How to stop cracked patio concrete leaking?

Question

Hello,

I would love some help regarding the cracked concrete on my patio. My garage is directly below and when it rains there's now some leakage in the garage below where the repair was done quite a few years ago (I have lived here for 15 years and it was like this when I moved in).

The crack is about 1cm deep and about 1 cm wide. It was repaired with some sort of rubberised? material as I can lift it to check underneath. The crack is about 1.8 metres long and runs from the bricks to the edge of a flight of stairs.

The second image shows where the repaired crack meets the stairs.

If anyone has some ideas for a relatively simple quick fix I could probably do myself it would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Aggie Mac

EricL · Answer

Hello @AggieMac

Please check your weather app to make sure you have a few days of sunshine before you begin your repair work.

Eric

AggieMac · Answer

Thank you so much Eric. I will go shopping this week and get stuck in to the repair.

I assume it would be best to do this on a fine day? Cheers Aggie Mac

EricL · Answer

Hello @AggieMac

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your concrete patio.

It appears that the former seal has shrunk and is no longer providing a positive seal on your patio. I propose removing the seal using a

https://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-assorted-individual-screwdriver_p6060146

. I then suggest cleaning the gap with a

https://www.bunnings.com.au/mr-clean-tuffmates-tile-scrub-brush_p4460043

in combination with a shop vac to remove all the dirt and debris. Once the gap is clean, I recommend filling the gap with a

https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday-10mm-x-5m-white-gap-filler-rod_p4061881

especially if the gap is deep. Push the filler rod at least 5mm deep to make space for the surface filler. I suggest using

https://www.bunnings.com.au/sika-300ml-concrete-grey-sikaflex-11fc-purform_p0628962

to fill the gap.

In regard to the stairs, it looks like part of the render has come off the surface. I recommend using

https://www.bunnings.com.au/dingo-fast-set-mortar-3kg_p0760518

to tidy up the surface damage. As for the crack at the side of the stairs, I suggest cleaning the surface by using a

https://www.bunnings.com.au/100mm-sharp-edge-paint-scraper_p1670156

. Make sure to remove all of the old adhesive that was used on the crack. Clean the crack as best you can with the scrub brush. I then suggest using

https://www.bunnings.com.au/earl-s-500g-concremate-expanding-cement_p1662127

to fill the crack. You can use the scraper to push the expanding cement into the crack and tidy up the application.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric