If concrete driveways are being maintained regularly today by home owners, they seldom repair this type of driveways. But, you must know that there are also some reasons when repair is needed to a concrete driveway. Mainly, stress occurs to the concrete highway because of the weather, making it weaker from time to time. When the effect is minimal, repair is going to be a minor one, but when the condition of the concrete seems to be much damaged and it has been torn so badly, major replacement will be performed.

Concrete driveway repairs which involve minor adjustments

Usually, home owners complain of a crack or a chip of the concrete surface making them have some minor repairs to it. Regardless of how minor the problem may be, repair must be given as soon as possible. When these small cracks will be left unrepaired, usually it will develop into a much bigger problem that can only be fixed with major repairs. Whereas if it will only be a minor repair, the work will involved only either simple cementing in the affected area or you may apply other bonding agents that are available at most hardware stores.

Because of the constant changes in the weather, the concrete surfaces tend to expand and concrete will be contracted, which is mainly the reason why there are cracks and chippings which develop over time. The effect on concrete once the weather will be warm is to expand, and the exact opposite will happen during cold weathers. Depending on how severely the weather may change from hot to cold, the concrete develops stress making some cracks to the concrete as well as chips to those small areas.

Concrete driveway repairs that are majorly done to the concrete

When the small cracks are not treated as soon as possible, larger cracks will develop making the problem worse. Only major repair can fix these larger cracks which developed. There is also another common reason why major repair is being done, that is when buckling of the concrete is included. Concrete only tends to buckle when the concrete would sink beneath the soil. They tend to sink because of the freezing water under the concrete during winter causing the rise up or bulging up. While during summer, the water under the concrete may cause the soil to sink. This will now cause the concrete to form a slight trough. This trough now is responsible in cracking the concrete from within and causes its strength to diminish. As time passes by, such buckling will shatter the concrete which will cause the small areas of the concrete to form bowls.

What is now the best solution for this? Basically it is best to rip away the old concrete and prepare the ground surface again, preferably with reinforcement like small concrete piles. Through this, the driveway will be poured and allowed to set.

When hiring contractor

Usually, however the situation may look; homeowners always hire a contractor for the job to be done smoothly and properly. Depending on how sever the case may be, a contractor is the right person for the job so home owners always ask for their expertise and skills. Among all the contractors, the best for the job is the contractor who first installed the driveway so you better call him first and foremost.When not applicable, you can call the local directory services for a list of contractors within the area or ask for people for some references. Once you are calling, tell them about the problem and get quotes and job references. Check with the references always.