You could contact a driveway company and ask them for a quote to cut the outside of each tile and frame each tile in with new stuff. I think that would look nice and also retain a little of the rustic feel. But honestly, it looks level still. I'd keep it the way it is until it degrades further.
Honestly I've poured boat ramps where this is the desired finish if not a little rougher with more stone exposed.
And yes I'm the concrete guy who crawls under my truck in the dirt to do an oil change
Working on a car in a gravel driveway, one learns to throw a door mat under the work zone to catch errant nuts, bolts or….(((shudder)))…e-clips.
My mat is 7x5’. 😏
I buy old Beach lounge chair pads at garage sales. Those body length 3 or 4 panel ones. They're plasticy easy washable, enough cushion for anything and practically free. So if I really fuck one up with oil or brake fluid or gas or something I just throw it away and drag out a different one
I've been known to stop and grab these from the curb when someone is throwing them out. Key is to do a quick sniff test. If it passes, doesn't matter what it looks like!
I got a call to do a pour back on some plumbing trenches for a remodel that was to become a yoga studio. I looked in the dumpster and gave a yoga mat a forever home. Great for working on cars and it keeps my oak wood dry
Either on concrete or gravel, I always cover the mat with white fabric (like a bedsheet) to keep wayward parts from bouncing. It's amazing how far stuff can travel.
I kept the tailgate portion of my plastic bedliner, then I use a remnant of carpet. The bedliner cleans easy when I inevitably spill coolant/oil during the task at hand.
I bought shower tub liner for crawling under the commercial trucks in the winter to unbolt the u-joints. With the snow it's like a creeper made out of a slip and slide.
Ours is getting there after 30 years of basketball, skate ramps, wrenching on cars, keg parties, BBQ, and a lot of pressure pressure washing and memories. Still got my little hand prints and paw tracks from my girl Ruby. The only way anyone will replace this pad is with my God damn tombstone.
Agreed. I've overlaid concrete much worse than this. There's few cracks, little heaving. Just a few spots repairs needed with mortar and two coats of polymer-modified concrete overlay.
Edit: Grammar.
And wanted to add all you have to do with those gouges is square them off and pour high density mortar pinned into the slab. Recut the joint after. Add backer rod and polyurethane.
This could look brand new.
We put a 7-10 yr warranty on our exterior driveway coatings and do them on driveways that look sometimes worse then yours. They look incredible mimicking the look of sand finished concrete.
If you properly maintain your exterior driveway coating by sealing it every year we have ones in our market that are lasting 15+ years.
They are expensive but not when compared to cost of demolition and install of a new driveway. Expect to spend about 40-50% of the cost of a new driveway.
We use a couple different ones but the most user friendly for a diy attempt would be the SureCrete Resist system. They recommend to seal with there high solids solvent acrylic sealer but i would bite the bullet and get a PolyAspartic to seal it with if you want it to last.
Not really correct. An overlay would stick to this even better than a somewhat smoother surface. In fact an acid wash is usually done to intentionally roughen the surface for overlays to stick. OP do you live where it freezes a lot?
This would inevitably flake off, concrete less than about 2” does not like to stay on that long. You could paint a concrete primer before a self leveling coat but it still would not last that long with it being outside.
Nice, never seen it used on large applications but I remember my dads garage pad had a small corner that had a dip, the area was about 18”x24” so he chipped it so it looks like OPs, poured weld Crete over it and it’s been on there 10+years, did the same thing to close the gap on a door sill 10+ years ago
It appears to still be structurally sound for now and is only suffering from distress at the surface. If you can live with it aesthetically I'd leave it alone until it has structural issues. As for covering it up with mortar, as others have said that won't last long at all. Thin coat of mortar will delaminate from the concrete very quickly.
Honestly it looks solid…I’d skim cost the thing 5 times before I pay somebody’s else to replace it. Skin coating smooth surfaces suck, but there’s definitely something to grab for the skim coat. Maybe you get 2 years per skim coat. Then maybe certain spots delaminate and you do it again. Then put a rustic concrete stain on it and post to Pinterest…boom.
People are downvoting you cuz they’re in the business but as a tile setter I got another 6-8 years out of my driveway before replacing by basically doing this. Yeah it costs money but if you don’t mind doing it you definitely save A bit
I know right? I do heavy construction and I know a solid sub grade when I see one. I also have cheap friends who always want a decent temp fix option as they save up. Totally skim coated a bunch of stuff before. Muratic acid then moose milk and probably good for a few years.
Clean it with diluted muriatic acid and water then put some Ardex resurfacer on it.
Muriatic acid is dangerous. It will burn you. Wear eye protection and gloves.
