Can We Coat Damaged Concrete?

So, you want to freshen up your concrete… Maybe it’s your garage, your patio, or even your basement. Wherever that hardy slab is, you’ve come to the right place! Installing tasteful, durable concrete coatings is what we do BEST. 

Ready to get started? But wait, your concrete has some… blemishes. Can we coat those? Good question. In a perfect world, everyone’s concrete would be beautifully smooth. Unfortunately, elements such as moisture, temperature, aggregate quality, and the process in which the concrete was laid down can greatly affect the surface. Plus, areas containing concrete are usually industrious areas that see more wear and tear – also contributing to damages. Whether or not we can work with the damage ultimately depends on the level of severity, which we will cover below. Keep reading to find out.

Common Concrete Damage: Can We Coat It?

Cracks This is probably the most common. Can we coat them? Yes and no. It depends on how deep the cracks go. Hairline crack? No problem. However, if it’s completely separating the concrete and exposing the dirt, your concrete will need further assistance before we can touch it. Here’s an example of both:

We are able to easily treat topical cracks, like the one above on the left, before we lay the final coats. 

Note: these are only two cases on a very wide spectrum, which is why we always have a trained professional come to evaluate your concrete.

Pitting Whether or not we can cover pits depends, again, on severity. If the pitting looks more like a hole and/or is exposing aggregate, the concrete will need restoration. Otherwise, the coating will fail. However, in some cases, like the picture on the left, we can grind and mend. Our skilled estimators will be able to differentiate!

Exposed aggregate Maybe your concrete became this over time or it was just laid this way. Can we coat it? Unfortunately, no. Grinding this down would ensure pebbles to be flying out everywhere. Not to mention the amount of mender we would need to use to make it smooth. 

Exposed rebar Unfortunately, there is no circumstance where we can coat concrete with exposed rebar. This kind of damage requires repair and reinforcement of the concrete itself. 

Moisture damage While you may assume moisture damage is the elephant in the room, it is actually quite common. Can we coat it? Yes! …with the caveat that it has not reached its full potential in large cracks and holes.

Fun fact: Westchester and Fairfield counties contain mostly older homes (and concrete) that have no vapor barriers. Since these areas are also home to underground waterways, water damage can be problematic. Our Polyurea coatings are a great solution to this dilemma, as they provide ultimate protection from moisture. 

Takeaway

Hopefully after reading this, you know more about the condition of your space and  whether it is in a good position to be coated. That being said, we always have a team member come out to the site and do an evaluation (involving concrete hardness and moisture testing) before committing to the project. Our team may ask you: “Is it damaged or BROKEN?” If the answer is “broken,” an estimator might request a picture before coming out on-site.

If you have more questions about concrete damage or our concrete coatings, give us a call!