- Start with a clean floor. Scrub with a concrete degreaser and a stiff brush, then follow up with a pressure washer. Rinse twice to remove all residue.
- Find the deep pits. Make a mark 1/4 in. from the tip of a pencil. ...
- Remove the loose stuff. Chisel away any loose fragments along cracks or craters; there's no need to bust away concrete that’s firmly attached.
- Concrete Floor Patch: Fill cracks, craters, divots and pits. Mix up a stiff batch of resurfacer, using just enough water for a workable consistency. ...
- Create a dam. Glue weather strip to the floor exactly where the garage door rests. This will stop resurfacer from flowing onto the driveway.
How to repair damaged concrete garage floor?
You can minimize this by using vapor barriers and penetrating sealers. Topical seals and epoxy coatings are also a great help. The damage is limited to the surface and can usually be resolved by garage floor resurfacing. The related defects are more deep rooted. They may manifest in large cracks, degraded, discolored and detached concrete.
Can you fill cracks in garage floor with filler?
Filling In a Crack In Your Garage Floor There are two types of filler you can use. For smaller cracks, self-mixing filler is a good choice. For larger and longer cracks, you’ll probably find it more economical and practical to mix the filler yourself.
How do you fix moisture on a garage floor?
Moisture (with or without salts or other chemicals) entering the concrete pores is the main culprit. You can minimize this by using vapor barriers and penetrating sealers. Topical seals and epoxy coatings are also a great help. The damage is limited to the surface and can usually be resolved by garage floor resurfacing.
Why does my garage floor crack?
No matter how nice your garage floor is when it’s first installed, and regardless of how well you take care of it, you’ll eventually get a garage floor crack that needs repair. The ground around your garage will shift, and the brunt of that will be felt by the floor since your garage doesn’t have a basement or a deeper foundation (in most cases).
How do you repair a crumbling concrete garage floor?
Clean the slab and fill deep holes and cracksClean the slab and fill deep holes and cracks. Start with a clean floor. ... Remove the loose stuff. ... Concrete Floor Patch: Fill cracks, craters, divots and pits. ... Create a dam. ... Spread it smooth, then let it set.
How do you fix flaking concrete?
Spalled concrete may be caused by any of the following: Freeze-thaw cycles. De-icing salts....If your concrete is spalling, these are the repair options:Patch the spalled area with a color matching compound.Have your concrete resurfaced with an overlay.Rip out and replace the entire slab.
Why is my garage floor flaking?
It's typically caused by one or more factors, such as the use of an inadequate concrete mix, improper finishing or years of wear. It can cover large areas of a garage floor. Spalling is characterized by a top layer that's crumbling or separating into thin layers.
Why is my concrete flaking?
When the temperature drops below freezing, moisture in the concrete tends to expand, creating internal pressure. Over the course of a winter, or over the course of years, as the internal pressure rises and falls, it stresses the surface layer of the concrete, which leads to spalling.
Can you resurface crumbling concrete?
You can repair and resurface your spalled concrete in any number of ways. You can buy products that apply a very thin coating on the concrete. The larger premixed bagged concrete manufacturers make these, as do some other specialty companies. These products do work, but pay close attention to their limitations.
What is the best product to resurface concrete?
Our Top PicksBest For Interiors. Quikrete Fast-Setting Self-Leveling Floor Resurfacer. ... Best for Exteriors. Rapid Set High Strength, 15 Min Set, Featheredge. ... Best For Cracks. KILZ Over Armor Textured Wood/Concrete Coating. ... Best For Flooring. Ardex Feather Finish Grey Self-Drying Cement. ... Best For Small Jobs. ... Best Premixed.
Can you paint over peeling concrete?
Coat all areas of bare concrete with a suitable primer, such as Behr Concrete & Masonry Bonding Primer. That needs to cure at least eight hours. Then you can paint with a product designed for exterior concrete, such as Behr Premium Plus Porch & Patio Floor Paint.
What does spalling concrete look like?
Spalling concrete can look like round or oval depressions along surfaces or joints. Spalling tends to be most common in cold climates when de-icing chemicals are applied or when seasonal freeze-thaw cycles damage the concrete.