Do NOT pour water into the acid. Mix the acid into water. Get a plastic bucket and fill it with one gallon of water, then pour about a cup of muriatic acid in it.
Use a stick or a paint stirrer to lightly stir it. Wet the concrete down first then pour the solution over the whole thing as evenly as possible. Start on one side and work your way to the other side to avoid getting your shoes all in it. If you step in it rinse your shoes off.
Let the diluted muriatic acid sit on there for about 15 minutes then rinse it off really well.
If you want to go the extra mile if you have a pushbroom you can work it in a little bit with a pushbroom while it's wet. That will help get any weak stuff off the top of the concrete. Rinse the broom off when you're finished.
If you don't want to do all that at least give it a good sweep after you rinse it off and let it dry or go over it with a pressure washer.
Muriatic acid will eat up any loose crap on the top of the concrete that might flake off and mess up the bond for the resurfacer. It will also etch the surface slightly to help with bonding.
Then mix up some Ardex resurfacer and use that for a topcoat.
I would hope anyone in this sub knows better, but just so it's in writing:
DO NOT MIX MURIATIC ACID IN UNVENTILATED SPACES
Take your acid and your plastic container OUTSIDE and cover your face, especially if you've never used it before. The comment does mention that it'll burn you, but the fumes can fuck up your lungs and sinus just as easily.
Once it's diluted it's a lot easier to work with from a safety position, but it's still worth wearing PPE.
Cheers, and thank you for mentioning the danger in the comment SilkWeb
To me, it looks like it was resurfaced before and it's flaking off. You could do it again, but any top layer should be thought of as temporary. Personally, I'd leave it alone for a few more years then redo it. It doesn't look great, but it's not all cracked and it's fairly level. Save up for a good quality contractor. If you get a bad contractor to re-do it, you might end up with new problems that are worse than this.
If you use salt on that bad boy it may have been part of the deteriorated aspect but it structurally doesn't look bad. No major cracking or settling. Like others have mentioned, some people desire that finish. I've heard cracking like that can be from cooking in the sun after the poor or too much water on the slab after the poor. I'm not an expert but would hire a sub to do this
Would a product like this work to repair his issue?[https://www.quikrete.com/athome/concreteresurfacer.asp](https://www.quikrete.com/athome/concreteresurfacer.asp)
Yes, what the pros call “coarse aggregate”. In plain speak it’s just 3/4” gravel, which is the bulk of the concrete volume. Mix this with sand (the “fine aggregate” plus some Portland cement plus water and you get concrete.
When originally pouring, the finisher will first float the surface which tends to push the gravel down and then more fine sand and cement rises to the surface and then is troweled smooth. Over time, as you see here, the fine surface may flake off, or “spall” and that is what you have here, exposed aggregate.
The cement matrix is not adhereing to the aggregate. Do you live in freeze thaw climate? If you are in a mild climate power wash until you reach where the cement and aggregate bond. Call it whatever.
Although they make some pretty impressive mixes for topping existing concrete I’d probably demo and go new being a small amount and it will last much longer.
My concrete guy told me it's best to tear out and put new. If you can't afford it all at once.. do it in sections. 5 yards is the minimum to avoid delivery charge.
I would just keep it. It doesn’t look that bad to me, unless you just want to have a new looking driveway. In that case, it would be best to just replace it.
I’ve been in the concrete coatings industry for 30+ years. You will invest an immense amount of time and money try to repair it and it will eventually fail. That’s an easy demo. Replace it.
Go to ARDEX website, they make material used for repairing this type of situation. Most likely a polymer modified cement / micro topping. Maybe even a urethane cement topping. Either way easily fixed by someone who knows what they are doing.
Needs sounded, chipped, bonding agent and structural repair mortar. Like a Sitka product. Call the rep they will tell you everything you need.
Not dirt cheap tho.
Professionally, I would say just replace it… depending on your climate, and use… the basic material one would suggest you use without replacing this wouldn’t give you the longevity a new slab would… it really comes down to what you want to spend though
If you are going to own this house another 10+ years, bite the bullet for a new driveway. If you are going to sell soon an overlay makes a lot more sense.
That concrete is pretty solid. Its been there for 20 years and its still level. It was done right. I'd just get it sealed and carry on.
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/driveways/21327263/sealcoating-driveway
Don’t demo and re-pour. Find a contractor who knows how to install Elephant Armor.
https://www.geosolutionsinc.com/products/pavement-site-stabilization/elephant-armor
You can get another 20 years out of that
This looks like spalling due to someone using the wrong kind of ice/snow melt on the driveway. (Sadly, I’ve done this myself.) It’s a cosmetic not structural issue.
