In building driveways, concrete is the most preferred material even though it’s more expensive than asphalt. Most homeowners choose concrete because it’s extremely strong, durable, and can last for a lifetime if properly maintained.
Your driveway is exposed to weather elements, dirt, dust, and heavy traffic every day. Due to certain factors, concrete can crack, stain, or sink. A damaged concrete driveway doesn’t mean you’ll need to replace it.
At Rockhampton Concreters, our experts carefully evaluate damages on driveways to determine if they can still be repaired.
Danger Signs of Damaged Concrete Driveway
Concrete is one of the strongest and most durable materials in the industry. However, due to improper installation, lack of maintenance, harsh weather conditions, or other contributing factors, concrete can get damaged easily. Here are some danger signs you need to look out for:
Major cracks
Uneven surface
Pooling of water
Stains
Discolouration
Potholes
Sinking
Erosion
Shrinking
Let an Expert Assess the Damage
Once you’ve already established the issue, consult our experts at Rockhampton Concreters. Detecting damages early will help prevent costly and major repairs. Our experts will inspect your concrete driveway and assess the issue.
Once the issue has been established, we will consider certain factors to determine whether your driveway can be repaired or replaced with a new one.
How Concrete Driveways are Repaired
Most minor damages can be repaired. The most common repairs we do in concrete driveways are resurfacing, recolouring, engraving, and slab jacking.
Resurfacing
Resurfacing improves how your concrete driveway looks by adding patterns, designs, and colours. Aside from that, resurfacing can fix certain issues such as minor cracks and spalls.
Recolouring
Pigments on concrete fade over time. Oil or gas stains can also occur on your concrete driveway. Luckily, you can easily patch this by recolouring your concrete driveway.
Engraving
Concrete engraving can conceal minor discolouration and cracks.
Slabjacking
Slabjacking will raise the sinking area on your concrete driveway to bring it back to its original position.
Signs You Need to Replace Your Driveway
Your driveway was not installed properly in the first place. If your previous contractor used the wrong concrete mix or has poor placement of expansion joints, this will need a new concrete slab.
If you have noticed cracks that have a depth of more than 2 inches and are connected to your driveway’s sub-base.
You notice that water is pooling in your concrete driveway. This is an indication of a drainage issue. If not addressed right away, it can affect your home’s foundation.
If your driveway needs multiple repairs at the same time, might as well check with an expert if getting a new driveway is much cheaper.
Conclusion
If you notice signs of aging or damage in your concrete driveway, consult an expert immediately to prevent major failure and more expensive repairs
Knowing when to replace your driveway is important to avoid major driveway failure in the future. Sometimes, replacing your entire concrete driveway is way cheaper than having recurring issues or multiple repairs. Here are some signs that you need a new driveway:
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