Repairing chipped concrete

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Paul1977

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#280355 10-Dec-2020 10:53

I discovered an area on our driveway that somehow got damaged, and am wondering if it can be repaired by somehow adhering the broken pieces back into place with epoxy or similar? It is sealed coloured concrete, and the damaged area is only approx 15mm x 100mm.

See the bellow pictures. I've removed the broken pieces and put them in a plastic bag for now.

Thanks

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Jase2985

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#2619415 10-Dec-2020 13:26

not related to your question but

looks like you might get more damage in the future looking at those surface cracks

Paul1977

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#2619442 10-Dec-2020 13:45

Jase2985:

not related to your question but

looks like you might get more damage in the future looking at those surface cracks

I think that's just some very fine crazing, and not sure if it's even the concrete or just the sealer (which they put on pretty thick). I hoping nothing will come of those.

mattwnz

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#2619455 10-Dec-2020 13:59

It looks like the left part has already been repaired, maybe not long after the initial pour? The problem with concrete is that it cracks and chips over time or from damage and settlement, and a repair may just crack off eventually over time. But I guess a repair is worth trying. There are also concrete repair specialists who would use a specialist product. Youtube may also have people with DIY repairs. You just don't want to make it look worse. This damage will likely just weather off and wear, and you will get moss etc growing in the gaps anyway. I know a brand new drive on a new house, that a heavy vehicle looks like it has recently driven over a corner and has cracked it right across a corner, and looks 100 times worse than this and it probably wasn't a cheap driveway

Paul1977

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#2619507 10-Dec-2020 15:10

mattwnz:

It looks like the left part has already been repaired, maybe not long after the initial pour? The problem with concrete is that it cracks and chips over time or from damage and settlement, and a repair may just crack off eventually over time. But I guess a repair is worth trying. There are also concrete repair specialists who would use a specialist product. Youtube may also have people with DIY repairs. You just don't want to make it look worse. This damage will likely just weather off and wear, and you will get moss etc growing in the gaps anyway. I know a brand new drive on a new house, that a heavy vehicle looks like it has recently driven over a corner and has cracked it right across a corner, and looks 100 times worse than this and it probably wasn't a cheap driveway

I think that part to the left just wasn't troweled very neatly, I'd never noticed it before and it definitely isn't a repair. Very close up photos, so everything is a lot more noticeable.

I suspect Liquid Nails Landscape might be a more suitable product, but for a small fiddly job like this I'm wondering if Liquid Nails Clear in the smaller tube might be less likely to make a mess and have a neater finish. They both say they're suitable for gluing concrete and for exterior application.

I think with the clear stuff, even if it ends up chipping off again, it shouldn't look any worse than it does now as long as I'm careful in the application.

Most of the concrete repair videos I've looked up are shaping a whole new edge with repair mortar, I'm not going down that route as I think that would definitely end up looking worse.

It's not major damage by any means, but if I can improve the appearance for $10-$20 I figure may as well give it a go.

concordnz

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#2619547 10-Dec-2020 16:40

There is a special epoxy/plaster which used to be used to glue/hold the outdoor concrete balusterading. It was a blue/grey consistency - I remember my dad using it 30± years ago.

Try a landscaping or fencing place.

WinNZ90

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#2619628 10-Dec-2020 19:17

After a while of looking at your pictures, I would say if you were going give DIY a try, I would look at trying to seal the area of the cracking to. To me that damage looks like you have had water getting under the finish layer and its weaking the finish, during winter this of course will cause some issues with the ground temperature getting so cold and frosts.

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Paul1977

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#2619867 11-Dec-2020 09:43

WinNZ90:

After a while of looking at your pictures, I would say if you were going give DIY a try, I would look at trying to seal the area of the cracking to. To me that damage looks like you have had water getting under the finish layer and its weaking the finish, during winter this of course will cause some issues with the ground temperature getting so cold and frosts.

I looked again last night, and I'm nearly positive the light white lines are just crazing in the sealer (and not damage to the concrete). The sealer needs to be reapplied every few years any way, so I'm not concerned about it. I recall a couple of the contractors I had quote the job mentioned something like this about sealing plain coloured concrete - but more along the lines of when it rains it can make those lines appear darker as a little water gets under it, but that it's apparently common.

WinNZ90

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#2620255 11-Dec-2020 18:36

It was just a thought, its just the way that the other stuff has broken off appears to me that more would easily come away if enough weight or focus (tapping) was to occur. But what your saying could be true too