Damaged crumbling sidewalks can be quite a hassle. They can become highly dangerous in some cases. The tripping hazards can always turn into serious accidents. You should always keep in mind that you are responsible for all the accidents that happen on your sidewalk.
The best solution to avoid all that inconvenience is to keep your sidewalk smooth and even all the time. It means fixing cracks and gouges as soon as they appear. Even though concrete is one of the strongest building materials but at some point, it also starts to crumble. Getting professional sidewalk contractors NYC team can be quite expensive at times. The best thing you can do to remedy this situation is to repair your sidewalk by yourself.
Now you may think that it would be hard or you lack certain skills but no need to worry, we are here to help you out with that.
Crumbling Sidewalks Repairing Tools You’ll Need
If you have made up your mind to do a DYI job, you may as well do it professionally. For that purpose, you’ll need all the right tools to make this job convenient for you. Here are a few tools that can help you with that.
- Work gloves
- Glasses for eye protection
- Knee pads
- Hammer
- Broom and brush
- Concrete cracks fillers
- The cement of various types
- Adhesive for concrete
- Shovel and cold chisel
- Sand and gravel
This list may seem long but no need to worry. Most of these items are common household items that you can find in your garage. The rest you can buy and you can use them later for other purposes as well.
Fixing Small Cracks
Fixing a crumbling sidewalks small crack or hairline crack is fairly a straightforward process. Any crack that is less than a ¼ inch is considered a small crack. You can easily fill those cracks with premixed crack filler concrete. If not then you can mix cement and water to prepare a paste. It is all a matter of choice. But the first thing that you should do is clean out the damaged area. Clean out all the dirt and other masses around the damaged area. This will help you see the damage clearly and assess the situation.
If you are using a tube of filler, you need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Simply insert the tube into a caulking gun and start pouring the mixture into the cracks. Then smooth out the surface afterward. You may have to do this process a couple of times to fill the gaps properly.
If you are going to prepare crumbling sidewalks for your mixture of cement and water then the first thing you need to do is water the cement around the damaged area. The damp cement will help the patch settle in strongly. Then prepare the cement mixture and keep a consistency of a thick paste. Then you can use a putty knife to put the mixture into the cracks and smooth out the surface afterward. Then leave the repair for a couple of hours. Spray with water and cover it with a plastic sheet. Remove the sheet and spray with water for the next couple of days.
How to Fix Large Cracks?
You can fix the big cracks with sidewalk repair Brooklyn by repeating the same process that you used for smaller ones. There are a few exceptions. You can start by cleaning out the area. Remove all the dirt and damaged concrete from the cracks. You can use a cold chisel for this purpose. Then apply the adhesive component to the walls of the cracks. This way helps the concrete to get a better grip.
After applying adhesive to the walls spread it out with a brush to make it even. Then wait for a few minutes until the adhesive becomes tacky. Apply your concrete mixture with a metal trowel. Smooth the surface and cover it with a plastic sheet and let it dry. Spray the patched area with water for the next couple of days. Remove the plastic sheets and expose the newly applied concrete to the elements of the outer world.
Filling Gaps & Holes of a Crumbling Sidewalk
Filling the holes of a crumbling sidewalk is also a similar process to patch fixing. Start by cleaning out the damaged area. Then use a hose to moist and then use cement mixture to fill all the holes. Keep it covered and moist for the next couple of days. If it all seems an overwhelming process, you can always call this business professional to help you with that. Do thorough research and you’ll find the best people at affordable prices.