How do you repair a spalling concrete floor?
0:402:47Concrete Surfaces Spalling - Sherwin-Williams - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou'll need a water source mixing bucket variable speed drill mixing paddle steel trowel safetyMoreYou'll need a water source mixing bucket variable speed drill mixing paddle steel trowel safety glasses and a respirator. Before getting started make sure the surface is clean dull dry.
Can you seal spalling concrete?
Spalling - Causes, Prevention, Repair To prevent spalling, you need a hi-grade seal and cure which can allow the concrete to breath and but yet protect it - especially during that first critical year. V-SEAL is a HI-TECH deep penetrating sealer and cure that easily passes the ASTM one hundred day freeze/thaw test.
What is delamination of concrete?
Delamination is the detachment of a thin (typically from 3mm to 6 mm in thickness) surface layer from the rest of the slab. It is initially manifested by a 'drummy' sound when the pavement is tapped or trafficked. The cause of delamination is predominantly related to the timing of the final trowel finishing operations.
What does concrete spalling look like?
The symptoms of spalling concrete are the flaking, chipping and large chunks that you see missing from your concrete surface, exposing the coarse, rocky concrete aggregate. Those are the symptoms, but spalling concrete is a little more complex than just surface level appearance.
How do you resurface concrete?
0:454:28How to Resurface Concrete - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBefore resurfacing your slab deeply spalled areas and large cracks should be repaired using concreteMoreBefore resurfacing your slab deeply spalled areas and large cracks should be repaired using concrete resurfacer that has been mixed to a triable consistency.
Why is my Concrete Garage Floor Crumbling?
A crumbling concrete garage floor is a problem faced, sooner or later by most homeowners. Crumbling of concrete slabs is fairly common in old houses and garages. But it can happen with fresh concrete too! So How To Fix Crumbling Concrete?
What are the Different Levels of Crumbling Concrete?
Concrete garage floors (or for that matter any concrete floor) crumble and the crumbling can be characterized as:
How Water Seepage Causes Crumbling Concrete Garage Floors?
The concrete mix is a slurry, but once the concrete mix has been poured the curing process begins. This happens by a chemical process called hydration. The cement reacts with the water to form crystals. The crystals grow into a matrix enveloping the sand and other aggregates in a tight mesh.
Why does the Top Layer of Concrete Crumble Easily?
After the concrete mix is placed, the contractor will finish it to give a smooth level surface. In this process the water and the finer cement particles rise to the surface. The fine cement particles, on the surface of the garage floor, makes it smooth. However, the surface is also the weakest, structurally.
How does Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) cause Crumbling Concrete?
Cement is alkaline and the coarse aggregates (sand & gravel) have silica. Alkali can react with active silica to form a gel. The concrete industry labels this as Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR). they also call it “concrete cancer”. The gel can absorb water, swell and apply pressure and weaken the concrete.
Why does Temperature Fluctuation cause Concrete to Crumble?
The concrete garage floor obviously does not stay at the same temperature all the time. Even in summer the day temperatures and the night temperatures can be vastly different.
Are Road Salts also Responsible for Crumbling Concrete Garage Floors?
Snow & Ice also contribute to the crumbling of your garage floor! Indirectly, anyway. You are aware that they use salt to melt the snow & ice on the road. This salt will of course find its way into your garage. Through your car tires!
Inspect the Cracks
Before you begin any repair, you need to inspect the cracks to see if they require professional attention or handle the project yourself.
Prep the Floor Area
Before you begin any kind of repair, properly clean up the area first. This enables the filler to bond securely with the concrete. Clean the entire floor and not just the area with the cracks, so your garage receives a total transformation.
Prep the Cracks
You also need to prep the crack itself, use a vacuum to remove all the gravel, dirt, and debris embedded deep inside the cracks. You can use a bristle brush to get down into the crack so you can remove all the chipped concrete.
Fixing Small Cracks
Repairing small cracks in concrete garage floor is an easy job. You will need an epoxy concrete crack filler, which should be filled down the crack in the concrete.
