Dangers of DIY Concrete Pouring and When to Call in a Professional
Over time, concrete driveways can take a lot of abuse.
After all, they are built to bear the weight of automobiles that weigh thousands of pounds. Then, sometimes objects fall on the concrete or roots push up from underneath the driveway. A stained driveway can be just as difficult to deal with: car oil, spilled paint, rust are only the tip of the iceberg.
Below are a few professional options for repairing a concrete driveway.
Resurfacing
For a cracked driveway, resurfacing is probably the way to go. In this process, the concrete needs to be thoroughly cleaned, the cracks filled, and then a new surface is troweled on top. One of the advantages of resurfacing is that you have the opportunity to resurface your driveway with a new color, texture, or pattern.
Engraving or Stains
If the damage is relatively minor, you can engrave or stain the concrete to cover the blemishes. It may be possible, for instance, to stain your driveway in a color that matches the blemish left behind by the paint or other discoloration. In fact, the blemish might even integrate into the new color or pattern and enhance it.
We can also create a design where the stained parts fall in line with your engraved pattern. The process involves staining the entire area and then routing out the pattern.
Slabjacking
Sometimes, the soil beneath the driveway erodes away and your driveway starts to sag. It is also possible that the soil was not properly compacted prior to the initial concrete pour and is giving way due to the stress of constantly supporting vehicle weight.
In these cases, slabjacking may be the best solution to permanently repairing the problem. In the process itself, we drill holes down into the concrete and then we fill the slab with a grout mixture. Lastly, polyurethane is used to resist future scuffs and staining while providing a lasting polished finish.
Recoloring
If you have been enjoying a beautiful, stained driveway for many years, you might begin to notice that the once-beautiful color and design has begun to fade with time, sun exposure, and wear.
To return your driveway to its former glory, we can recolor the surface. You might also decide that this is a good time to change the color and discover a new driveway aesthetic. To repair the problem without re-pouring a driveway, we can look at a few options for re-staining the driveway or laying a new topping over the driveway, if needed.
At GWC Decorative Concrete, we specialize in concrete repair and finishing as well as concrete installation and restoration. For more information about our professional concrete services, contact us today!
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Thanks for the tip about resurfacing my driveway to fill the cracks. I’ll definitely hire a contracting service to resurface my driveway this summer. How long does the process take?
I love the photo! It really expresses how my parents felt about the huge crack in their driveway. They wanted so badly to fix it, but felt like it was an insurmountable task. Thanks for explaining about the different fixes for concrete driveways. Very informative.
The picture you shared explains exactly how I’m feeling! I feel like I’ve become desperate in my attempts to save my concrete driveway. It’s good to know that there are other, legitimate ways to fix it
My dad did some damage to our driveway when he was moving some heavy pieces of equipment into our garage. He is wanting to get it fixed right away, but can’t due to the fact that he has to go away on business for a week. I thought I could figure it out and do it for him while he is away, but I don’t know where to start. This helped me out a ton though and gave me a good starting point to get this fixed.
I would really love to have something more decorative for my driveway. Right now the driveway is destroyed and all cracked up. I really think putting in someone decorative would make the house look nice but also just be stronger than what I have right now.
Concrete driveway is almost 25 years old and it’s showing it’s age for sure. From your post, it sounds like we need a resurfacing as there are a number of cracks. Plus, I wouldn’t mind resurfacing it with a colored pattern, like you said. We’ll have to see what we can get done. Is it better to do it now in the fall or wait until spring?
This is really great information. We’ve been wondering if we need to have our driveway resurfaced. I like how you point out that we could change up the design or texture that way. Maybe it’s time we just finally did it.
My driveway is in pretty awful shape so I’m thinking about actually replacing the whole thing. I’d like to get a nice stained driveway like you mentioned on here. Do you think that’s very practical or is there another way I can ago about this?
I love those concrete driveways, but I think it would be great to have something that didn’t crack and need to be resurfaced. Luckily for me, I don’t really have to worry about my driveway just yet. We have a really nice driveway that still has yet to get its first crack in it. I don’t know if it is just the quality, but it will be a while before we start to think about resurfacing.
We have had a decorative concrete driveway for the past several years now. We love it! But I have noticed that the color isn’t as strong as it was when we first put it in. It’s good to know that we can simply re-stain it or even laying a new top over it. I think for our situation we could probably just re-stain it. I think it would be a pretty simple project we can accomplish in a day. Thanks for the helpful tips!
I really like how you said that for a cracked driveway a resurfacing is definitely the way to go. Crack driveways are so common now days and when you buy a house you won’t know things like that. After a few good years the ground has settle is when you will see the cracks begin to form. The other day I notice that all of the cracks in my driveway are starting to sink in. How much do they normally charge by the square foot to resurface a driveway?
My driveway is cracked pretty bad, and I’m not sure what I should do about it. That being said, I really appreciate you sharing some great insight with me on what some of my options could be for repairing the crack. I will definitely take a look at all the you talked about and see which option is going to be best for me. Thanks a ton for the help.
Thank you for your tips! I’ve been wanting to do some repairs in my cracked driveway, but I wasn’t sure what options were available to me. After reading your article, I think that resurfacing my driveway would be the best option for me. The cracks are pretty large, so I don’t think it would be possible to repair them. I’ll make sure to look for a concrete repair company near me as soon as possible so that they can resurface my driveway! Thank you for the help!
Thanks for the info. I just had my driveway mudjacked. Now the only thing that needs to be done is fix the cracks, I will be using your tips.
Thanks for sharing.
Due to the weather and heavy cars driving over it, my driveway has many cracks in it. I haven’t been sure what to do to fix it. It was beyond helpful that you shared a few of the ways to fix it. I think I may have to try resurfacing it.
My parent’s driveway is really cracked and they are trying to figure out how to fix it. I had no idea that you could get the concrete resurfaced and with a color other than grey! I’ll have to tell my parents so that they can get a new driveway that has a fun color.
DIY is not the best option for this. Hiring the best contractor is a must because they have the proper skills and knowledge on how to implement the repair properly. Just a tip, always get a quote first before closing the deal to any contractor so that you can have the option to choose among the best contractor in town. You have to consider the budget and the quality of the service.
I did not know that resurfacing was a good idea for repairing a cracked driveway. Learning that the concrete needs to be thoroughly cleaned before starting this process is helpful. Another thing to know is that one should pack the earth beneath the driveway before pouring concrete to help eliminate cracks.