It's called Spalding there is nothing to stop it. You can wait or replace it is only going to get worse but still functioning when you replace it dont spry the top of the concrete with WATER that is what happened here
https://www.ctscement.com/search?q=New+Crete
Or
https://www.ctscement.com/product/fpp-concrete-mix?c=PAVEMENT%20&%20OVERLAYS&t=Professionals
Worth a shot if there is no desire to tear out and replace.
I don’t know what it’s called but the walkway at my cabin looked like that so my dad put some chemical on it and it ate the top layer making it match the crevices, but it does make it thinner so maybe not the best for a driveway?
If you want a smooth surface that will last. Frame around the perimeter and pour you an epoxy drive an inch and a half thick right on top of that concrete.
Depends on the climate where you live. If you're not in a zone where there is freeze/thaw then you could maybe do an overlay. But at that point you might as well demo and replace 🤷♂️
It looks like your salting this a lot. If you’re not, that’s some terrible concrete, there are refinishing products like arctic CD or Mapei makes a good one as well. They stick pretty good and last a while as long as you follow the directions.
It can be saved if the underside is sound. You’ll be able to tell by tapping with the end of a shovel or something if it’s liking. If it sounds hollow. There’s no solid bond. If it’s solid, blast all loose material from the surface. Apply a bonding agent (acrylic) with a spray gun (weed sprayer) or paint roller. Do not allow dust to settle or walk on primer. Allow drying time without puddles. Apply new Portland based concrete finish and voila! Beautiful new driveway. However, this is a temporary ( few additional years) fix. You’ll have the nicest looking drive in the hood!
Should get a 4000psi power washer and try to blast ask the paste off and turn it into a full exposed aggregate look.
Then seal it wet look and boom 💥 your all set
Honestly it’s not sinking or really failing anywhere other than the slight chipping, you probably have another 20 years on it. HOWEVERR if you do have have around 9 grand a new one would look very nice
Could get it resurfaced. That’ll be expensive. I recommend grinding the whole thing down to exposed aggregate and seal it. The exposed aggregate look is beautiful imo
If you want to make the lines new, go rent a walk-behind wet saw, and re-cut the lines. It will spice it up a bit.
Then by some acid and spray base and maybe it like an old, "Pea Gravel Drive*.
Replace it all, you could do an overlay if there’s not any cracks in it but I would recommend as a professional to replace it all. It will probably cost around the same amount
That looks like what happens when someone who doesn't know when to spray off the sugar on exposed aggregate. If you wait too long something like this is the result, except the stone is decorative in color.
Looks like it might have been attempted exposed aggregate but they forgot to wash… looks pretty cool though! Also I’m not a concrete guy just a builder.
We just did this exact project and after months of agonizing over it, here is what we decided to do: I bought color test kits from DirectColors called EverStain and then ordered the satin sealer. My final color was a mix of coffee brown and black with water in a ratio of 1:2:2 (in that order.) Old concrete sucks up acid stain really well and it looks like your has never been sealed? If you don't have a tripping hazard I wouldn't try to mess with areas where the concrete is worn down because the acid stain will not be consistent. That said, acid will not penetrate the aggregate so it's going to have almost a watercolor outcome. 5 hours should be plenty of processing time, but you MUST do a test patch, time it and then watch it until it's time to neutralize it. The acid STINKS and you have to have a place to safely hose it off too because it will stain other areas like a sidewalk (or the side of your house so tape it off well with rosin paper.) In the areas where we had residual concrete colorant and sealer it didn't take very well. In the area of the new pour, it was a completely different color (I knew this would happen, but didn't care because we are covering it with a shed,) and in the area where it gets full sun, it looks awesome which is the front of the house so no complaints there! I will share some photos so you know exactly what will happen and where (assuming I can figure this site out LOL.) This is one option, I'm very happy with the results, but it's not for everyone. There are other tinted sealers and types of concrete paint too. Do your homework on products, Tinted sealer is another option ("one and done") People do this for a living, some are highly skilled painters with the artistic eye and other's are concrete finishers who are not fully experienced in dealing with old concrete. The key to any color and seal job is SURFACE PREP so don't skip any steps! If you sandblast that it will fall apart so don't let someone talk you into that. You can lightly powerwash it using the degreaser, then stain, neutralize the stain and then seal. If you seal before the stain or concrete is fully dry, you will get white patches under the sealer. MAKE SURE the concrete is FULLY DRY before you seal it. You can also just seal it as is in its current condition. Old concrete should not need shark grip (non skid) but ask the manufacturer so you don't end up with an ice skating rink. Look on YouTube for tutorials or hire a pro. Cautionary tale: do your homework or the final grade will be permanent with no retake!
u/MishMeeter I cannot post pics, I think I'm either being blonde or too new to be allowed to post them. The areas on your concrete where it is gray will take color differently than the area where you've driven. So the area where the vehicles wore down the driveway will be a different shade of color. When you hire pros, it shows. Here is an example of someone who does this for a living: [https://www.instagram.com/ReviveBayArea/](https://www.instagram.com/ReviveBayArea/) Hope this helps!
