Concrete on front porch is cracking and popping after laying down salt, how can I repair?

Question

We have had a very icy winter and I put salt down on my front porch and sidewalk and now it is popping and cracking. Someone just now told me not to put salt down, how can i fix the cracking and popping? And what do I put down instead of salt? Thanks in advance.

The house was a new build five years ago.

Answer 1

Salt is a major problem for concrete there alot of other ice melting products out there just read the package it will say safe for concrete. As for the fix go to the home improvement store and buy concrete adhesive and use it according to the directions. then buy some concrete crack and patch repair skim coat your porch. Then put a good concrete sealant on and presto your problems solved for a long time

Answer 2

Popping is the result of the actual foundation shifting (which means you'd have to replace the whole porch), the cracking is because of the concrete expanding. There are a number of ways to go about this, my suggestion is not to replace the front porch all together (since it isn't that old) - you could still get a few more years out of it. For the cracks, any repair warehouse should carry a concrete crack filler. It usually comes in a caulk tube and its fairly easy to apply. Be sure to read the directions first, clean out the cracks before application, and if the cracks are a bit bigger then normal, fill it in with rocks or pebbles first (depending on how big the cracks are), then use the caulk. These crack fillers are only a temporary solution so don't count on them to last more then a year or two.

Salt damages your concrete over time but it is the only real solution to ice. It is not because of the chemical reactions occurring, it actually increases the number of freeze/melting cycles in your concretes lifetime. Try to shovel constantly and if you have some bad problems with ice, use sand to get more traction until the ice melts. I've only heard there are alternatives to salt, but they are much more expensive. You could go in that direction as well.

Invest in clear coating your concrete with a sealant, it minimizes the water absorption rate of the concrete and protects it from salt as well. Its pricey, but its a good investment. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

You can repair and restore to a near original look using a mix of coarse sand, latex paint, and portland cement. Use this approximate formula.

3 quarts of sand, 3 quarts of portland cement, 1 1/2 cups of ordinary white latex paint, ad water to suit and get mix to thick consistency, not dry, but thick. Do not add any more latex than that shown.

First take coat the bad depressions with Latex, then take this mix and repair the bad spots, troweling them "even" with a board. Keep moist, do when cool. Cure for a day or so.

Then take same mix and apply with a good stiff paint brush to the entire top surface. I liike wetting down the surface first then applying the mix next. As a last touch when it begins to dry, I drag a "garage broom" across it to give it a new look, similar to what you see on sidewalks. Keep this misted with a spray bottle dont let it dry out at least for 3 to 4 hours. That improves repair strength and is very important.

This repair is permanent, salt resistant, looks good, nearly an original "gray white" look to it and lasts indefenitely. You can bond and repair any concrete chipouts or cracks with this mix and they will stay in there permanently.

Remember, do not do this repair when the sun is shining on it, work on a cloudy day or when sun has gone down for the day and preferably when it is cool outside.

Answer 4

use ardex and put a topping over the whole porch . if the spauls are deep mix up some stiif portland cement and fill depressions first. any spot patching is not going to look good...i dont believe popping is from movement ,cracking yes...most popping is from salt or the top was finish troweled before it was ready and the water was still trying to bleed out. if you poured on plastic , this could be the case. the manufacturers of cement products no longer advise pouring directly on plastic. if you feel you must put plastic down, cover with 2 in. of sand or stone...

Answer 5

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Answer 6

All answers are good but the popping part leads me to believe you might have some big rocks trying to come up due to frost heaves and if so you'll be ripping it up, sorry. good luck

Answer 7

if it news concrete then that's normal expanding but if its older (more than 5 years) then that means your foundation is shifting and that can ruin your concrete and your house.