Concrete offers versatile purposes for your home—no matter if you are using it for walkways, driveways, flooring or walls. However, concrete is prone to cracks. When a crack appears, many often wonder if they need concrete repair? Denver, CO company, CO Hard Surfaces, explains the types of cracks that commonly occur to help determine if your concrete needs repaired.
Minor cracking in concrete is often normal; however, the severity of a crack is characterized by the direction, width, and depth of the crack. In addition, the cracks can be transverse, longitudinal, vertical, diagonal, or random. The characteristics of the crack will help to determine the cause and risk factors.
- Plastic-Shrinkage Cracking: This form of cracking generally occurs in the mid-depth of the concrete, which are distributed unevenly across the surface. These cracks are most often the result of the surface drying faster than the concrete below during curing.
- Crazing: Crazing looks like a web of fine, shallow cracks across the surface. The cause is similar to that of plastic-shrinkage cracking, but often not to as great of a depth. As a result, it generally does not cause structural problems.
- Hairline Cracking: These cracks are very thin cracks that deeply penetrate the concrete due to the concrete settling while curing. When hairline cracks occur, they can lead to more serious cracking and should be repaired.
There are various other forms of cracks that can develop over time. If you are unsure if your cracks require concrete repair, Denver, CO company, CO Hard Surfaces, will examine the cracking to determine the cause and potential repairs needed.
