Concrete Contractor in Aurora, CO - Prices Posted Up Front

Common concrete problems in Aurora

These are the calls we get most. Each one has a cause, and the fix depends on the cause. Match what you're seeing to the list below.

Cracking

Hairline cracks show up in almost every slab as it shrinks. The ones that matter keep getting wider, run across the middle of a panel, or have one side sitting higher than the other. Water gets in, freezes, and pries them open a little more every winter.

How we fix it: We rout the crack, clean it out, and fill it with a flexible sealant that moves with the slab instead of popping out by spring. If the crack means the base under it has failed, we'll show you and talk about replacing that section. More on our concrete crack repair page.

Spalling and scaling

This is the rough, pitted surface that shows up near garage doors and along the tire lines. The top quarter inch flakes off and exposes the gravel underneath. It's usually salt plus freeze-thaw, often on concrete that was poured without enough air or finished while it was wet.

How we fix it: If the slab underneath is still solid and level, we grind off the loose surface and put down a polymer-modified overlay. Then we seal it so the same thing doesn't happen again. See concrete resurfacing and concrete sealing.

Sunken slabs

A sidewalk panel that dropped an inch. A patio that now tilts toward the house. A driveway slab that dips where it meets the garage. Usually the soil underneath washed out or compressed, often from a downspout or a sprinkler running at the edge for years.

How we fix it: We drill a few holes and pump material underneath to lift the slab back where it belongs. Mudjacking uses a cement slurry, and foam jacking uses lightweight polyurethane. Then we fix the water source. See concrete leveling and mudjacking.

Settling and heaving

Clay soil swells after wet weather and shrinks during dry spells, so slabs can go both ways. You'll see panels rocking, joints opening up, and steps pulling away from the house.

How we fix it: A small amount of settling can be leveled. If a slab has heaved, or has cracked into pieces as it moved, it needs to come out. We rebuild the base properly and pour new. That's covered on our driveway replacement page, and the same process applies to patios and walks.

Trip hazards

A raised edge between two sidewalk panels is easy to stop seeing until somebody catches a toe on it. The city's own concrete repair policy treats anything over 3/4 of an inch as severe.

How we fix it: Small lips can be cut down flush. Sunken panels can be lifted. Broken panels get replaced. If it's the public sidewalk in front of your house, work there needs a city permit, and we handle that. See sidewalks and trip hazard repair.

Drainage toward the house

When a patio or driveway slopes the wrong way, every storm and every snowmelt sends water at the foundation. That water also softens the clay under the slab, which makes the sinking worse.

How we fix it: If the slab is otherwise good, leveling can often bring the slope back. If not, we replace it and pitch it away from the house at about a quarter inch per foot. Start with concrete leveling or read repair vs replace to see which fits.

Materials and methods, in plain English

You don't need to know concrete specs to hire us. But you should know what you're paying for, so here's what goes into a typical exterior job.

The mix

We pour a 4,000 PSI mix. PSI is how much pressure the cured concrete can take before it crushes. For exterior slabs it's also air-entrained, meaning it's full of microscopic air bubbles. When water in the concrete freezes and expands, those bubbles give it somewhere to go. Without them, the surface spalls off.

The base

Under the concrete goes 4 to 6 inches of road base, compacted in layers with a plate compactor. On heavy clay we dig deeper. A good base matters more than anything else on this list.

The steel

We use rebar on a grid, set on small supports called chairs so it ends up in the middle of the slab. Rebar won't stop concrete from cracking. What it does is keep a cracked slab in one piece and level, so a crack stays a thin line instead of becoming a step.

The joints

Control joints are the straight grooves you see every so often in a sidewalk. They're planned weak spots, so when the slab shrinks, it cracks in the groove instead of across the middle. On a 4-inch slab we space them every 8 to 10 feet.

The finish and the sealer

A broom finish gives you grip on icy mornings. Stamped and exposed aggregate finishes add looks and texture. Once the concrete has cured for about a month, a penetrating sealer soaks in and keeps water and salt from getting into the surface. Plan on resealing every 2 to 3 years.