If a small crack has appeared in your concrete floor, you may be able to repair it yourself. There are many do-it-yourself repair kits available at home improvement stores. Most are fairly straightforward and work well for a small project. However, if you have no experience working with concrete or are concerned about the results, you may prefer to hire a contractor. If you have one of the five problems, it is important to have a professional concrete crack repair company evaluate your floors.
1. The Crack is Larger than a Quarter Inch Wide.
The instructions for most store-bought concrete repair kits are the same. Start by cleaning out the crack. Then mix, pour, and smooth the top. That works well over a small area. However, if the concrete is crumbly around the edges or has a lot of unevenness, you will need to do a little more. Larger cracks will also need to be smoothed with a router to ensure the new concrete adheres to the existing slab. You should also use a diamond grinder to smooth the surface after it dries. In a small crack, this could go unnoticed. In larger spaces, the repair will stick out if not grinded down.
2. The Ground Moves on Either Side of the Crack.
If the floor is wobbly, it needs more than a basic repair. You may be able to shift it with your bodyweight or it may only be noticeable when a vehicle drives over the crack. However, if the ground moves even slightly, this is a sign that the slab is unstable. A contractor will need to lift the floor and install additional support beneath the slab. Left untreated, an unstable floor will eventually crack in many more places.
3. The Floor is Stained or Dyed a Certain Color.
A store-bought repair kit will almost exclusively be available in gray. If your floors have been dyed or stained, the repair will be unsightly. This is mostly an aesthetic concern, but one that might be important to the image of your business. A high-quality concrete repair company should be able to create a stain or dye that matches the original. This can be applied once the repair has dried. In some cases, the repair may be almost unnoticeable.
4. The Floor has a Specific Finish.
Even if your floors are gray, they may have a clear finish applied over the concrete. This might make it resistant to spills, scuffs, or other hazards. In some cases, a clear coating can make the surface noticeably shiny. If the repair has a different appearance, it will stand out somewhat. Although it may be small, having a section that is not waterproof or skid-resistant could be a potential problem.
5. You Need to Rent Specialty Equipment.
For most companies, the need to use specialty equipment for a concrete crack repair is cost prohibitive. There may be few options for rental and the amount you save making the repair yourself will be spent on the use of a vaccuumized diamond grinder or other machinery. Additionally, the use of these tools requires some know-how that makes a professional better-suited for the job.
When you are ready to talk with a professional about your next concrete floor project, talk to the team at ICS. We have over 20 years of experience and have installed or updated over a million square feet of concrete floors. The combination of expertise, proprietary equipment, and dedication to a job well-done make ours the service you can trust. To get started, fill out the Got a Project form with some basic information about your project.
Concrete Flooring Service Area
ICS provides concrete solutions to all of the northeast. Here is a small list of cities and towns where we have completed many industrial and commercial concrete flooring applications.
| Portland, Maine | Bangor, Maine | Augusta, Maine |
| Nashua, New Hampshire | Manchester, New Hampshire | Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Worecester, Massachusetts | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Burlington, Vermont | Montpelier, Vermont | St. Johnsbury, Vermont |
| Providence, Rhode Island | Warwick, Rhode Island | Cranston, Rhode Island |
| Hartford, Connecticut | New Haven, Connecticut | Stamford, Connecticut |
| New York | New Jersey | Pennsylvania |