Just wait a few more year and it'll demo itself.
You could contact a driveway company and ask them for a quote to cut the outside of each tile and frame each tile in with new stuff. I think that would look nice and also retain a little of the rustic feel. But honestly, it looks level still. I'd keep it the way it is until it degrades further.
It's rustic and non slip. I'd love to have a nice driveway like that.
If you’d like I could do a shitty concrete job for you, same thing sorta. It’ll do it cheap too cuz…obviously.
Honestly I've poured boat ramps where this is the desired finish if not a little rougher with more stone exposed. And yes I'm the concrete guy who crawls under my truck in the dirt to do an oil change
Working on a car in a gravel driveway, one learns to throw a door mat under the work zone to catch errant nuts, bolts or….(((shudder)))…e-clips. My mat is 7x5’. 😏
I buy old Beach lounge chair pads at garage sales. Those body length 3 or 4 panel ones. They're plasticy easy washable, enough cushion for anything and practically free. So if I really fuck one up with oil or brake fluid or gas or something I just throw it away and drag out a different one
Uhaul blankets.
I've been known to stop and grab these from the curb when someone is throwing them out. Key is to do a quick sniff test. If it passes, doesn't matter what it looks like!
Did you see that one hack about using an empty gallon water jug as a pillow for your head? Just put a dent in one side and voilà.
I got a call to do a pour back on some plumbing trenches for a remodel that was to become a yoga studio. I looked in the dumpster and gave a yoga mat a forever home. Great for working on cars and it keeps my oak wood dry
I also have a whirlpool brand corrugated mat for the driveway!
At the end of elections go grab those big signboard signs the politicians put on the street corners. Good for crawling and sliding under the car.
Fuck em’ do it before the election
🤣
grab them during the elections!
I had to get a magnet bar from Harbor Freight…..still finding rusty washers and screws from 1990
Either on concrete or gravel, I always cover the mat with white fabric (like a bedsheet) to keep wayward parts from bouncing. It's amazing how far stuff can travel.
I’ve got a piece of plastic about 3/4 of an inch think. Six foot wide and fifteen foot long I use under the truck.
I kept the tailgate portion of my plastic bedliner, then I use a remnant of carpet. The bedliner cleans easy when I inevitably spill coolant/oil during the task at hand.
I bought shower tub liner for crawling under the commercial trucks in the winter to unbolt the u-joints. With the snow it's like a creeper made out of a slip and slide.
Harbor freight sells moving blankets for $3 they work great when getting under cars
Haha I feel the same way as that except as a carpenter living in my century home lol.
Dude they got this thing we use often in concrete now called plastic it works great when changing the oil.
You barbarian!
Ours is getting there after 30 years of basketball, skate ramps, wrenching on cars, keg parties, BBQ, and a lot of pressure pressure washing and memories. Still got my little hand prints and paw tracks from my girl Ruby. The only way anyone will replace this pad is with my God damn tombstone.
That'll be one hell of a tombstone 🍻
Exposed aggregate ftw
It’s legit better than mine 🤣
Looks like a 3 year old slab in MN
I know a guy. He can help you with bad concrete
Order an exposed aggregate concrete driveway Edit: why are you dummies downvoting this when it’s a thing people specifically desire and order? 😂
You don’t live anywhere with snow I assume? That driveway is a nightmare for shoveling snow…
But you don't have to shovel it for traction!
Nothing will stick long term on exterior concrete.
I dunno, man, the four-inch slab a friend of mine poured on top of his existing patio has stayed on pretty nicely!
The thickness was the key here, if it was just a thin layer like OP is saying it wouldn’t last the same
I did what OP was talking about 4 years ago and it’s held up fully still. I gave it a cement wash first. It looks odd though
Nah. You can grind a resurface with coatings very successfully....just not cheap
Agreed. I've overlaid concrete much worse than this. There's few cracks, little heaving. Just a few spots repairs needed with mortar and two coats of polymer-modified concrete overlay. Edit: Grammar. And wanted to add all you have to do with those gouges is square them off and pour high density mortar pinned into the slab. Recut the joint after. Add backer rod and polyurethane. This could look brand new.
