If you have a concrete garage floor, driveway, sidewalk, or patio that is starting to show its age, you are left with two options: You can demolish and remove the old surface, prepare the base, and pour a new slab; or you can use a resurfacing process to restore the slab to its youthful appearance.
Sometimes a concrete slab is just too unstable or too badly damaged to make resurfacing possible. That is why getting assistance from the experts of concrete just like J & W Concrete Contractors is a need. They will be able to help you if problems occur, just like having superficial cracking, discoloring, or minor chipping or spalling, resurfacing is a very good option. It’s a project that just about anyone can tackle, and it’s a lot more affordable than replacing the concrete slab. Note, though, that resurfaced concrete likely won’t last as long as a brand new concrete surface, particularly outdoors in colder climates.
How Does It Work?
If you were to fix a damaged concrete slab traditionally, you would need to break up the old surface and get rid of all the material. This is tiring and very time-consuming. New concrete is then poured in for the new surface. This is a very labor-intensive process and it can be very expensive, especially if it is covering a large area. The difference between the traditional process and concrete resurfacing is that resurfacing uses the existing concrete structure as the base. The concrete resurfacing material goes directly on top of the existing concrete area.
How Do You Prep The Area For Concrete Resurfacing?
The area that needs to be resurfaced should be clean with no loose concrete or other debris around it. Power washing the surface can be very helpful to remove loose and flaky concrete or any other fragments that are left behind. If you are planning on washing the surface with any soap or chemicals make sure that you thoroughly clean the surface. Soap or chemicals may negatively affect the way your concrete resurfacing material adheres. Extraneous material or dirt can also interfere with how the resurfacing material adheres to the surface. All cracks and blemishes on the surface should be covered with repair material to create a smooth canvas for the resurfacing material.
What Is Concrete Resurfacing Made From?
Simply put, concrete resurfacing is a thin cement based overlay that is mixed with special bonding agents. It is poured over existing concrete and adheres to create a beautiful and smooth new surface. As your new surface dries it gets stronger and more durable. You definitely want to wait at least 24 hours before driving on it.
What Are The Benefits Of Concrete Resurfacing?
Apart from saving you money and revamping your old and worn out driveway or patio, there are many other benefits of concrete resurfacing. We went into detail about it in this blog post about the benefits of concrete resurfacing. In short, concrete resurfacing is easier than breaking apart old concrete and pouring it all over again, it saves time and money, it is resilient to future wear and tear, it allows for custom finishes and it gives you smooth and beautiful new surfaces in and around your home.
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