Sullivan suggests repairs in the following circumstances: The crack has become a safety hazard. The appearance of the crack takes away from the look of the concrete. Also, if the crack could cause an unhygienic situation, as a crack in a countertop or on a kitchen floor might, a repair should happen to prevent bacterial growth. A finished piece over the top of severe cracks. After more than three years, no cracks have reappeared. Photo courtesy of Bob Harris Learn to deal with cracks Rarely is replacing the slab preferable to fixing the crack.
The cost of replacement can be prohibitive, costing up to five times as much as the original slab. I think it comes to down to whether you plan to polish as a final flooring or if something is going on top of it. In fact, Metzger says, most customers view cracks as a flaw. Therefore, managing customer expectations is very important, the experts agree.
It gets hard. It cracks. You have to be upfront that it will happen, and that any kind of repair will likely stand out. Answer from Concrete Decor I believe the best solution for that type of random crack is a joint sealant. Joint sealant has some flexibility but will also be flat with the existing surface. Solid Solutions in Southern California has a sealant that can also closely match the existing color of your floor.
The bottle has a tip on it that you can cut to the appropriate size of your crack. You just squeeze the bottle and fill the joint. You will want the materials to over-fill the joint slightly so that when it cures you can come back and cut the excess off with a razor blade. But why do they occur? While sun and wind both greatly contribute to the problem, another factor leading to crusting cracks is that the concrete may have been prematurely finished and stamping operations were begun too soon.
Closing the surface too soon creates a crust on the surface which fools the finisher into thinking that the concrete is hard enough to stamp. When he begins, the deeper joints molded into the stamps push into the crust, cracking the concrete on either side of the impressed joint. To compound the crusting problem, when stamping personnel get out on the stamps, they can feel how soft the concrete is underneath.
If the stamp had been fully impressed, the stamp would have pressed the crusting cracks closed. If the stamps themselves have texture all the way to the joint, then so should the stamped slab. Crusting is often seen on slabs that were only bullfloated or fresnoed before stamping.
They simply ride on the surface, slicking it. If the finishing personnel were to float the entire slab by hand just before stamping, they would break the crust and the surface would have the same consistency as the concrete underneath.
Crusting cracks would be greatly reduced. This process requires getting out on kneeboards, which takes more time and effort and could delay stamping operations. Unfortunately, if he has already begun stamping it is likely that antiquing release agent has already been applied.
It will, eventually, start to crack and break down just like any other kind of concrete. However, stamped concrete is actually very resistant to cracking and, when you take steps to take care of it, it should hold up for a long time before it needs to be replaced. In fact, the California Department of Transportation lists stamped concrete as a preferred installation option due to the reduced labor requirement and faster completion time.
Now that you know the truth about stamped concrete, would you like to learn more about having it installed on the exterior of your home? Ivy Lea construction specializes in installing stamped concrete driveways and patios and can help you take advantage of everything stamped concrete has to offer.
Call us at today to put in a new driveway or patio. It actually makes stamped concrete one of the most cost-effective options available to you.
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