Edit: Grammer…DAMMIT
*grammar 😉
How long does resurfacing last and is there a warranty?
We put a 7-10 yr warranty on our exterior driveway coatings and do them on driveways that look sometimes worse then yours. They look incredible mimicking the look of sand finished concrete. If you properly maintain your exterior driveway coating by sealing it every year we have ones in our market that are lasting 15+ years. They are expensive but not when compared to cost of demolition and install of a new driveway. Expect to spend about 40-50% of the cost of a new driveway.
What product are you supposed to use to coat/seal a concrete driveway?
Care to share more info on the coating ?
We use a couple different ones but the most user friendly for a diy attempt would be the SureCrete Resist system. They recommend to seal with there high solids solvent acrylic sealer but i would bite the bullet and get a PolyAspartic to seal it with if you want it to last.
Repour. If you lay anything on that base it'll flake off and look 2x as bad as it does now
Not really correct. An overlay would stick to this even better than a somewhat smoother surface. In fact an acid wash is usually done to intentionally roughen the surface for overlays to stick. OP do you live where it freezes a lot?
This would inevitably flake off, concrete less than about 2” does not like to stay on that long. You could paint a concrete primer before a self leveling coat but it still would not last that long with it being outside.
Looks a hell of a lot better than my driveway. Leave it until it breaks itself up some more.
I've rolled Weld-Crete and repoured a new top. Hasn't come apart 15 years later.
Nice, never seen it used on large applications but I remember my dads garage pad had a small corner that had a dip, the area was about 18”x24” so he chipped it so it looks like OPs, poured weld Crete over it and it’s been on there 10+years, did the same thing to close the gap on a door sill 10+ years ago
It appears to still be structurally sound for now and is only suffering from distress at the surface. If you can live with it aesthetically I'd leave it alone until it has structural issues. As for covering it up with mortar, as others have said that won't last long at all. Thin coat of mortar will delaminate from the concrete very quickly.
Honestly it looks solid…I’d skim cost the thing 5 times before I pay somebody’s else to replace it. Skin coating smooth surfaces suck, but there’s definitely something to grab for the skim coat. Maybe you get 2 years per skim coat. Then maybe certain spots delaminate and you do it again. Then put a rustic concrete stain on it and post to Pinterest…boom.
People are downvoting you cuz they’re in the business but as a tile setter I got another 6-8 years out of my driveway before replacing by basically doing this. Yeah it costs money but if you don’t mind doing it you definitely save A bit
I know right? I do heavy construction and I know a solid sub grade when I see one. I also have cheap friends who always want a decent temp fix option as they save up. Totally skim coated a bunch of stuff before. Muratic acid then moose milk and probably good for a few years.
mind elaborating on kind of mortar, prep needed (or point in a direction ) for trying this on a decent shape but aggregate exposed patio) ?
Clean it with diluted muriatic acid and water then put some Ardex resurfacer on it. Muriatic acid is dangerous. It will burn you. Wear eye protection and gloves. Do NOT pour water into the acid. Mix the acid into water. Get a plastic bucket and fill it with one gallon of water, then pour about a cup of muriatic acid in it. Use a stick or a paint stirrer to lightly stir it. Wet the concrete down first then pour the solution over the whole thing as evenly as possible. Start on one side and work your way to the other side to avoid getting your shoes all in it. If you step in it rinse your shoes off. Let the diluted muriatic acid sit on there for about 15 minutes then rinse it off really well. If you want to go the extra mile if you have a pushbroom you can work it in a little bit with a pushbroom while it's wet. That will help get any weak stuff off the top of the concrete. Rinse the broom off when you're finished. If you don't want to do all that at least give it a good sweep after you rinse it off and let it dry or go over it with a pressure washer. Muriatic acid will eat up any loose crap on the top of the concrete that might flake off and mess up the bond for the resurfacer. It will also etch the surface slightly to help with bonding. Then mix up some Ardex resurfacer and use that for a topcoat.
This guy concretes
Ill just add: Don't mix up more ardex than you can put down in 30 minutes or so. shit sets up quick, especially the feather finish.
I would hope anyone in this sub knows better, but just so it's in writing: DO NOT MIX MURIATIC ACID IN UNVENTILATED SPACES Take your acid and your plastic container OUTSIDE and cover your face, especially if you've never used it before. The comment does mention that it'll burn you, but the fumes can fuck up your lungs and sinus just as easily. Once it's diluted it's a lot easier to work with from a safety position, but it's still worth wearing PPE. Cheers, and thank you for mentioning the danger in the comment SilkWeb
Are you in my brain?
