A Distinguished New Look with a New Gate
We live in an age of concrete. Wherever you go in modern civilization,
from the public sidewalks to the skyscrapers downtown, you're
going to find concrete everywhere. Therefore, it would
be most unusual if you live in a house that does not use concrete
somewhere. Perhaps it's the entry that goes to your front
door, or it might be in your driveway where you park your
car. Maybe you've used it for your fence posts, but chances
are, somewhere on your property, there is concrete.
The reason it's so universal is because, if used correctly,
it will last for decades. Nonetheless, it's possible at times
for concrete to become damaged. You might experience some
chips or cracks in the concrete structure.
The
result? Well, of course, the structure will look a lot tackier
than it did. But even worse, as concrete breaks down like
this, it causes the structure to weaken. It's essential
that you repair the damaged concrete, or if not, that you
hire someone else to do it. Procrastinating with this project
might make the situation worse, and in the long run, will
cost you more money. So how do you avoid this?
The
first thing, of course, is to try to avoid the situation.
You do this by checking each spring around the premises.
Notice all concrete on the property, and look especially
for cracks and flaking. If you catch it soon, this can be
fixed at minimal cost.
When
it's time to fix the damage, picking the right product to
do the job is critical; there are so many different products
available, and not all of them do the same quality of job;
in fact, many are designed for slightly different things.
For example, some jobs might require just some patching.
However, if the concrete has small cracks around a half
-inch wide, patching would not be easy. In this case, a
better choice would be using a liquid sealant, which you
can place directly into the crack.
For
a job such as this, you'll need several materials. These
include: sealant, caulk, asphalt / concrete cleaner, sand,
a caulking gun, and a scrub brush and wire brush.
Once
you have the materials on hand, clean all dirt and debris
away from the crack with the wire brush. Then clean away
the heavier dirt and grease.
Next,
open the sealant. You want the size of the tube's opening
to match the size of the crack you're filling. This will
help it to fit correctly, thus ensuring a neat result. Now
insert the tube into the caulking gun, and squirt. Do your
best to keep the sealant in the hole, and not overflowing
the edge. If it's a deep crack, fill it about a fourth of
the way with sand first, with sealant on top.
In
a few instances, you might find a need to fill in concrete
on a wall or other horizontal structure. In this case, clean
the spot as described above. The main difference is to keep
the caulking gun at an angle, with the filling action also
at an angle, as you squirt the sealant into the crack.
Once
you've filled the crack, examine it. If you see an overflow
of sealant, gently rub some fine sandpaper over it, smoothing
out the area to make it even.
One
last piece of advice. Weather can play a role in the success
of your concrete-repair project. It's best to work on a
warm day, because either rain or freezing temperatures may
play havoc on the sealant. If you do this right, your concrete
structure should be sturdy enough to last you several more
years.