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A word about cracks
In the decorative concrete industry, one subject that almost always comes up are cracks. The information below is intended to help our clients understand why cracking occurs and what can be done to help reduce the chances of a crack returning after an overlay is installed. It is our opinion that cracks do not necessarily blemish a floor, but rather, add charm, character, and uniqueness. Many times, cracks can even be incorporated into a desired pattern.
So what do we do to cracks in a slab? We grind open the crack and then fill it with silica sand saturated with an ultra low viscosity penetrating polyurethane-hybrid crack filler. In some cases we will also 'stitch' the crack by placing metal reinforcing across the crack at 8-12 inch intervals.
However, we cannot warranty cracking or crack treatments of any kind. NOTHING repairs a crack - its always there. We can fill them, seal them, weld them, and cosmetically hide them, but they're still there. Concrete, like all other materials, will slightly change in volume when it dries out. In typical concrete this change amounts to about 500 millionths. Translated into dimensions-this is about 1/16 of an inch in 10 feet. The reason that contractors put joints in concrete pavements and floors is to allow the concrete to crack in a neat, straight line at the joint when the volume of the concrete changes due to shrinkage.Concrete cracks for a reason. There's either internal or external forces which cause a fracture. External forces such as poor sub-grade or impact fracture. If there is unlevel, sunken or raised areas, there may be a problem with the sub-grade or water infiltration (look for down spouts dumping on a trapped side of the slab). If you have an area that has concentrated cracks radiating outward, this is a compression fracture: some one parked the truck on it the day after the pour or a tree fell hitting with the weight concentrated on that area. Also, this will happen in corners or at flairs where the concrete gets less than a foot or so wide. Internal stresses are caused by improper expansion areas. Contractors try to foresee these stress cracks and apply weak areas to control the crack lines. They are often not placed correctly or even not at all. When a crack occurs, the slab becomes two separate entities, expanding and contracting independently of each other. When we attempt to marry these two together, we must take into consideration their differences.
The crack filler will take great stresses before it fails. Where cosmetically viable we will also cut a relief joint near the filled crack as this will hopefully cause the crack to occur along this line of least resistance.
Crack filling often works but we CANNOT and DO NOT warranty that cracks will not return. We do the best we can to fill the crack, and we feel that we offer the best option available.
So what do we do to cracks in a slab? We grind open the crack and then fill it with silica sand saturated with an ultra low viscosity penetrating polyurethane-hybrid crack filler. In some cases we will also 'stitch' the crack by placing metal reinforcing across the crack at 8-12 inch intervals.
However, we cannot warranty cracking or crack treatments of any kind. NOTHING repairs a crack - its always there. We can fill them, seal them, weld them, and cosmetically hide them, but they're still there. Concrete, like all other materials, will slightly change in volume when it dries out. In typical concrete this change amounts to about 500 millionths. Translated into dimensions-this is about 1/16 of an inch in 10 feet. The reason that contractors put joints in concrete pavements and floors is to allow the concrete to crack in a neat, straight line at the joint when the volume of the concrete changes due to shrinkage.Concrete cracks for a reason. There's either internal or external forces which cause a fracture. External forces such as poor sub-grade or impact fracture. If there is unlevel, sunken or raised areas, there may be a problem with the sub-grade or water infiltration (look for down spouts dumping on a trapped side of the slab). If you have an area that has concentrated cracks radiating outward, this is a compression fracture: some one parked the truck on it the day after the pour or a tree fell hitting with the weight concentrated on that area. Also, this will happen in corners or at flairs where the concrete gets less than a foot or so wide. Internal stresses are caused by improper expansion areas. Contractors try to foresee these stress cracks and apply weak areas to control the crack lines. They are often not placed correctly or even not at all. When a crack occurs, the slab becomes two separate entities, expanding and contracting independently of each other. When we attempt to marry these two together, we must take into consideration their differences.
The crack filler will take great stresses before it fails. Where cosmetically viable we will also cut a relief joint near the filled crack as this will hopefully cause the crack to occur along this line of least resistance.
Crack filling often works but we CANNOT and DO NOT warranty that cracks will not return. We do the best we can to fill the crack, and we feel that we offer the best option available.
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