How to restore old crumbly concrete with holes?

bschebella

Hi,

I have a lot of old concrete around my house & need help to work out what can be repaired & what needs to be replaced.

Some has small holes in it, 5mm to 10mm deep, maybe 10c to 20c in size, can these be filled or will the new cement just fall out?

Some areas are crumbly at the edges, can I grind out the crumbly areas & fill them up or do I need to cut the sections out & pour new concrete?

Some have big cracks from old tree roots (trees removed years ago), do I need to remove the old concrete, dig the root out & pour new concrete?

Cheers

Barry

EricL

Hello @bschebella (Barry)

Thank you for sharing your question about the concrete around your house. Concrete patching, covering and restoration greatly depends on the condition of the surrounding concrete. If the concrete is still stiff and solid, repairs can certainly still be applied to its surface. But if it appears that a great deal of it is crumbling, cracking or splitting away, it will be necessary to assess the overall condition of the concrete itself.

If it is just small holes or edge repair, it's something that can be possibly repaired. But cutting into the concrete and replacing entire sections will need to be properly assessed. Will the concrete base be driven over? Will light to midsize vehicles be parking over the concrete? Would it be possible for you to share a few photos of the old concrete? This will allow our members to assess the concretes condition. We can then offer proper recommendations on how to proceed.

In regard to the root damage, removing the old concrete and the roots that are coming up is an effective way to temporarily repair that section. Just keep in mind that the roots could possibly grow back and damage another section of the garden front.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric