Let me show you how simple it is to patch the cracks in your concrete, and make it more attractive and safer!

Before we sweat through another hot summer, let’s get outside and knock out a home project, or two.

Ok – or one.

So let’s go and knock out a project that will add to the beauty, safety, and stability of your home. Let’s go out and do some light concrete repair work.

Whether it’s in our driveway, walkway, or even in our patio a small crack in the concrete, if left unattended, will become larger and larger. There’s nothing like cracked concrete to make your house look neglected – and – simple cracks can eventually lead to buckling and heaving concrete which is unsafe.

Cracks will also lead to water issues under the concrete, which will lead to erosion issues, which will lead to more cracking, which will lead to more water problems, which will lead to more erosion, which will lead to – it almost writes itself doesn’t it?...

While you will probably have a tough time making a crack completely invisible, a decent repair job will look and protect much better.

Let’s start with the hairline crack.

As stated, the best time to fix a hairline crack is when you first notice it. Very simply clean the area of the crack and fill the crack with a concrete sealer. Concrete sealer is available at your favorite hardware store.

Let’s move up to a larger crack.

This is a little more complicated than patching a hairline, but still quite an easy chore.

First clean out any loose concrete, dirt, and other debris that may have accumulated in the crack. A wire brush is handy for doing this work.

It will then be necessary to expand the crack so that it is wider at the bottom than at the top. You will need a cold chisel and a big hammer to prepare the crack properly. After expanding the crack make sure you brush out the debris with the wire brush again.

Then finish cleaning the crack with a mixture of trisodium phosphate (TSP) and water. Go 1/3 a cup of TSP with two gallons of water.

Note here - do your best to keep the TSP off your skin and out of your eyes. It will burn and be very uncomfortable. Proper clothing and safety precautions should be taken. Also protect the young vegetation around the area.

Now comes the fun part!

Patch the large crack using vinyl concrete patch cement. It’s easy to use, will bond well with the existing concrete, and is worth the extra money to do a good job.

Fill the crack using a cement trowel, packing the crack well. Smooth the top and cover the repaired area with a piece of wet burlap. Keep the burlap damp for a couple of days and voila! You are now a concrete patcher.

Now, about that second project…

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