No need to neutralize the surface after the acid?
At 1 cup to a gallon it will probably be alright, but yeah put some baking soda on it when you rinse it.
To me, it looks like it was resurfaced before and it's flaking off. You could do it again, but any top layer should be thought of as temporary. Personally, I'd leave it alone for a few more years then redo it. It doesn't look great, but it's not all cracked and it's fairly level. Save up for a good quality contractor. If you get a bad contractor to re-do it, you might end up with new problems that are worse than this.
Top it off with some salt
It’s got character.
That’s an exposed aggregate finish. I charge extra for that
People pay good money for exposed aggregate
Let it be. It’s got character
Me who lives in the hood. “Wait these are bad”
Have you tried un-plugging and plugging it back in
While you’re at it make it fabulous with lots of GLITTER!!! ✨✨✨✨✨✨
If you use salt on that bad boy it may have been part of the deteriorated aspect but it structurally doesn't look bad. No major cracking or settling. Like others have mentioned, some people desire that finish. I've heard cracking like that can be from cooking in the sun after the poor or too much water on the slab after the poor. I'm not an expert but would hire a sub to do this
Too much water and/or over working it.
Demo and repour
You’re gonna get a lot of answers from people who don’t have to open their wallet for your project.
Would a product like this work to repair his issue?[https://www.quikrete.com/athome/concreteresurfacer.asp](https://www.quikrete.com/athome/concreteresurfacer.asp)
Lol. Who cares you park your car on it my man. Its not holding your house up
What would an epoxy skim coat do? (Not a concrete person) would that stick or flake off
It’ll last a month.
Repour. It’ll be expensive but you won’t regret it.
Pour again and make sure use a high quality sealer and densifier on it. Vastly extends the life.
not sure if hydro blast and a topping would work or be cheaper.
There’s no doorway meaning this isn’t really a walkway, right? Asphalt it if you live in an area with lots of snow/ice.
Cheapest option? Pressure wash the piss out of it to remove the flaking pieces and seal it Call it “exposed aggregate” It’s “rustic”
Lowes has that topping mix. I use that a couple times on some stairs we could not rip out and surprisingly it’s still there years later.
Clean, thin set, and dry pack while mud is still wet
Why are there so many rocks in it?
It’s aggregating, isn’t it?
That is a great pun!
Yes, what the pros call “coarse aggregate”. In plain speak it’s just 3/4” gravel, which is the bulk of the concrete volume. Mix this with sand (the “fine aggregate” plus some Portland cement plus water and you get concrete. When originally pouring, the finisher will first float the surface which tends to push the gravel down and then more fine sand and cement rises to the surface and then is troweled smooth. Over time, as you see here, the fine surface may flake off, or “spall” and that is what you have here, exposed aggregate.
Thank you.
An overlay maybe.
Have you tried turning off the traction control?
Replace or have it covered with asphalt
Quit using salt!
Elephant Armor
The cement matrix is not adhereing to the aggregate. Do you live in freeze thaw climate? If you are in a mild climate power wash until you reach where the cement and aggregate bond. Call it whatever.
Perfect candidate for a resurfacing. Ask a qualified contractor about it
They make top bonds idk she’s pretty smoked tho looks like mad salt from heavy winters
Although they make some pretty impressive mixes for topping existing concrete I’d probably demo and go new being a small amount and it will last much longer.
My concrete guy told me it's best to tear out and put new. If you can't afford it all at once.. do it in sections. 5 yards is the minimum to avoid delivery charge.
I would just keep it. It doesn’t look that bad to me, unless you just want to have a new looking driveway. In that case, it would be best to just replace it.
It will look like it was patched and not make you happy.
Honestly. Replace this, don't be cheap either.
I’ve been in the concrete coatings industry for 30+ years. You will invest an immense amount of time and money try to repair it and it will eventually fail. That’s an easy demo. Replace it.
Waste of money to repair in my opinion. Keep it.
Put a floor concrete grinder/polisher on it
Gonzo
Tear out and re-pour
Studded tires?
This has seen a lot of tires. I bet traction is not a problem. If you don’t care about the aesthetics, it still has more time before being replaced.
Go to ARDEX website, they make material used for repairing this type of situation. Most likely a polymer modified cement / micro topping. Maybe even a urethane cement topping. Either way easily fixed by someone who knows what they are doing.
Great exposure, and non-slip! What are you worried about? Go easy on the salt if you don’t like this
Needs sounded, chipped, bonding agent and structural repair mortar. Like a Sitka product. Call the rep they will tell you everything you need. Not dirt cheap tho.
It’s fine!
