Repairing, Restoring and Repurposing Old Decking: Tips. Ideas and Facts
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Repairing, Restoring and Repurposing Old Decking: Tips. Ideas and Facts

A deck is a beautiful outdoor asset to your home, and the right deck can make your living space seem larger. Hi, my name is Jackie, and I am a lover of all things related to the home. I enjoy decorating, repairing, restoring, and reading about ideas and even cleaning. Thanks to the success of our family business, I am able to work from home, and as I spend so much time here, I want it to look beautiful. If you want to have a beautiful home, I want to help you as well. In this blog, I am going to focus on decks in particular. I want to talk about repairing them, restoring them and reusing their old wood in new projects. If you want ideas or inspiration, I invite you to stay, take a look and enjoy these posts.

Repairing, Restoring and Repurposing Old Decking: Tips. Ideas and Facts

Common Concrete Repair Mistakes You Want to Avoid

Esperanza Arias

When your driveway or walkway has a chip or crack in the concrete, you can often make minor repairs on your own. There are concrete patch mixes you can buy from the home improvement store, mix up in a large bucket and apply with a trowel or other simple tool. However, many homeowners who try to handle these repairs on their own make some simple and common mistakes that make the repair job very poor quality. Note a few of those mistakes here and how to avoid them yourself.

1. Too much water

When mixing up your own concrete repair materials, it's not unusual for homeowners to add too much water to the mix. They may reason that this will allow the substance to patch a larger crack than it should, or they may not be familiar with what is considered the best consistency of the mix. Too much water can mean concrete patching that is too porous and soft and that may simply crack again over time.

Your package of patching mixture should have the exact measurements of water that should be added, and you should ensure the mix is not runny; it should remain somewhat thick while still being spreadable.

2. Ignoring weather conditions

Concrete needs to remain dry in order for it to set properly. A contractor pouring concrete will typically put off the work if there is a real risk of rain or snow, and he or she will ensure the newly poured concrete is covered while it dries. You need to do the same; note the expected weather conditions and consider covering the concrete if there is any risk of even a sprinkle of rain. Keep it covered until the filler material is completely dry.

3. Taking on a job too large for them

A small crack or chip in the driveway can be easy enough to repair, but once the crack goes all the way through the layer of concrete or if it's reached all the way across your driveway, you may want to call a contractor. In these cases a simple bit of patch may not actually hold two broken pieces of concrete together, and you may find that the patched area then easily cracks again under the weight of your vehicle as you drive over the patched area. You may also want the contractor to note if the driveway or walkway needs underpinning so that it doesn't continue to crack and chip over time.   


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