Many people still look for concrete restoration services because even though concrete is a strong, versatile material, but it isn't indestructible. Damage and natural wear or erosion break down concrete over time, leaving structural changes and markings that become a safety hazard or an eyesore.
When this occurs, you usually have three options — repair, replace, or restore your concrete surface or structure. Because replacements can be complex and costly, professional concrete restoration services must be your first choice for minor and moderate-level damage.
Compared to concrete repair, concrete restoration services correct both appearance and damage. Your concrete restoration contractor would take the necessary steps to return your concrete surface or structure to its original functionality, strength, and style, free of cracks, stains, fading, or other issues.
Concrete restoration services are ideal for private and public property, including homes, sidewalks, businesses, and community spaces. You could avoid potentially challenging concrete replacement by addressing your concrete concerns early. This complex process might put your structure or surface out of commission for several days.
Proactive concrete restoration services are vital for managing costs and maintaining the concrete's function. It is also the best method for keeping your concrete presentable and safe. Concrete with extensive damage threatens pedestrians and might weaken your structure or platform's support.
Concrete can last anywhere from 50-100 years — sometimes longer — but regular concrete restoration services could help extend its lifespan and prevents deterioration or premature aging. Preventive maintenance could address minor cracks, scuffs, and buckling before they become more significant damages. This longevity is crucial for structures and buildings that rely on concrete supports or foundations. Maintaining your concrete over time is also more cost-efficient than waiting for larger issues to develop — especially when those problems could threaten people, property, and connected structures.
Damaged or aging concrete could be hazardous for pedestrians and vehicles in public walkways, driveways, patios, and parking garages. It's especially dangerous when foundations or supports for buildings and structures start deteriorating.
With concrete restoration services, you're creating a safer environment and minimizing the risk of:
Slipping: Worn concrete loses its natural traction, creating slick surfaces for cars and people. Concrete restoration services can help revitalize your concrete's slip resistance before things like standing water, ice, and snow, worsen the problem.
Tripping: Popouts, cracks, potholes, raised edges, holes, and chips create an uneven surface that could cause pedestrians to trip. In extreme cases, it could even cause vehicular damage. Moreover, it renders the area impassable for wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, and other mobility devices, creating an equal environment for employees or patrons.
Instability: Unstable concrete could buckle or become uneven, usually resulting from weight overload. That could have devastating results for structural concrete, causing harmful and expensive damage and creating an unsafe environment. Weakened concrete is also more susceptible to erosion or impact.
For commercial property owners, keeping a clean, professional appearance is critical to managing your building or facility. Over time, concrete might lose its color and vibrance from:
Since fading happens at a variable rate, your concrete might eventually look patchy or become textured in some locations.
Concrete walls, concrete flooring, and expansion joints possess natural thermal resistance that increases the facility's R-value. Concrete traps heat, so it assists in preventing heat loss in buildings. It could also reduce excess indoor moisture that might seep through, making a more comfortable environment. Low-density concrete often has a higher R-value compared to high density.
These insulating properties are compromised when concrete starts to deteriorate. Once-trapped moisture and air could enter the building, increasing energy costs and reducing efficiency. Without concrete restoration services, the problem would worsen until it becomes impossible to ignore.
Concrete restoration services could improve insulation and avoid these complications by ensuring each joint and surface is structurally sound. Regular preventive inspections could help keep them that way.
Quality concrete offers a stable, durable, supportive surface or enclosure, but many outside factors could cause premature aging and degradation.
Common causes of chemical disintegration and concrete structural damage include:
Temperature: Though concrete can withstand high temperatures, extreme cold and hot or constant fluctuating between extremes wears it down, particularly when moisture is involved. As water pools on worn concrete, it could settle in cracks and holes. If the water freezes, it expands to 9%, severely weakening the concrete.
Overload: Overloads caused by excessive weight results in buckling, warping, cracking, and chipping. It is a significant concern for concrete in foundations, structural joints, and high-traffic areas, such as parking garages, pedestrian walkways, and roadways.
Corrosion: Natural aging — such as fading and general signs of wear — comes from frequent exposure and use. Corrosion happens from repeated elemental exposure, such as hydraulic wear, or when embedded materials, like metal, start to corrode and cause the surrounding concrete to deteriorate.
Impact: Unnatural or accidental damage can degrade concrete quickly — and unexpectedly—such as blasting, fires, and impact caused by vehicles, machinery, or tools. Impact extent could range from minor to severe and lingering after-effects, such as open cracks, make the remaining cement susceptible to more damage if left unrestored.
