DEAR TIM: I own a diner where decorative concrete block forms the lower part of the exterior walls. At the front of my building, a wing wall extends away from the building. Some of the solid concrete block are crumbling away to nothing while others adjacent to them appear to be in perfect condition. The […]
Cheri Bednarck lives in McAlester, OK. She's got a driveway issue and needs a repair. Here's what she told me: "My property sits on a sandbar. My driveway has been cracking and slipping for years. During the latest downpour a large undermining area has washed a lot of the sand between the driveway and the street. […]
Bernadette Snoussi lives in London, England. She's got a problem with an older decorative garden wall that's in need of repair. Here's her description, but I think the wonderful photo she sent does a superb job of telling the tale: "Hi. Could you please tell me whether it's possible to apply new concrete plinths over the […]
Robyn has a house in my hometown of Cincinnati, OH. The corners of her concrete foundation are cracking off and she wants to know how to repair them. Here's her testimony: "The corners of my foundation are slowly falling off. I know I have foundation problems, but I want to put this big chunk back on […]
Basement Slab Cracking Valerie and her husband are building a new home in Grand Rapids, MI. She went to the site and discovered cracking in the basement slab. Here's her report: "We are in the process of having our home built, using a local builder. The basement has a hairline crack on the floor of the […]
Concrete Epoxy Repair Tim Carter demonstrates how to use epoxy to repair concrete cracks and holes. He shares a secret tip on how to disguise the epoxy patch. Watch the video. You can also read a very cool column on how to use the same epoxy to fill driveway holes - shallow ones. CLICK HERE […]
Ken Morris has lots of water puddles on his stamped concrete patio in Phoenix, AZ. He thought of an idea on how to solve it, but I believe I have a much better solution. Here's what he sent to me: "My patio was poorly designed. You can see from the picture I get standing water and […]
Concrete is simply artificial rock. If it's mixed, placed, finished and cured correctly it can last 100 or more years. If your concrete steps, walkways, patios, etc. are crumbling, you may be able to repair them with traditional products and methods or you can choose from some modern materials. Often concrete deterioration is just a […]
DEAR TIM: I'm renovating a basement bath during the winter while I'm slow at work. When I removed the old shower insert, I discovered a large area of crumbling and missing concrete. There's standing water in the ground because of the high ground water table this time of year. I've discovered conflicting information online as […]
DEAR TIM: What type of stone would be best for filling this cavity that is a planned two-car garage addition? It is approximately 7 feet deep. The local concrete supplier sells recycled concrete for a really good price. It is very similar to crusher run. Due to the design, compacting will be next to impossible. […]
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