Epoxy Injection For
Concrete Crack Repair
One of the few things that plague concrete is the appearance of nasty cracks that can drastically decrease both the aesthetic and performance of your slab. Because of this widespread issues, there are dozens of different ways that you can repair your concrete. A few of these materials are concrete based crack fillers, concrete overlays, and the epoxy injection. But, one thing is for sure, if you want to make sure that crack doesn’t come back for decades while maintaining a rigid and waterproof concrete slab, you only have one option. Epoxy injection. Epoxy injection crack repair can maintain the rigidity of your concrete slab while providing the waterproof finish that your concrete was made to have. Ready to learn why epoxy injection is the best option for concrete crack repair? We have all of the information you need to know about this process down below!
How Did Your Concrete Crack?
Before we can really get into how to repair your cracks, it is good to know where the cracks in your concrete came from before investing in repairing it because not addressing the reason it cracked will just lead to more cracks in most cases. If the crack was from something that you or someone else has done, feel free to skip this section. While the age of your concrete can play a role in why concrete has cracked, there are usually exterior benefactors that play a larger role than age. We have outlined the most common causes of cracks down below:
- Misplaced or lack of expansion joints
- Removal of supporting soils
- Quality of concrete used
- Thermal contraction and expansion
- Too much weight on your concrete
- Heavy dropped objects
Why Should I Repair My Concrete?
One of the most asked questions on the internet is, “Why should my concrete be repaired?”. Well, when your concrete is cracked, you are allowing exterior forces to make your concrete degrade even faster when it has become cracked. With that being said, there are a variety of reasons why you should repair your concrete, preferably when it first becomes damaged. So down below, we have outlined the pros of repairing your concrete and the cons of not repairing your concrete:
Pros
- Repaired concrete can last decades longer
- Restore your concretes waterproof finish
- A more aesthetically pleasing finish
Cons
- Concretes lifespan drastically decreases
- Little to no curb appeal
- A decrease in the value of your home
Preparing For The Repair
The most crucial part of repairing your crack isn’t the actual application of the epoxy crack filler, it is how well you prepare the concrete for the repair. Since the actual repair of the crack can’t be applied until the surface is properly prepared, we have outlined how you should prepare the concrete for this money-saving process:
- Extend crack by at least one inch on each side
- The ideal crack widening is a V-shaped cut
- Wire brushes can be used to clean the area
- A more viable option is a high output pressure washer
- Allow the area to dry; heat or air guns can be used to dry faster
- Make sure to have the epoxies readily available
Time To Repair
Finally, it has come to the point where its time to get your concrete back into tip-top shape with the help of epoxy. The process is actually much easier than contractors make it out to be in most cases, but consulting with a concrete contractor can be a viable option to make the process even easier. To make sure that you have a general idea on what needs to be down, we have provided a few tips that should make the process much easier:
- Start with low pressure and work your way up
- Watch out for backflow, debris may still obstruct the crack
- Use a chisel, scraper or heat gun to remove the epoxy paste
- Keep ports sealed for at least 48 hours to ensure a proper seal
- Check with your materials to ensure the crack is not too wide for your epoxy
- Take small breaks when filling larger cracks to make sure it is working
- Mark all leaks, small leaks can be marked with a crayon
- Use a bead of caulk to outline small cracks to minimalize waste
There you have it, there is everything that you need to know to know about concrete crack repair with epoxy injection, you are on the way to ensuring proper performance and lifespan for your concrete! But, in most cases, it pays off to simply use a professional contractor for this process. A contractor will know exactly what materials should be used and the best methods for using said materials. Either way, your concrete will end up good as new, if not better!