Cracks in a concrete roadway can be unsightly and potentially damaging, but they don't have to be a cause for alarm. As long as the rest of the driveway is in good condition, you can repair minor and even major defects without having to tear out and replace it completely. Depending on the size and depth of the crack, you can use a dry concrete mix, a sand mix, or a concrete resurfacer that does not contain gravel. For hairline surface cracks, sometimes called “crazing”, you can use a high-quality resurfacing product such as Quikrete's Concrete Resurfacer.
This cement-based product contains polymer modifiers and additives that are designed to form a durable and permanent bond with the existing concrete. For one or two short sections of cracks, epoxy provides a good long-term solution, although the appearance may not be the best. Start by using a pressure washer to remove any mould and dirt. After wetting the slab, add a special masonry cleaning solution to the pressure washer tank and spray it on the surface.
Once the cleaner has been applied, attach a high-pressure nozzle to the washer and thoroughly clean the surface. Be sure to clean the cracks as well, removing any dirt or loose concrete so that the patching material will adhere to the concrete. Sealing can prevent major problems in the future, and the non-sagging consistency and matt grey colour of advanced polymer concrete crack sealant evens out the surface and has a texture that blends in with the existing driveway, disguising any previous cracks. This could indicate an underlying structural problem, especially if the road surface is higher on one side of the crack than the other. The bottom line is that the concrete should not crack nearly as much as it did before repairs were made, but a hairline crack may appear.
As long as your driveway is structurally sound, there are ways to repair minor and even major defects without having to tear out and replace it completely. We know how much you love your driveway and you may have spent your hard-earned money on a concrete resurfacing solution to make it look fantastic, only to discover that it has developed cracks. However, no one, including us, will guarantee that the resurfacing will not crack, as it may be on a substrate that is moving beyond the tolerances of the flexible concrete resurfacing. For cracks less than a quarter of an inch, specialists use concrete seals or a liquid-based concrete crack filler.
