Concrete, as you likely already know, is one of the most versatile, cost-effective, and durable building materials currently available. Yet even concrete has its structural limits. Cracks are one of the most common ways that concrete starts to fail. They may be caused by a wide variety of things, from poor installation, to environmental stress, to simple age.

The good new is that, when faced with a home whose concrete floor or foundation has developed worrisome cracks, replacement is not your only option. There are a variety of different repair techniques that can restore both its appearance and function. If you would like to learn more about such home repair techniques, read on. This article will discuss two effective methods of concrete crack repair.

Muting and Sealing

Muting and sealing represents perhaps the most basic form of concrete crack repair. This is due to its relatively simple nature, which means many home and business owners are able to accomplish it on their own. Yet that doesn't mean that muting and sealing isn't just as effective as other methods; when done correctly, it offers a long-lasting way to repair both fine networking cracks and larger single cracks.

As its name would imply, muting and sealing involves two phases. In the first, the physical dimensions of the crack are manually altered to increase the surface area with which the patching compound may bond. This task is accomplished using either a saw equipped with a diamond blade or a special type of chisel. The goal is to increase the depth of the crack to at least a quarter inch, while gently sloping its walls. Once the crack has been carefully gouged out, a special patching compound is applied. Finally, it is common for a sealer to be added once the patching compound has allowed to cure.

Stitching

Muting and sealing is not an appropriate solution for all types of concrete cracks. Those that have been caused by a shifting subbase or other serious structural issues will need a greater deal of reinforcement. Otherwise they may simply open up again later down the line, thus requiring further--and often more serious--repair efforts.

Stitching is one of the best ways to deal with such cracks. It involves the application of heavy metal brackets--essentially giant heavy-duty staples--that span the crack. These act to prevent the crack from continuing to pull apart later on. After the brackets have been installed, the crack is then filled in using either an epoxy resin.

For more info, contact a company like Handyman Services of Central Florida Inc.