How can I salvage a crumbling, cracked 24x24' triangle shaped concrete patio without tearing it out?

Question

15' deep, but not solid concrete, was packed full of dirt, rocks, etc as fill. Needs to be budget-friendly, maybe DIY perhaps. Was built by my Dad in the 80's when he owned the home. How do I fix the cracked concrete patio?

Susan S · Answer

EEEEEEWWWWW - Denise, you got BIG PROBLEMS don't you???
All I can offer is sympathy but I know when a few of our pro's see this the cavalry will ride to the rescue!!!  ;~)

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

This is a typical 60's style construction type house patio. They constructed the walls out of block filled in the center with gravel and what ever else was laying around then put a few inches of cement on the top.  Your going to need to tear it all out. Even if you could coat over this mess, it would not be to long before the new would end up like the old

You could consider putting pavers in however.  You would still need to demo the cement then using some additional gravel placed on top, compact it and install the stone pavers over the top. 
For the edges where it has crumbled, you would be better served if you constructed a new wall a few inches away from the old and then back fill and make the patio a bit bigger over all.

Ideally it should all be torn out and everything should be started over again. It is a lot of work, but done correctly It would last many years.

Hard on cash, remove the patio and install a new wood deck in its place.

Jeanette S · Answer

OH!  Wow!  This is going to be some sort of project.  If Woodbridge is correct about the construction (and it appears he just might be), you have no choice but to demolish and start over.  It would be less costly and easier to start over.  The railing an be saved for a future project.  A plain, square wooden deck would be the best choice. There are so many materials now that are almost maintenance free!  Use them and you will be glad you did.  Do not keep pouring money into this space...it is a waste!

Mary T · Answer

Break your concrete into flagstone sized pieces, prepare a smooth base using some of the existing, and sand, rent a tamper to tamp it smooth, lay the 'flagstones', grout with sand, pea gravel or soil in the joints.  If soil, plant walkables like creeping thyme.  DIY project for sure.

Carol S · Answer

I'm with Mary on this one.  What ever you do make certain you get ALL the loose concrete and loose stone out. Hammer, shovel, leaf blower &/or powerwasher, should be used prep the area. By the way vinager will kill the weeds & roots'

Wanda sinnema · