We see that most of the time a concrete floor is very tough and durable but there can be instances where they can be damaged. The two most common problems associated with concrete are cracks and divots or holes caused by chipping. These are two different problems and thus require two different repair methods for the concrete floor repair.
Crack repair is probably the most common complaint we will force to deal with if we are a homeowner or we do handyman work. Cracks are generally a function of the construction methods use when the slab is poure. If the mixture is wrong or if the contractor tries to pour too big a slab without expansion joints we are bound to get cracks where we don’t want them. The rule of thumb is that all concrete cracks so we want to control the cracks by inserting joints.
How the concrete floor repair job is done
To start the concrete floor repair use a ruler to map out the area to repair. If the area is small and shallow then a small area repair may only thing require. On the other hand, if the area repaire is of a considerable size than the whole concrete floor will have to chip out. Make a rough surface for the cement to bond it. Rough us a small area we may only need a hammer but if the area is large than jackhammer may need for this work.
Clean the area we have chipped off all the chipping debris in order for the concrete to have a good surface to adhere too. The sand and cement mixture we will use to fill the area should made up of one part cement. And two and a half parts of masonry sand. These dry materials should mix first.
Bring this dry mixture to a consistency of stiff plastic by using a polymer or latex bonding agent. Wet the area to repair with clean water without flooding it. The area should be damp in order for the mixture to bond. If the area is too dry the patch will crack. Apply it to the patch using a trowel leaving it slightly higher to accommodate for shrinking and allow it to dry. After about an hour use a harsher trowel to spread the paste that will rise to the top. This paste is what will make the finished surface. When all is thoroughly dry then use the trowel to scrape off anything that may have remained on the surface or may have spread to the surface nearby.
Common Products
A very common product for repair is based on latex. This comes in a liquid for use in thin cracks up to 3/8’’ wide. The bottle has an applicator tip which makes it very easy to squeeze in enough to fill the void. If we have a wider crack this is not very economical. We are better off to buy the product in a 5 lb. This usually comes as a powder and needs to mix with water for application. This method usually will seal cracks up to about 1’’ thick.
If the crack is wider than 1’’ or if we are actually dealing with a hole, then we need to step up to a product designed to deal with these big areas. Cement use to full these openings but it does not adhere as well as many of the new vinyl resurfaces. Don’t confuse cement with concrete for this application. Because concrete floor repair will be hard to finish unless we are looking at a deep hole at least one foot across.
