How To Repair Concrete | Pro Tips For Repairing Concrete

[Music] if you have a sidewalk on your property odds are you're gonna have to repair it at some point concrete is a durable versatile material but there's many factors that can lead to a damaged sidewall roots can crack pieces and push them out of alignment cold temperatures and ice can lead to damage and normal wear and tear can create dangerous situations or unsightly problems so we're going to go through some basic sidewalk repair and show you that with a little know-how and some standard tools you can do it yourself and do it right some concrete basics concrete is a composite material that's made from a few different elements and makes a fine and coarse pieces is held together by liquid cement binder this means that getting the right mix of water and concrete is key to the right strength and drying time check your package instructions but generally you're looking to create a peanut butter consistency concrete works best between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit when there is no range there are lots of different types of concrete that you can find it Lowe's covering all kinds of applications water resistant fast set high-strength reinforced with fiberglass and even countertop style make sure you choose the type that is recommended for your project there are two levels of sidewall crack you might see the first is a hairline crack like this the second is a wider crack like this one for a hairline crack remove any loose debris from the damaged area with a wire brush and broom then you can use a caulk gun loaded with a masonry crack filler to fill the crack or you can use a vinyl concrete patching agent and a putty knife to fill it in for a wider crack you will need to use a small sledgehammer and a chisel you want to make the bottom of the crack wider in the top which sounds tricky but it just means angling the chisel like so this will help lock the patch in place and keep it from moving clean the debris with a wire brush and broom with the area and then fill the crack with a vinyl patching mix and a trowel now we've all seen concrete like this before crumbling edges and missing corners but don't worry we can fix that too now I will say if it's more than just a broken edge or a missing corner you may have to replace the whole section but if it's a localized problem you can fix it first clean out all the debris with a wire brush and a broom and chisel out until you have strong concrete on all sides if this piece will see a lot of traffic or weight like a concrete step then you'll want to drill out a hole with a masonry bit first take a piece of steel dowel like this called a rebar rod or rear odd and coated with a latex bonding product and insert it into the hole halfway apply the same bonding product to the broken edges of the side wall making sure to get into all of the crevices mix up your concrete patch with water and add some of the bonding product to the mix read the manufacturer's instructions for specific amounts use your scrap wood to create a form for the concrete to shape to put your mixture into the form with a trowel tamp it down and smooth out the top you can use a broom to lightly score the top for a texture leave those boards in place for a week until it dries and then you'll be good to go when a piece of your sidewalk is too damaged to use it can be best to just rip it out and start over first you will need to remove the existing sidewalk piece once the piece is gone clear any rocks or debris from under the spot where you will put the new slab dig around the edges to create a perimeter then it's time to build a form you want the top edge of the form to be even with the existing sidewalk so it all sits flush you stakes or scrap wood to hold your form in place and place the stakes regularly to avoid the form from bowing outward make sure the stakes sit below the top edge of the form or else cut them flush spray the inside of the form with oil for a clean release put a couple of inches of sand in the form and when it mix your concrete and pour it into place and make sure to get into all the corners for an easy way to find out how much concrete you'll need to use check out Lowe's concrete pad calculator at Lowe's calm then comes the screed screeding is when you use a longboard to flatten the concrete move it slowly from one end to the other with a short sawing motion add concrete to any low spots as you go then you will lightly smooth the surface but be careful not to dig the float corner in or you will have to rescreen let the concrete dry for 30 minutes then use a broom to create a non-slip texture lightly place some plastic on top and let it dry for several days remove the plastic and let it dry for a couple of more days and then you can remove the forms and replace the dirt around the edges so we've covered everything from tiny cracks to replacing whole sections and while some of it can be time-consuming you can do it yourself and you can do it right with Lowe's good luck [Music]

Channel: Lowe's Home Improvement

Views: 1,088,178

Rating: 4.8237033 out of 5

Keywords: how-to, how to, diy, lowe's, lowes, how to repair concrete, concrete repair, pro tips for repairing concrete, tips for repairing concrete, how to repair concrete slab, how to repair concrete crack, how to repair crack in concrete, how to repair broken concrete, repairing concrete, repairing concrete driveway, repairing concrete driveway cracks, repairing cracks in concrete driveway, concrete repair tips, how to repair concrete sidewalk, concrete sidewalk repair, concrete pro tips

Id: zGdK7-aVhIk

Length: 5min 16sec (316 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 30 2019