Signs Your Concrete May Need Repair

Concrete is a material that is known as being indestructible, and in many ways it truly is. A well-built concrete driveway, patio, or foundation slab will last for decades of vehicle use, exposure to weather, and wear and tear without complain. However, concrete is not indestructible, and the challenges faced by it throughout central Arkansas, including heavy clay soils, seasonal rainfall, freeze-thaw effects in winter and hot summer weather, place particular stresses on well-installed concrete over time.

The problem with concrete damage is that it tends to be gradual. If a hairline crack occurs in year three, it will open up into a wider, deeper crack by year 6. A small area of scaling on the surface will go unnoticed until water penetrates the area several times, causing more harm to occur below the surface. Most concrete repair problems that end up costing a lot of money and time were simple enough to be fixed early at a small fraction of the eventual expense.

It’s all about knowing what to look for that makes the difference between catching a problem at the right time and finding it after the damage has already been spread.

Cracks Are the First Signal Worth Taking Seriously

Not all cracks in concrete are equal and knowing the difference is key in determining urgency of action.

Surface hairline cracks that have not deepened or opened up over time may be as a result of normal curing shrinkage and do not necessarily warrant a concern with structure. If the crack extends all the way through the slab, the crack is wider than a ¼ inch, or one end of the crack has risen or sunk from the other, however, it is a condition that should be assessed by a professional.

Concrete slabs, especially driveways and patios, often develop diagonal cracks which radiate from corners and are a sign of movement of the subgrade under the slab. Arkansas’s expansive clay soils change in volume with moisture fluctuations throughout the year, and these fluctuations can apply pressure on concrete, creating cracks at predictable stress points. The crack is the symptom that is seen. Before deciding on the appropriate repair strategy, it is important to understand the soil movement that is responsible for it.

No matter how small, cracks in building foundations should be addressed professionally right away. If there are horizontal cracks in the foundation walls, it is a sign of lateral soil pressure and a structural problem. Stair-step cracks in block foundations parallel the mortar joints and frequently are signs of differential settlement. Vertical cracks in poured concrete foundations can result from normal shrinkage but require evaluation to confirm they are not progressing.

Uneven and Sunken Slabs

If a concrete surface was once level, but parts of the surface are higher or lower than the rest, it is communicating that the ground below has been altered. This condition is often referred to as slab settlement or concrete sinking, and occurs when the soil the slab was built on becomes less dense, washes away, or compacts over time under load.

This typically appears on a driveway or patio as a small area near a joint that has settled, while the rest of the driveway or patio has not. The lip at that point becomes a trip hazard as well as a collection point for water, which will cause further deterioration.

Sunken concrete is especially prevalent around pool decking. During pool installation, soil beneath the pool surrounds is often disturbed, and over the years after the pool is built, the disturbed soil compacts. This leads to unevenly settled pool deck sections, trip hazards along the pool edge and drainage side effects that bring water into contact with the pool structure instead of away from it.

Driveways that are sunken close to the garage apron or at the street drainage connection are frequently caused by water erosion under the driveway slab, especially if the downspouts or surface drainage are recurrently directed down into the same spot. Over time, the soil will erode and the concrete will follow.

Surface Deterioration That Goes Deeper Than It Looks

Damage to the surface of a concrete slab can be easily overlooked as cosmetic, but the surface protects the material below, and when the surface is damaged, the deterioration of the material below will progress.

Scaling is the most common surface deterioration seen on concrete driveways, patios, and sidewalks. It manifests itself as peeling or flaking of the surface of the concrete, with a rough, pitted surface exposed underneath. The major factor that causes scaling in Arkansas is freeze-thaw cycling and de-icing chemical exposure, which causes degradation of the surface paste layer in the concrete after repeated cycles.

More serious surface deterioration occurs as spalling, where larger pieces of the concrete surface chip away. Spalling is frequently a sign that water has infiltrated the surface and subsequently reached the reinforcing steel inside the slab, leading to corrosion of the steel and the rust expanding and forcing the concrete above it apart. When spalling has reached the extent that it exposes reinforcement, repair is no longer an option.

Pitting on driveway and garage surfaces can be caused by chemicals, oil penetration or reactive aggregates in the original concrete mix. If these surfaces were installed and not sealed correctly, or if they were sealed but not maintained properly, they are especially vulnerable to surface deterioration, particularly in decorative and stamped concrete surfaces.

Drainage Problems That Point to Concrete Issues

Water that pools on or against concrete surfaces after rainfall is not just an inconvenience. It is actively working against the longevity of the concrete and potentially against the structure the concrete is protecting.

A driveway that slopes toward the garage rather than away from it directs water into the garage and against the foundation below the garage floor. A patio that holds standing water after rain creates freeze-thaw stress in winter and keeps the surface wet long enough to promote biological growth that breaks down the surface sealant.

Commercial concrete installations including parking lots, loading zones, and sidewalks deal with drainage problems on a larger scale. Standing water in commercial parking areas accelerates surface deterioration under vehicle traffic and creates liability exposure from slip hazards and trip conditions at settled joints.

When drainage problems appear around a concrete installation, the cause is sometimes a slope issue with the original installation and sometimes the result of slab settlement that has changed the surface drainage pattern over time. Either way, it is worth having the concrete and surrounding grade assessed by an experienced contractor before the drainage problem compounds other damage.

When Age Alone Suggests a Professional Look

Concrete does not have a fixed expiration date, but age is a legitimate reason to have a professional assessment even when nothing obvious has gone wrong. Planit Dirt Excavation and Concrete has been working with residential and commercial concrete across central Arkansas for 37 years, and that depth of experience makes a professional evaluation significantly more informative than a homeowner inspection.

Driveways approaching 25 to 30 years of service, foundations that have never been formally inspected, pool decking more than 20 years old, and commercial concrete installations carrying heavy vehicle traffic all benefit from periodic professional assessment that identifies developing conditions before they become failures.

The Right Time to Make the Call

Every situation described in this blog represents a condition that is more manageable and less expensive to address at the point of recognition than after another season of weather and use have worked on it further. Whether the concern is a cracked driveway in Jacksonville, a settling patio slab, foundation movement, deteriorating pool decking, or commercial concrete showing wear across a parking area, an honest assessment from an experienced contractor is the right starting point.

Planit Dirt Excavation and Concrete serves residential and commercial clients within a 50-mile radius of Jacksonville, AR. To schedule an assessment or discuss a concrete concern, contact James at (501) 258-5935 or email planitdirt@yahoo.com.