Concrete Repair & Replacement in Aurora, IL

Concrete repair and replacement comes down to whether a slab is worth saving. In Aurora, freeze-thaw, salt and settling wear on every driveway, walk and patio, and plenty of slabs show trouble long before they are finished. Some can be put right for a small part of the cost of new concrete. Others have failed underneath, and a repair only postpones the bill. We look for the cause first, then lay out the choices with prices.

Matching the fix to the problem

• A panel that dropped or tilted: if it is still in one piece, leveling can usually raise it back. Broken into several pieces, it usually needs replacing.
• Shallow scaling on a sound slab: a bonded resurfacing layer can give it a new top. Deep scaling that exposes stone over most of the slab usually means replacement.
• Hairline and shrinkage cracks: cleaned out and sealed against water.
• Wide or moving cracks: HomeGuide's resurfacing guide says cracks wider than 1/4 inch typically point to foundation problems and can come back through a new surface. Those sections usually come out.
• Broken edges, aprons and step corners: cut out and poured new.

Leveling: mudjacking and foam

Leveling raises a sunken slab by pumping material beneath it through small drilled holes. Mudjacking pumps a cement-based slurry; polyjacking uses expanding foam, which weighs less and needs smaller holes. Either one fills the void that let the slab sink. According to HomeGuide's leveling guide, leveled concrete generally lasts 5 to 10 years or more, with mudjacking typically 5 to 7 years. It suits walks, patios, stoops and driveway panels that have dropped near the house or garage.

Resurfacing

Resurfacing bonds a thin new layer to old concrete. It fits a driveway or patio that is level and structurally sound but has scaled from salt and winters. Preparation decides whether it lasts: the old surface is cleaned and loose material removed so the topping bonds. HomeGuide says resurfacing lasts 8 to 15 years before needing repairs, and advises replacing surfaces with large cracks, crumbling, spalling or structural problems instead.

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Replacing a few panels

A bad panel does not always mean a whole new driveway. When one or two sections are broken or sunk beyond saving, we saw-cut them out along joint lines, rebuild the base, and pour new sections doweled into the old concrete. New concrete will look lighter than weathered concrete at first. If the damaged section is the drive approach or the walk through the driveway, remember that Aurora shares that responsibility with owners and offers partial reimbursement through its Driveway Assistance Program.

Signs it is time for a full replacement

• Scaling, cracking or settling across most of the slab
• A base that washed out or was never built right
• A slab that pitches water at the house
• Years of patches that still fail every spring

In those cases we price a new slab and explain why a repair would not hold.

Making repairs last

Seal new cracks as they show up. Point downspouts away from slabs, since water running under concrete is the usual cause of settling. Reseal surfaces every few years and skip ammonium-based de-icers.