Hey, cement guys!

[Que]

When I first moved into my home, seven years ago, without thinking I put rock salt on the driveway. Well, the summer came and I saw the pitting that started. Although I never put it down again, the weather caused further damage over the years.

I live in a pretty strict HOA community, so I can't black-top it and I'm trying to avoid the cost of replacing the entire driveway. Is there anything I can do to repair this?

 

[LEaSH]

If you get a chance go check out the one of the home improvement shows at the fair grounds or convention center. The home show is finished, but there are a couple more.

They have a few exhibitors that do this really nice concrete veneer work. You might need approval from the HOA for radical changes. Some of these guys can do any color.
It won't be cheap, nothing is. At least you can weigh it against a full on redo of the drive.

And if nothing else you will find other options at the shows.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

If your really concerned, pressure wash it and seal it. Of course I have to mow my concrete driveway at least one of the three times I cut my grass a year, so I may not be the person you want to rely on for home make over tips.

P.S. what is HOA? And why wouldn't you be able to black top it?

 

[jd4320t]

If your really concerned, pressure wash it and seal it. Of course I have to mow my concrete driveway at least one of the three times I cut my grass a year, so I may not be the person you want to rely on for home make over tips.

P.S. what is HOA? And why wouldn't you be able to black top it?

Home Owners Association

I'd guess no blacktopping so all the properties look the same, just like they all have to have brick on at least the front and can't have boats or RV's in the driveway

 

[Benny]

If your really concerned, pressure wash it and seal it. Of course I have to mow my concrete driveway at least one of the three times I cut my grass a year, so I may not be the person you want to rely on for home make over tips.

P.S. what is HOA? And why wouldn't you be able to black top it?

LOL, where do you live in Evansville?

 

[langb29]

I have a suggestion, but I've never done it. When concrete workers pull the forms off fresh concrete, they end up with honeycombed concrete. To finish it, they use a mix of sand and cement with a grouting tool to fill in the holes and give it an even finish. That's what I would try, but you'll probably have to acid wash it first. And to make sure the mix adheres to the concrete, the surface has to be at the right moisture level, not dry, but not dripping wet either, just damp. If the surface is too dry, or the mix drys too fast, it will crack and chip off. I recommend a high cement strength, at least 3000 psi, and maybe trying a small area first.

 

[HighStrung]

Actually, one interesting thing is that this may not have even been your fault. Concrete made with gravel instead of stone is much more prone to "popouts" like you are experiencing. Without actually seeing a cross section of the concrete it's difficult to tell unless you happen to see the rounded edges of the gravel, stone has a much more jagged and irregular pattern. Also, the stone will generally be lighter in color (think of a stone driveway color vs. more naturally occuring earthy tones found in gravel which is often called river rock). Either way, it's beside the point now. There are several companies who do concrete capping. This is generally a 2" slab of concrete that it poured on top of the existing concrete. High strength mixes have had some really good results, though they are generally used on interior work such as basement floors, garages, etc. The problem with doing exterior capping is the heat and cool cycles of IN weather. This expands and contracts the concrete causing the cap to break since it's so thin. Chances are, that if you heavily seal the concrete, and use salt thats considered safe for drives, it should limit (though not totally stop) this from happening worse that it already has. Another option would be to have the driveway ground down, then re-roughened for texture (you would not want a smooth finish on something like a drive hense the broom finish typical today). I'm not exactly sure the cost of having this done, but I'm certain it wouldn't be cheap. I do work in the concrete industry (production of it, not finishing it, though I've poured a few thousand yds in my day) and I could possibly put you in touch with some companies who would know more than I do. One last option, this is more for actually creating a smooth surface if you don't care about the look of the drive, would be concrete epoxies. These can be applied by just filling in the popouts with basically a concrete putty. Problem here is that the color is usually very dark grey and would stand out like a sore thumb. This would not be my choice of fixes for something like this, bit it's possible. If you do decide to replace it, I can also put you in touch with some people who would charge less than typical general concrete contractors. Feel free to PM me if I can help.

 

[HighStrung]

I have a suggestion, but I've never done it. When concrete workers pull the forms off fresh concrete, they end up with honeycombed concrete. To finish it, they use a mix of sand and cement with a grouting tool to fill in the holes and give it an even finish. That's what I would try, but you'll probably have to acid wash it first. And to make sure the mix adheres to the concrete, the surface has to be at the right moisture level, not dry, but not dripping wet either, just damp. If the surface is too dry, or the mix drys too fast, it will crack and chip off. I recommend a high cement strength, at least 3000 psi, and maybe trying a small area first.

I agree with most of what was mentioned here, except the definition of high-strength concrete. We don't recommend anything less than 4000psi for flatwork (drives, walks, etc). If attempting this I wouldn't use anything less than a 7bag mix, which roughtly amounts to 5000psi. Either way, attempting to grout your own could get you close to the same color so long as the same type of cement is used (which you have zero chance of knowing). We use several different types (Lehigh, Portland, Type 3, some with flyash in them, some with slag cement in them, and on and on and on). Rule is, once you start a pour, you have to use the same types of cement on the entire job or the colors will vary. Truth be told, most anything you attempt in efforts to fix the individual spots will result in color differences, but it may give your drive a nice camoflage look, lol.

 

[SmileDocHill]

I have had to refinish the surface of my patio because of this very same thing. I did it myself (helped my dad do a fair amount of concrete work growing up). I have no idea if resurfacing it would withstand driving pressures though. Drag a chain over the driveway and you will be able to hear all the dead sounding areas which represent the surface pieces that are ready to pop out but have not done so yet. They will have to be chipped, or blasted out so you are not bonding to concrete that isn't bonded itself.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

LOL, where do you live in Evansville?

Lets just say I have a nice collection of red, pink, and green flourescent flags...

 

[Fenway]

Did the exact same thing to my driveway a couple of years ago....

 

[FordMan08]

HOA is a joke, I believe if you own it you should be able to do whatever you want.
HOA = sheep herder

 

[ruger7722]

not many concrete guys here ,huh

 

[Mike H]

not many concrete guys here ,huh

Concrete is a 4 letter word......WORK! Its much easier to be an internet know it all.....LOL

I guess busting it out and replacing is out of the question?
A skid steer or backhoe would make short work of it.
Chanches are any repair would not withstand the test of time.
Good luck with your project.

 

[alluwant]

you can resurface it and then seal it. but in a few years you will prob have the same problem but it is a quick fix you can get the resurface material at any hardware store and the sealer as well when it get hard get a broom and go over it. i have done it many times as a quick fix for my friends i use to finish concrete a while back