Fixing Large Cracks
If you are dealing with a larger crack, you will need to take additional steps, depending on the size of the crack. For very large cracks, you will need a cold chisel to undercut the crack in the floor; this will help hold the patch in place and prevent further damage to your floor.
How much does a concrete resurfacer cost?
Concrete “resurfacer” is a cement-based coating that forms a smooth, new surface right over the old concrete. The cost of resurfacer for a two-car garage is typically less than $200.
How long to let resurfacer sit in bucket?
Take two minutes to read the directions before mixing. The key to a smooth, lump-free mix is to let the resurfacer 'slake,' that is, sit in the bucket for a few minutes after the initial mixing.
How long does it take to resurface a garage floor?
Cleaning and resurfacing the floor usually takes one day (on the other hand, clearing out your garage so you can work may take weeks!). Spreading the resurfacer smoothly is the trickiest part of the project, so it helps to have some experience with concrete or drywall finishing.
Can you use a stripper to remove sealer from concrete?
Important: If you find that the cleaner doesn’t soak into the concrete but just beads up into droplets on the surface, you have a sealer over the concrete that you’ll need to remove. In that case, apply a stripper first to remove the sealer, then clean.
Is every editorial product independently selected?
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
What is Rapid Set Newcrete?
Specially formulated to restore lackluster concrete, resurfacing products like Rapid Set NewCrete ( available from The Home Depot) make it quick and easy for homeowners to address spalling on their own, without having to hire a contractor. The resurfacing material simply spreads over the existing, spalled concrete surface to create a fresh, flawless finish.
How to make pancake batter lump free?
Mix and apply the resurfacer. In a bucket, tub, or wheelbarrow, combine the resurfacer with water in the ratio recommended by the manufacturer. Then, using your drill-mounted paddle attachment, mix the two until you’ve achieved a lump-free consistency similar to that of pancake bat ter.
What causes concrete to spalt?
Over the course of a winter, or over the course of years, as the internal pressure rises and falls, it stresses the surface layer of the concrete, which leads to spalling. The fix typically involves nothing more than applying ...
Can you mist a driveway with resurfacer?
In especially dry, windy, or hot conditions, it may be necessary to mist the area while the resurfacer gains strength . But if you’ve chosen the right day for the project, you can apply resurfacer, drive off to do errands, and then return a little later and park your car on a pristine, perfectly smooth driveway.
Does Newcrete require primer?
NewCrete in particular stands out, because it simplifies and speeds up the process. For one thing, it rarely requires the use of primer.
How wide can a crack in a garage floor be?
Before Fixing Cracks in Your Garage Floor. Cracks in the concrete can be very thin and minor, or they can be more than an inch wide and they can span the entire length of your garage. Most of them fall somewhere in between once they start to become noticeable and attract enough attention to have a homeowner looking for solutions.
What does it mean when a crack in a floor is bulging?
When the crack is bulging out of the floor, that’s a sign that the foundation has shifted and contracted a bit, pushing up the bulging area. This is something that a professional can evaluate.
What does it mean when a garage crack is structurally caused?
Structurally-caused cracks, on the other hand, are a warning sign that there’s something more serious that needs to be fixed. Especially if it propagates along the entire length of your standard garage size.
What to do if you have a crack in concrete?
If there are any loose pebbles or small stones inside of the crack in your concrete, make sure to get them out of the way. The same goes for any concrete alternatives including wood or rammed earth. A ShopVac will do a good enough job of removing dirt, debris, stones, and whatever else may be in there.
Is it better to use a filler product for longer cracks?
It’s better for longer cracks. It tidies everything up, and turns a crack that could be tricky to fill into one straighter route. This makes it easier to fill it in, and helps you get the filler-product into any smaller cracks that may not otherwise accommodate it correctly.
Can a garage floor crack?
No matter how nice your garage floor is when it’s first installed, and regardless of how well you take care of it, you’ll eventually get a garage floor crack that needs repair. The ground around your garage will shift, and the brunt of that will be felt by the floor since your garage doesn’t have a basement or a deeper foundation (in most cases).
Can you mix filler yourself?
For smaller cracks, self-mixing filler is a good choice. For larger and longer cracks, you’ll probably find it more economical and practical to mix the filler yourself.