Environment: Earthquakes, saltwater, seismic tremors, and tornadoes are unpreventable, and even the strongest concrete buildings and surfaces are at risk. These environmental conditions could make concrete become unlevel or cause extreme shifting and cracking that worsens.
Chemicals: De-icing salts, industrial waste, chemical sulfates, food and beverages, and acids lead to chemical reactions when exposed to concrete surfaces. This reaction could cause instability and cosmetic wear, weakening the concrete after significant exposure.
Concrete restoration services save money, time, and frustration — but how do you know when to schedule an appointment? Inspect your concrete surface or structure for the following signs:
Cracks: Cracks ranging from thin, hairline markings to huge crevices along walls and flooring. Factors such as shrinkage and settling cause several types of cracks that range in severity. Even minor cracks could create an uneven walking surface or lessen your facility's energy efficiency. Cracks might give insects and moisture a way into the building as well.
Discoloration: Discoloration includes faded areas, stains, minor surface corrosion, and tire markings that do not pose a structural threat but diminish the facility's appearance. Although not as time-sensitive as other types of damage, it does not look as professional as finished, clean concrete.
Flaking: Flaking is slow chipping that results in a layer of fine, dust-like concrete on top of affected surfaces. The dust is messy and extremely hazardous to inhale when it creates crystalline silica.
Spalling: Spalling is when the concrete's surface begins breaking off into small or large pieces. It often happens in high-traffic areas, creating bumps and uneven surfaces.
Unevenness: Surfaces are often uneven for one of two causes— improper installation or concrete deterioration. Regardless, uneven and sunken surfaces cause water to pool, producing an unsafe environment when it freezes. This freezing could also initiate the freeze-thaw cycle, which hastens the erosion process. Unlevel concrete surfaces don't offer long-lasting support and might cause extensive damage in structural applications.
Gaps: They occur between concrete joints and at the edge of patios and sidewalks. Many factors contribute to gapping, such as soil erosion or movement, impact-related damage, and seismic tremors.
Energy: If your facility's energy costs are increased than usual, and you're unsure why it may be time to inspect the concrete surfaces and supports. Compromised insulation would reflect on your utility bill and create environmental changes, such as hot and cold patches throughout the room.
Never ignore seemingly minor symptoms of concrete damage. These issues threaten the integrity of the property and may pose a serious threat to employees and pedestrians. They could also worsen quickly, creating more lasting, challenging defacement.
Once you have decided concrete restoration is best for your property, your contractor will help you determine which concrete restoration services suit your specific concerns. Four common restoration methods are epoxy injection, polyurethane grouting, leveling, and total replacement or removal.
Epoxy injections are one way to treat cracks and some gaps. Epoxies create a strong bond that could help a weakened surface continue bearing heavy loads. It is one of the most minimally invasive and cost-efficient concrete restoration methods, but limitations exist.
Epoxy injection doesn't work on moving cracks, and it's not a substitute for correcting whatever created the crack in the first place. Unless you address the larger issue, you'll need additional epoxy injections in the future as cracking keeps appearing. Epoxy is also not compatible with moisture, so you should first repair and dry any leaks or high-humidity areas where cracks exist.
Polyurethane grouting is a restorative resin for heavy-duty concrete damage like epoxy. It's lightweight, fast-acting, minimally invasive, and ideal for challenging or high-traffic applications. Because it is clean and the cure time is minimal, you could usually resume normal activities shortly after application, assuming you have repaired the root cause of the problem.
Unlike epoxy injections, polyurethane grouting could resist wet or dirty conditions without interfering with performance. However, it is not a structural repair and may not last under too much tension.
Concrete leveling is one of the concrete restoration services that involves raising the surface from beneath when it has started to sink or separate. You might have heard about the raising, leveling, or slab jacking process.
Finishing the concrete leveling process includes the following steps:
Concrete leveling is more cost-efficient and less invasive than removal and replacement. It's a good option for property owners with extensive sloping but don't or cannot invest in removing and replacing the existing concrete.
Total removal and replacement are usually the last resort when concrete is damaged beyond restoration or repair. In some cases, replacement might be the more safe, cost-effective, or time-saving option if the alternative is a lot smaller restoration or repair processes.
It is also the best option if concrete damage threatens a building's structural integrity or when it doesn't function properly anymore. For instance, a concrete parking garage floor with multiple large gaps, cracks, and sinking is no longer accessible for vehicles. It is too far gone for restoration — replacement might be necessary. Don't attempt to remove or replace large-scale concrete without professional assistance.
We can help whether you are dealing with extensive concrete damage interfering with your daily operations or wish to create a more professional appearance for the facility. Concrete restoration services from our company includes concrete restoration services, repair, or resurfacing for your industrial or commercial property.