Your concrete driveway may develop cracks or chips that require minor repairs. These are small tasks that you can manage on your own. However, if your repairs are of poor quality, you will soon find yourself spending a lot on constant repairs on your driveway. Fortunately, you can make your repairs to be high quality if you follow the right procedures and use the right materials. For this reason, here are some of the mistakes that you should avoid when making concrete repairs in your driveway.
Using the Wrong Product
Using the wrong products will only lead to poor quality work. For this reason, you need to be very keen on the type of product you are using, especially because of the many products in the market. Since mixing concrete might lead to inconstancies, consider buying premix concrete for effective results. When choosing sealers, you should consider things such as durability and colour. Your retailer at your local home improvement store should help you find the right products.
Using Too Much Water
While buying premix concrete would be a better solution, you may want to mix the concrete yourself for various reasons. For instance, you could still be having some cement and other products from your previous construction project and you want to save a buck by using them.
You will only achieve the best results if you have the correct mixture. One of the things that affect the type of mixture you end up with is the amount of water that you use. Using too much water will lead to poor results. This is because too much water can result in a concrete patching that's too soft and porous, making it more susceptible to cracking and chipping again. For this reason, have the correct ratios when mixing the concrete. While different ratios will work for different surfaces, using half the volume of water as much as that of cement should typically work well. You want to end up with a concrete mix that's not too runny, but thick and spreadable.
Neglecting the Weather Condition
When making concrete repairs in your driveway, don't forget to look at the current weather conditions in your region. For concrete to set properly, it has to remain dry for some time. Therefore, if there are risks of raining or snowing, you may want to postpone the exercise. Alternatively, if you can't do this perhaps because you might not have time later on, consider covering the concrete until the filler materials dry completely.
For assistance with concrete repairs, talk to a professional.
