If the concrete in your backyard is cracked or damaged, you need to act quickly. Cracked concrete can quickly deteriorate, resulting in you having to pay a fortune to replace it. Not only can cracked concrete cost you a lot of money, but it can also lead to dampness and leaks getting underneath your house, which can damage your home’s structural integrity.

This article will deep dive into this subject, offering several solutions for cracked concrete, and explaining precisely how you can deal with any concrete issues in your backyard:

Colorant

If the concrete in your backyard is not damaged or cracked, but instead just looks tired and distressed, then you can give it a makeover with concrete colorant. According to the concrete specialists from Diamaprosystems.com, in addition to making your concrete look nicer, colorant can also eliminate mold or mildew growing in the cracks between your tiles. Mould and mildew can be very damaging, resulting in more dampness, and more cracks appearing on your concrete’s surface. Concrete colorant is affordable, easy to find, and an investment in the future of your concrete. In order to apply it, follow the manufacturer’s guidance.  

Epoxy Mortar

If your backyard’s concrete is cracked or damaged, but the damage is only on the surface or not very deep, then you can go ahead and use an epoxy mortar to fix it. Epoxy mortar is an aggregate that is mixed with a resin and a hardener, which when cured forms a waterproof plug, and because it does not dry, it does not shrink. The problem with many fillers used on concrete is that when it dries it shrinks, which causes smaller cracks to appear, and needs more filler to be applied. Epoxy mortar does not have this problem. Epoxy mortar is also waterproof as already mentioned, meaning that water cannot penetrate your concrete and cause more cracks. It cures after around four hours but can take up to 24.

Deep Fill Mortar

Deep fill mortar, like epoxy, is applied to cracks in concrete, except it is applied to those that are very deep. Unfortunately, deep fill mortar does often shrink, which means that it needs multiple applications. This is so that each tiny crack formed by the mortar can be filled, reducing the chances of the filler leading to more cracks forming in the future, or water getting in. Deep fill mortar is very affordable and very straightforward to apply. As with other mortars, the deep fill can take up to 24 hours to cure. It is usually ready for footfall after four, however. This does vary depending upon the product, so check out the manufacturer’s guidelines first.

Total Replacement

If your backyard’s concrete is damaged beyond repair, then you may need total replacement. Unfortunately, the only way to have this done is very expensive and involves calling in professionals. With that said of course, if you only have surface tiles that are cracked and the concrete beyond is fine, then you can remove the tiles and replace them quite easily. You do need to ensure that the tiles that you are buying are of good quality, especially if you are buying them second-hand, otherwise they will just end up falling apart again.

Solvent Cleaning

If you have used any resin fillers to fill in gaps and cracks, then you will need to use a solvent cleaner. The reason for this is that resin cleaners leave behind a lot of mess, which can be difficult to remove with soap and water. The downside to solvent cleaning is that solvent cleaners can be very harsh, so if you are sensitive to chemicals, you might not react well to them. For this reason, you should wear protective equipment. You could also hire a professional to come in and clean up after applying the resin fillers just to protect yourself.

Professional Help

Finally, if at any point during your concrete restoration you find that you cannot continue or you are struggling, don’t hesitate to call in a professional. A professional will be able to complete the task for you in a timely fashion. If you have no idea what you are doing or run into any problems when you are doing it yourself, you could end up making the problem a lot worse. Professional help for filling in and fixing concrete should not be very expensive. You may also be able to arrange some kind of payment plan with the contractors.

If you have noticed cracks, gaps, and fissures forming in your backyard’s concrete tiling or flooring, it’s important that you act fast. If you don’t then the problem could get significantly worse and eventually result in the total deterioration of your garden’s tiles.