Every homeowner in San Jose California will, at some point, need to repair their concrete driveway. Cracks, settlement, and discoloration are often the first things that come to light. Settlement is when the soil beneath the concrete can no longer support the weight of the driveway. Rather than fine surface cracks, one will notice large cracks and sinking in some areas. Before you do anything about your driveway, let’s learn more about concrete driveway repairs.
The Types Of Concrete Driveway Repair
The type of repair you need will depend on the type of damage that has occurred. Typically you will select one or more of the following:
- Concrete Engraving- for a few small cracks
- Filling – for damage after extreme weather
- Recoloring- to revive the appearance of the driveway
- Slabjacking – for sinkholes
- Replacement – for those times when repairs are too costly.
Driveway Repair Solutions
DIY repairs on your concrete driveway cost less than professionals because you can avoid labor costs. However, we strongly urge you to consider if you have the time and know-how. Let’s review each type of repair.
Resurfacing Of Existing Concrete Driveways
We all know how frequent earthquakes are in San Jose and these cause a majority of cracks and potholes. If ignored, these issues will lead to a broken concrete driveway that will damage your vehicles. Resurfacing is a great project when patching a pothole isn’t enough to solve the issue. Concrete resurfacing is essentially a two-part process. First, you fill in all the cracks and holes; then, you cover them with resurfacing materials. Then, it must dry for 6 hours before you can walk or drive on the concrete. The good news is that your driveway will look brand new.
Concrete Engraving To Disguise Cracks Rr Flaws
Sometimes you need to bring some life to your concrete driveway while also hiding cracks and irregularities. You can really make a gorgeous concrete or asphalt driveway through this process, but we don’t recommend it being a DIY project. Engraving is a permanent treatment that will last for decades, and if you make a mistake, it isn’t easy to fix.
Recoloring To Revive Or Correct The Look
Stains are often a problem that can break down the concrete. What’s even more concerning is that some stain removers can also deteriorate the integrity of your concrete driveway. To avoid future concrete repairs, recoloring is a fantastic way to correct the look of your entranceway.
There are so many different colors on the market; you can find exactly what you want. You can complement your home’s exterior or add a little pizazz. You can layer colors to create your own unique look. Always remember, light colors deflect heat, and dark ones absorb it.
Slab Jacking To Lift Sunken Concrete
When you have sunken parts in your concrete driveway, you are at risk of losing your entire driveway. But, before that happens, you will risk damaging your vehicle. Sunken sections of your driveway mean the soil beneath is unable to handle the weight of the concrete. Sometimes it is because the installation of the concrete driveway was done incorrectly. Other times, tree roots that are underneath the driveway will cause sunken spots. When ignored, it will get bad enough to require replacing the driveway. Rather than do that, it’s better to use slab jacking to repair it.
Slab jacking is lifting the sunken parts of concrete and filling the space beneath with more concrete. It is a cost-efficient way to repair the driveway and can be done within a few hours by concrete contractors. They will drill holes in the sunken slabs and use a pump to lift them before filling them in.
Materials You Will Need
For all types of repair jobs on a cracked driveway, you will need tools and materials to get the job done. Here is a comprehensive list of everything you will need.
- Concrete crack injection product
- Caulk
- Concrete crack repair epoxy
- Concrete repair mixes
- Latex patching material
- Mortar mix
- Concrete bonding liquid
- Concrete mix made from crushed-stone aggregate or a sand mix
- Concrete driveway resurfacing products
- Peel-and-stick foam weatherstripping
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Wire brush
- Wood trowel and steel trowel
- Straight-edged board
- Vacuum
- Power washer
- Drill
- Paddle mixer
- Long-handled squeegee
- Nylon-bristle concrete broom
Of course, not all jobs will require all of these materials and tools. If you are doing this yourself, get some instructions that list what you will need.
CONTACT US
Hire the expert team at Armor Coatings today!
Concrete Driveway Repair Cost Comparison
The cost to repair your concrete driveway is always a concern. If you use concrete contractors to do the work, you will need to factor in labor costs and the cost of materials and tools used. So let’s take a closer look at the costs you will incur.
Patch or Fill
For small cracks and potholes, homeowners are paying anywhere from $100-$400. This comes out to about $3-$8 per square foot for filling small cracks. Asphalt driveways cost around $2-$5 per square foot.
Resurfacing
Homeowners are shelling out $600-$3000 to resurface their driveway. This translates into $1-$3 for asphalt driveways and $3-$7 per square foot for concrete driveways.
Engraving & Staining
On average, this will cost $3-$6 per square foot for engraving or staining. With engraving, you can experience costs that are above the average. It will all depend on the intricacy of design as you will need more materials, and some of those may be more costly.
Slab Jacking
Slab jacking will range from $500 – $1800 for a concrete driveway. This means you can expect about $3-$6 per square foot.
Replace
Replacing your driveway has a wide range in cost, anywhere from $2000 to $15,000 or $2-$15 per square foot. The cost is considering the breaking up and removal of the old driveway and installation of the new one. Of course, the size of your driveway will have an impact on the cost as well.
Concrete DIY projects will generally require a weekend or two to complete. We strongly advise that the average San Jose resident calls us to handle the repairs. We bring years of experience that will make the repair or replacement of your concrete driveway easier in your life. Our experts are patiently waiting for your call.