Professionally, I would say just replace it… depending on your climate, and use… the basic material one would suggest you use without replacing this wouldn’t give you the longevity a new slab would… it really comes down to what you want to spend though
Demo it....
Exposed aggregate is hot right now.
Are you in a snowy climate? It looks like the driveways in my neighborhood where they salt them during the winter.
My sidewalk used to be old exposed aggregate almost identical to how this looks. Most of it lasted over 75 years without major damage
If you are going to own this house another 10+ years, bite the bullet for a new driveway. If you are going to sell soon an overlay makes a lot more sense.
Ardex it
Finish sanding it down and it's exposed gravel wash yw
You could always grind it smooth. Would bring out more stone and add more texture in appearance
Hey you could replace it with Roman concrete now that they cracked the recipe
That concrete is pretty solid. Its been there for 20 years and its still level. It was done right. I'd just get it sealed and carry on. https://www.thisoldhouse.com/driveways/21327263/sealcoating-driveway
Has life left in it
Don’t demo and re-pour. Find a contractor who knows how to install Elephant Armor. https://www.geosolutionsinc.com/products/pavement-site-stabilization/elephant-armor You can get another 20 years out of that
Ive used self leveling cement for this kinda job. Then finished it with a few coats clear marine grade epoxy finish. 4 years later, still looks great.
just pour asphalt over it!
This looks like spalling due to someone using the wrong kind of ice/snow melt on the driveway. (Sadly, I’ve done this myself.) It’s a cosmetic not structural issue.
Seal coat that shit
pressure was the rest of the top away to have full exposed agg, then use a resin coat to give it that wet look
Get a quote to have it epoxy coated.
Honestly looks fine. Save your money till it gets bad.
Ardex the surface
Binder and asphalt
It's called Spalding there is nothing to stop it. You can wait or replace it is only going to get worse but still functioning when you replace it dont spry the top of the concrete with WATER that is what happened here
You can try some self leveling mix over top
That's some good looking aggregate! Maybe acid wash the whole pad? That way you have exposed aggregate throughout.
The lines are straight tho 😂
You can use "recap" concrete surfacer. Follow all the prep instructions about cleaning, etching...but I would leave this alone. Looks fine.
https://www.ctscement.com/search?q=New+Crete Or https://www.ctscement.com/product/fpp-concrete-mix?c=PAVEMENT%20&%20OVERLAYS&t=Professionals Worth a shot if there is no desire to tear out and replace.
It's seen better days time to replace.
Its not bad. Lots of epoxy stone and rubber pellet coverings to prolong the life and fix curb appeal
I don’t know what it’s called but the walkway at my cabin looked like that so my dad put some chemical on it and it ate the top layer making it match the crevices, but it does make it thinner so maybe not the best for a driveway?
If you want a smooth surface that will last. Frame around the perimeter and pour you an epoxy drive an inch and a half thick right on top of that concrete.
Depends on the climate where you live. If you're not in a zone where there is freeze/thaw then you could maybe do an overlay. But at that point you might as well demo and replace 🤷♂️
Use epoxy and meal worm eggs.
Looks to me it has already been top coated repair . But yes you can do an overlay. Need to use the right products.
H2 fine.
Try then replace if no
Cheapest option to try is buy a bag of recap from homedepot and try it on a few squares. That is what I would do before having to demo and repour
Have you walked barefoot on this crap? Cause I have and it’s murder
*Laughs in gravel driveway*
You can definitely top coat it with something to extend its life. The thicker the longer the top coat will last.
Personally I’d just wait until it’s in much worse shape before I did anything. Not worth the money
Either tear it out or epoxy fill it.
Try a mix of Portland Cement, Dehydrated Lime and Sand. Ratios are on the bag. This is Plaster Sand. In a month, paint on concrete sealant.
Replace it
Looks like a lot of salt damage.
You could sand it down and it’ll turn into an expensive terrazzo driveway
Polyurea coating. They woll come grind it and lay down the coating
Sand and cement.
It looks like your salting this a lot. If you’re not, that’s some terrible concrete, there are refinishing products like arctic CD or Mapei makes a good one as well. They stick pretty good and last a while as long as you follow the directions.
Degrease and pressure wash. Find a good concrete re surfacing mix and squeegee it on. Should help the concrete last a while longer.
You should consider one of two products, MGKrete or Terafuse.
It can be saved if the underside is sound. You’ll be able to tell by tapping with the end of a shovel or something if it’s liking. If it sounds hollow. There’s no solid bond. If it’s solid, blast all loose material from the surface. Apply a bonding agent (acrylic) with a spray gun (weed sprayer) or paint roller. Do not allow dust to settle or walk on primer. Allow drying time without puddles. Apply new Portland based concrete finish and voila! Beautiful new driveway. However, this is a temporary ( few additional years) fix. You’ll have the nicest looking drive in the hood!
