Concrete Repair & Resurfacing in Tempe, AZ

Concrete repair and resurfacing is often the right answer in Tempe, where the median home was built in 1984 and a lot of driveways, patios and pool decks are original. Not every cracked or worn slab needs to come out. A sunken panel can often be raised, cracks can be cleaned and filled, and a worn or stained surface can be covered with a new overlay. The key is knowing when the slab underneath is still sound, and when repairs would only hide a problem that will come back.

Leveling sunken concrete

When a panel drops, it usually means the soil under it has washed out, shrunk or was never compacted well. Leveling pumps material under the slab to raise it back into place. HomeGuide's leveling guide lists mudjacking at $4 to $9 a square foot and polyjacking (foam) at $8 to $25, with leveled concrete lasting 5 to 10 years or more depending on the method and the soil. It works best on slabs that are in one piece and have settled as a unit, like a driveway panel by the garage or a sidewalk section that has become a trip hazard.

Crack repair

Hairline cracks are normal and often cosmetic. Wider cracks let water reach the soil under the slab, which in clay soils speeds up movement. We clean cracks out and fill them with flexible material that moves with the slab. HomeGuide lists crack filling at $0.50 to $3 a linear foot. Cracks that keep widening or have one side higher than the other point to movement underneath and may need leveling or section replacement instead.

Resurfacing and overlays

A resurfacing overlay is a thin cement-based layer bonded to existing concrete. It covers wear, stains and small surface damage and can be finished plain, textured, colored or stamped. HomeGuide lists basic driveway resurfacing at $3 to $5 a square foot and patio or walkway overlays at $3 to $7, with resurfacing lasting 8 to 15 years before needing repairs.

Around pools, resurfacing is especially common. Old textured coatings wear down, stain and peel, and a new cool-deck style surface can restore the deck if the concrete underneath has not moved much.

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When repair is not enough

HomeGuide's resurfacing guide says to replace surfaces with large cracks, crumbling, spalling or structural problems, and notes that if a repair would need a new layer more than 2 inches thick, replacement is the better option. Cracks wider than about a quarter inch usually mean movement that will show through an overlay. In those cases we quote replacement of the failed sections or the whole slab, and we explain why.

Keeping repaired concrete in shape

The best way to make a repair last is to deal with the water. Point downspouts and sprinklers away from the slab, keep joints sealed, and make sure the ground around the concrete slopes away. On flood-irrigated lots, keep berms intact so irrigation water stays where it belongs.