Concrete floors are super practical, plus, with the right finish, they look great in a myriad of spaces. Unfortunately, on some occasions, cracks can occur on the floor.
Many builders, supervisors, and clients think that concrete floors and flooring should be free of cracks. Some others assume that the concrete floor should be monolithic, that is, one-piece – what clients, builders, and supervisors have probably forgotten is that simple concrete floors must have contraction joints (induced cracks) cut to relieve internal stresses because if we did not do so, the concrete itself would seek to reduce those stresses by cracking uncontrollably. Therefore, each joint cut is a crack that divides the floor into small pieces or concrete slabs. The boards are like pieces of a puzzle, each fitting into, and interacting with, the other adjacent panels.
Whether it’s a garage floor or a modern room, if you have a cracked concrete floor, pay attention to these tips to learn how to repair it and make it look new.
First, to begin repairing cracks or breaks in a concrete floor, you should scrape the damaged areas with a wire brush, remove loose pieces, and give the surface a sufficiently porous and scratched texture to ensure proper adhesion material that will be used to fill and weld the cracking.
In the case of large cracks, it is recommended to cut at an angle below and to the sides of the edges of the opening to widen the bottom of the door with the aid of a chisel without widening the surface damage. This work will help the adhesive used for your filler stay in place and make the repair last longer.
The next step is to thoroughly clean the affected areas to remove dust, grease, loose stones, and any other dirt. To do a more thorough and faster job, you can take advantage of the intense pressure of a pressure washer and then let it dry.
If the damage to the concrete floor is limited to a few thin, shallow cracks, they are filled using masonry crack filler, which can be injected using a caulking gun.
Another commonly used material is a polymer-modified concrete-based mixture, an excellent alternative for concrete resurfacing Chicago, even those that may be as comprehensive as 60 cm. This type of concrete has high adhesion and withstands stress much better than the conventional type, as long as it is prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter.
Wide cracks in a concrete floor can also be filled using a quick-setting cementitious mortar. In this case, water should be avoided, and an adhesive component should be added instead. The filling material should be applied with the help of a mason’s trowel, pressing it to prevent the formation of air bubbles and smooth the edges using a scoop.
After the repair material has been set, brush or sand to leave the area completely smooth.
Suppose the damage to the floor is much more extensive or requires concrete resurfacing Chicago. In that case, it can be a huge task for you, especially if you consider that if you are not very skilled in these tasks but still decide to do it, the expense will be double because if it does not look good, you will have to hire experts to remove the material you applied and apply the new one correctly.