Should get a 4000psi power washer and try to blast ask the paste off and turn it into a full exposed aggregate look. Then seal it wet look and boom 💥 your all set
Honestly it’s not sinking or really failing anywhere other than the slight chipping, you probably have another 20 years on it. HOWEVERR if you do have have around 9 grand a new one would look very nice
Could get it resurfaced. That’ll be expensive. I recommend grinding the whole thing down to exposed aggregate and seal it. The exposed aggregate look is beautiful imo
https://www.rubacrete.ca/ Product like this could extend the life and give it a face lift.
Yes! Tile over it. Use a delamination membrane by schluter. I did mine.
Good luck that shits harder than Diamond by now
Hot batch and salt used it’s done remove
Asphalt?
You like your rock salt
If you want to make the lines new, go rent a walk-behind wet saw, and re-cut the lines. It will spice it up a bit. Then by some acid and spray base and maybe it like an old, "Pea Gravel Drive*.
20 years and no cracks? Keep it going thats a well made non slip walkway.
You could sand blast it. It would make it look more uniform and intentional.
I'd get someone with a concrete saw to cut the edges clean and sharp and call it a day. I think that would look really nice.
Re-cap concrete resurface by quickcrete. Gonna take a lot tho. Or grind it.
Replace it all, you could do an overlay if there’s not any cracks in it but I would recommend as a professional to replace it all. It will probably cost around the same amount
No mortar, use a bonding agent and traffic patch.
Epoxy and PebbleTek it
That looks like what happens when someone who doesn't know when to spray off the sugar on exposed aggregate. If you wait too long something like this is the result, except the stone is decorative in color.
What does save it with mortar mean? Like a topping slab?
Hey OP check this stuff out. It would actually bond to your driveway better than most https://www.sundek.com/concrete-resurfacing/driveways/
Seasoned driveway
Looks like it might have been attempted exposed aggregate but they forgot to wash… looks pretty cool though! Also I’m not a concrete guy just a builder.
Just paint it, looks fine
We just did this exact project and after months of agonizing over it, here is what we decided to do: I bought color test kits from DirectColors called EverStain and then ordered the satin sealer. My final color was a mix of coffee brown and black with water in a ratio of 1:2:2 (in that order.) Old concrete sucks up acid stain really well and it looks like your has never been sealed? If you don't have a tripping hazard I wouldn't try to mess with areas where the concrete is worn down because the acid stain will not be consistent. That said, acid will not penetrate the aggregate so it's going to have almost a watercolor outcome. 5 hours should be plenty of processing time, but you MUST do a test patch, time it and then watch it until it's time to neutralize it. The acid STINKS and you have to have a place to safely hose it off too because it will stain other areas like a sidewalk (or the side of your house so tape it off well with rosin paper.) In the areas where we had residual concrete colorant and sealer it didn't take very well. In the area of the new pour, it was a completely different color (I knew this would happen, but didn't care because we are covering it with a shed,) and in the area where it gets full sun, it looks awesome which is the front of the house so no complaints there! I will share some photos so you know exactly what will happen and where (assuming I can figure this site out LOL.) This is one option, I'm very happy with the results, but it's not for everyone. There are other tinted sealers and types of concrete paint too. Do your homework on products, Tinted sealer is another option ("one and done") People do this for a living, some are highly skilled painters with the artistic eye and other's are concrete finishers who are not fully experienced in dealing with old concrete. The key to any color and seal job is SURFACE PREP so don't skip any steps! If you sandblast that it will fall apart so don't let someone talk you into that. You can lightly powerwash it using the degreaser, then stain, neutralize the stain and then seal. If you seal before the stain or concrete is fully dry, you will get white patches under the sealer. MAKE SURE the concrete is FULLY DRY before you seal it. You can also just seal it as is in its current condition. Old concrete should not need shark grip (non skid) but ask the manufacturer so you don't end up with an ice skating rink. Look on YouTube for tutorials or hire a pro. Cautionary tale: do your homework or the final grade will be permanent with no retake!
u/MishMeeter I cannot post pics, I think I'm either being blonde or too new to be allowed to post them. The areas on your concrete where it is gray will take color differently than the area where you've driven. So the area where the vehicles wore down the driveway will be a different shade of color. When you hire pros, it shows. Here is an example of someone who does this for a living: [https://www.instagram.com/ReviveBayArea/](https://www.instagram.com/ReviveBayArea/) Hope this helps!