safe wax, such as carnauba.

Photo: quikrete.com

Supersede Worn Patio and Driveway Expansion Joints

Expansion joints are ready in big expanses of concrete to preclude the surface from developing cracks as sections shift imperceptibly over time as a result of temperature fluctuations or soil motility. If, nevertheless, these joints were never sealed, or if the one-time sealer has since hardened, crumbled, or pulled abroad from the concrete in spots, the joints cannot do their jobs. Once damaged, these spaces can allow water to seep under the concrete surface, which increases the gamble of soil movement and can consequence in cracks.

You lot can prolong your patio'due south lifespan by removing the old sealant, cleaning the joints, and applying new sealant. As with all physical repairs, the surface must showtime be cleaned of dirt, debris, and grease. For hard-to-remove stains on exterior slabs, apply Quikrete's Concrete and Asphalt Cleaner, which is applied with a stiff brush and and then rinsed off with a hose. Cut away hardened sealant from expansion joints using a utility knife. If any of the expansion joints are ½ inch or wider, insert a compressible foam "backer rod" into the joint offset to forbid sealant from sagging between slabs, leaving approximately ¼ inch of space above for the sealant. After the joints accept been cleaned and prepped, squeeze Quikrete's Self-Leveling Polyurethane Sealant into each joint using a standard caulk gun. When you're ready to become started, review this video for a close look at every step in the process, from prepping the joints to applying the new sealant.

Photograph: quikrete.com

Plug Leaky Basement Walls

Lateral force per unit area from the soil outside can crusade basement walls to develop cracks over time. More than just unsightly, these cracks also increase the risk of groundwater seeping into your basement. As long as the cracks are small-scale (¼ inch or less) and the wall isn't showing signs of structural failure, you lot can reduce the likelihood of winding upwards with a wet basement by sealing the cracks immediately with Quikrete'southward Hydraulic Water-Cease Cement. When mixed according to the instructions and applied every bit shown in this video tutorial, the cement takes on a putty-like consistency that can easily exist pushed and molded into the cracks. The textile expands, locking information technology into identify permanently.

So, now that you know how easy it is to make some basic concrete fixes around the house—and which products are all-time for each application—what's stopping you? Go to work cleaning up minor cracks, untidy edges, and rough surfaces to give your house a neater, more than polished advent.

This content has been brought to you by Quikrete. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

Source: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/fixes-for-worn-concrete/

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