A well-constructed driveway makes for an appealing entrance into your home. One of the most commonly used material is concrete. The material tends to be cheap, durable, appealing and marked by options only limited by your imagination. The versatility also means that you can easily adapt it to the design of the house and the neighbourhood, making for an appealing transition from the road to the front door. 

However, with frequent use, such as frequent driving, it might need some repairs to fix up some issues. The following are common repairs done on concrete driveways. While some might seem like easy DIY projects, it is always recommended you consult a trained concrete contractor.

Slab Jacking

Poor soil compaction and soil erosion often lead to sections of the driveway sinking due to reduced support. Slab jacking works by adding an extra mixture of materials (additives) under the collapsed slab using a pump and flexible hoses. 

Commonly used additives include fly ash, sand and cement. Due to the use of specialised equipment and skills, it is recommended you contact a professional for slab jacking. Advantages of slab jacking include high percentages of effectiveness, minimal landscape disturbance and the fact that it can be performed in any weather condition.

Resurfacing

Concrete resurfacing comes in handy to revitalise scaled or worn out surface, but with minor cracks. Compared with other methods, resurfacing leans more towards improving the surface and appearance of the surface, rather than medium and heavy-duty repair. 

In many cases, it is used as the last step after the repair procedures to achieve the uniform finish and design. Also, with the many colours and designs at your disposal, it can make for an easy way to change the appearance of your driveway–it is basically a facelift. 

Engraving and Recolouring 

Frequent usage, especially in high traffic areas and exposure to the weather elements and neglect, leads to the original pattern and finish degradation as well as discolouration. For the discolouring, a common repair procedure is staining. Concrete responds well to both water and acid-based stains and colours. 

The choice is wide–you can either choose to match the house colour, contrast or mix-and-match. You can also opt to combine protective features by using UV-resistant stains to protect against the concrete surface destructive sun rays. For scratches, engraving integrates any existing cracks and scratches into beautiful designs, making for a unique driveway.

Exposure to extreme weather conditions, neglect, insufficient concrete mix and sub-base degradation can lead to deterioration and damage to your concrete driveway. A professional paving repairs contractor can utilise the above techniques, and others, to revive your driveway.