The 3 main causes for a unattractive or dangerous walkway or sidewalk:
- Cracks
- Spalling and delamination
- Broken concrete
Let's take these one at a time. How can cracks form in walkways. There are lines in concrete walkways that are called expansion joints. They are here because concrete expands and contracts depending on the weather. Sometimes they are put in too far apart or not put in at all. When this happens you can get cracks in the concrete walkway.
Also, cracks can be caused by tree roots that get so large they push up under the concrete walkway. Cracks can also be caused by the concrete mixture itself or the preparation of the soil underneath the walkway may not be right.
Spalling concrete is kind of like pitting. These pits can be started from ice melts, concrete absorbs the water and then freezes and pitting or divets can happen. Delamination looks like layers are coming off. This is caused by the concrete being poured when it is too hot or too cold, too much water in the mix or not protecting it from the cold when it is poured.
Concrete breaks often because the ground underneath the sidewalk or walkway is improperly prepared. Any equipment like snow removal trucks or landscaping trucks can hit the walkway and cause the concrete to break off.
If you have a walkway with cracks, spalling, delamination or is broken, there are 2 basic things that can be done. Let's hope we catch it before it gets too bad! We can do a repair where we resurface concrete and make it look the same and look like new. Homeowners try to do this but you have to have the right technique and the right material to do this. Homeowners don't usually have the experience to do this right.
If you don't catch it soon enough we may have to rip out the old concrete by jack hammering it, disposing of the old concrete, forming that sidewalk with wood, and then pouring that concrete correctly. But this is a costly situation.
If you don't fix it, you are opening up your home to the possibility of people getting hurt on your property. Additionally, it decreases the value of your home when it is time to sell.
For more information, contact A1 Foundation Crack Repair.