Concrete Repairs Made Simple

Cracks in the sidewalk, missing hunk off your front step? You can fix these simply and easily with just a few tools and a few minutes time.

If you have that crack, chunks missing from steps or other repairs that you've been dreading and putting off, your not alone. Many people hate doing things like concrete repairs because it can be messy and their afraid they might mess up the job.

Following a few simple steps and with some simple tools we can have that step or other concrete job done in no time.

First for some of the real easy jobs. Cracks in walls, steps, or flat surfaces. Some of the easiest jobs with concrete don't even need concrete to repair them. If you have cracks that let water into the areas around your foundation or inside your walls you can fix them with a mortar mix available in caulk tubes.

You can go to your home improvement store and buy some mortar and concrete repair that squeezes out of a caulk gun to fix cracks and mortar joints in concrete. It is easy to use and dries to a flexible textured surface that looks like real mortar mix.

You use a caulk gun which costs less than five dollars. You can also get mortar repair for fireplaces that is resistant to heat. You simply squeeze out a line between the cleaned out cracks and fill with the mix. This takes some practice so don't be mad if you don't get the hang of it right away.

When your done with the crack filling press the release to stop the mix from squeezing out of the tube. Then using your finger that is dipped in water, smooth out the filled area. Presto, your done.

The stuff costs about two to three dollars a tube. There is also a squeeze bottle of crack repair that doesn't even use the caulk gun. This works in much the same way as the other mortar repair. You simply cut open the top of the bottle and remove the inner seal. Then squeeze the stuff into the cracks that need filling.

You can put a seal made of plastic wrap over the cap to prevent the unused portion from drying out but this is an area that you should use the whole bottle on. The same for the tubes. It is more likely that the stuff will dry out but you can try your luck with keeping it from doing so.