Repair Cracked Concrete with Epoxy
Almost all concrete floors will crack over time. While shallow crack lines spidering across a floor may be visually unappealing, most of these are not serious. Others can be signs of potentially severe structural problems. Left untreated, even shallow concrete cracks can worsen and deepen, creating future problems.
Understanding Concrete Cracks
When a concrete floor is poured, it immediately begins to dry or cure. As it dries, it shrinks. The shrinkage may be small, about an eighth of an inch in a 20 by 20 floor, but it is enough for small crack lines to appear. These shrinkage cracks are normal.
Likewise, small cracks from structural settling are also normal. Depending on the age of the building and the soil type, settling cracks can become more severe with time.
The most severe cracks are those from improperly installed concrete. When it is installed correctly, the concrete is reinforced by steel rebar or mesh that is placed in the middle of the poured concrete. If the steel reinforcement is left out, or not sufficient, the concrete will be prone to movement and cracking.
Another cause of serious cracks is overloading the concrete before it has completely cured. Concrete can take several days to a month to fully cure. Occasionally, contractors will operate heavy equipment on concrete floors that have not completely cured. When that happens, fissures can appear in the concrete.
While many concrete cracks are superficial and more visually distracting than structurally dangerous, it can take an experienced eye to recognize the difference. It’s a good idea to have cracks checked by a concrete professional who can recommend the best treatment to prevent them from becoming worse.
Key to Repairing Concrete Floors — Use the Right Product
Fortunately, most cracking can be repaired without the need to demolish and replace the concrete. Several products can be used to repair cracks and protect concrete from future cracking. The key to repairing and protecting your concrete is to use the right product and method.
Cheap is not Best
A concrete floor is a structural component of a building. You wouldn’t use a cheap cement filler to support part of a home’s foundation, and you shouldn’t use a similar product to repair cracked concrete floors.
Although they are less expensive initially, latex-based cement fillers and patch products can cost more money in the long run in future repairs. These products tend to shrink away from the crack they were intended to repair. They also cannot be sanded or painted.
Do It Right
To do the job right, you should use the best materials, and the best materials for repairing cracked concrete are epoxy garage coatings, polyurea or polyurethane fillers. They have several advantages over the less expensive products, including:
● They dry harder than the concrete
● They do not shrink
● Epoxy is so durable that it stops water from penetrating the crack
● They are easy to sand or grind level with the floor
● They can be painted
The depth and severity of the crack will determine the best type of epoxy or polyurea for the repair. A concrete floor professional can help in determining which product will provide the best lasting solution for your cracked concrete.
Testimonials
My garage was so cluttered and a total mess, I was always embarrassed to have the door open! Not anymore!! Floorguard® helped me design a perfect system for my family, it’s amazing!! Now I keep my garage door open for all to see, it’s organized, and absolutely beautiful!!!
- Pam Orland Park, IL
Really Pleased! Our garage needed some major help – not only was it a mess but the floor was just ugly with all the stains and such. I will agree with the reviewer below – do not go with the cheap imitators! Floorguard not only has a great product, but their installers and service is well worth any extra cost, which is minimal anyway. Our neighbors have commented on how good our garage looks and we’ve recommended them to Floorguard without hesitation.
- Nathan
The garage looks so good! A+ company on every level. Wish I had another garage to resurface!
- Chelsea
My neighbor had a floor done by another company that was new to the industry, boy were they sorry. I went with the experts, Floorguard did an incredible job!!
- Tom T., Orland Park
When it comes to adding value to your business, you can’t go wrong with the superior technology and materials from Floorguard
- Jenny P.
Covering our old, gray garage floor was a great aesthetic and functional improvement. This project requires 2 days: first day preparing the surface (major job requiring right equipment), putting down first coating and sprinkling the flakes. This requires about 4 hours. After this dries, they come back next day and apply the topcoat. They notified us when they would start the work and arrived as promised. They worked diligently, completed the work efficiently, left the work areas and our driveway clean. The owner Steve is a great guy to deal with.
- Bob H.
It was a pleasure dealing with the company’s owner Steve Chaloult. When we called him to give us an estimate, he arranged to come within a few days. We have a very large two car garage. His estimate was a bit more than the first company we called but he seemed very well prepared in showing us samples and very knowledgeable about his product and we just liked him. For personal reasons , we had to delay installation for about a month and he could not be more accommodating. we finally we able to have it done this past week and it was worth the wait. The garage floor is just beautiful and I never would have thought I would say that about a garage floor! We also had the lower walls around the floor done and very glad we did. At one time we were thinking we could do this ourselves using a kit. WHAT were we thinking? This is a job for a professional and we are so glad we used Steve.
- Moira J.
The owner Steve Chaloult was easy to work with and he’s very good at what he does. I highly recommend Floorguard as your contractor if you’re wanting to have a garage floor finished with a durable epoxy like colored finish. Floorguard came when they said they would and cleaned up after they were finished. Floorguard also installs garage storage cabinets.
- Andrew A.
Very responsive, good communicator. Was on time and did a top quality job. Very happy with the outcome.
- Anonymous Homeowner
Great eexperience. Quick and dependable service. High quality. Fair cost.
- John H.