The Cost of Concrete Repairs in Brisbane
Decorative concrete makes your house look classy and one-of-a-kind. But when signs of damage start to appear, you just don’t leave it there. You have to prepare your pockets for the expenses you have to pay for concrete repairs. In this blog, we will walk you through the estimated costs of concrete repairs in Brisbane.
Remember, concrete damages don’t only destroy the aesthetic value of your home. It also poses harm to the people living in it. That is why you have to learn how to detect damages before it’s too late.
There is more than one type of concrete damage. And learning what they are will help you have a clearer idea of how to fix such defects or prevent them from occurring. The different types of concrete damages are as follows:
1. Blistering
Excessive vibration of concrete mix or improper finishing will result in entrapped air under the finished concrete surface. When this happens, hollow bumps of different sizes will appear on the concrete. This damage is what we call blistering, which can also occur if too much water evaporates on the concrete’s top surface.
How to Prevent Blistering?
- Apply appropriate techniques for placing and finishing the concrete.
- Have the right amount of mixture for the concrete mix.
2. Cracking
Concrete cracking can result from:
- Disproportionate mixture
- Insufficient curing
- Use of high-slump concrete mix
- Excessively wet concrete mix (which results in shrinkage)
- Rapid drying of the concrete
If the cracks are between 5 and 15 millimetres wide (or more), make sure to have them repaired immediately. Failure to attend to these damages will make it unsafe for people to be inside the structure.
How to Prevent Cracking?
- Avoid using too much water in the concrete mix.
- Prevent admixtures that contain calcium chloride.
- Install concrete joints.
- Cure the concrete properly.
3. Crazing
Also called pattern or map cracking, crazing is the development of shallow cracks on the concrete’s surface. These patterns are closer and smaller compared to deep cracks.
One of the causes of crazing is high temperatures, which harden the top surface of the concrete much faster. Excess water or insufficient concrete curing can also cause crazing or pattern cracking on the concrete.
How to Prevent Crazing?
- Make sure to cure the concrete properly.
- Dampen the sub-grade so the concrete won’t absorb much concrete.
- Protect the surface from rapid and drastic temperature changes.
4. Curling
Curling in concrete can either be downward or upward. A slab surface that’s cooler and drier than the base results in an upward curling. Meanwhile, a slab surface that’s hotter and has more moisture than the base results in downward curling.
How to Prevent Curling?
- Use the necessary amount of water in the concrete.
- Install concrete joints.
- Don’t mix in a lot of cement in the content.
- Use and place properly designed slab reinforcement.
5. Delamination
Much like blistering, delamination is the removal of the top surface of the concrete. In the case of delamination, the thin layer on the top surface separates from the underlying concrete. This happens when the top layer hardens before the bottom layer, and the water and air bleeding from the bottom gets stuck between the two surfaces.
How to Prevent Delamination?
- Apply the necessary finishing techniques.
- Start the finishing after the underlying layer’s bleeding process.
- Use accelerated or heated concrete.
- Don’t apply concrete at the top of a vapor retarder if possible.
6. Dusting
Also referred to as chalking, it is the release of powdered concrete because of disintegration—usually, too much water in the concrete results in dusting. Friable and porous surfaces can also lead to more dusting.
How to Prevent Dusting?
- Have non-porous and hard concrete surfaces by using low slump concrete mix.
- Add in water-reducing admixtures for an adequate slump.
- Start sealing the concrete only after the bleed water is removed from the first layer.
7. Efflorescence
Have you noticed those white salt-like formations on the concrete? This is what we call efflorescence. It occurs when there are soluble salts in the water used in the concrete mix. As the concrete dries and hardens, hydrostatic pressure makes the salts rise on the surface then salt deposits appear.
How to Prevent Efflorescence?
- Use clean water for the concrete mixture.
- See to it that the alkali content of the cement is not more than 1% of its weight.
- Utilise aggregates that are chemically ineffective.
Now that you know the different types of concrete damages, you’ll know when to call concreters to have your wall or flooring repaired. Should you need to fix or improve your concrete, you’ll need to pay for the appropriate charges. Here’s everything you need to know about the cost of concrete repairs.
Concrete Cracks
Depending on the severity of the crack, repairing this type of concrete damage starts at approximately $3/m². The cracked concrete repair process begins with cleaning the surface thoroughly then freeing the crack from residue water. Lastly, filling the gaps with epoxy adhesive and filler.
Concrete Resurfacing
On average, concrete resurfacing costs between $50 and $85/m². Again, it depends on the amount of work needed to be done on the surface. Concrete resurfacing starts with the repairs then the addition of another layer of concrete.
Tearing Out and Replacing Concrete
If your concrete can’t be fixed with repairs anymore, or you just want a whole new look for your walls, floors, or pathway, then have it torn out and replaced. The average cost for tearing out the concrete ranges from $95 to $135/m².
Repairing concrete without the right tools, complete materials, and expert knowledge may cause more harm than good. It may bring more damage, which will be more costly in the future. So, if you need to repair your house’s concrete surface, you can always depend on Brisbane Decorative Concrete. Call us anytime at 0473-146-366 for more information about our top-notch services in concrete repairs in Brisbane.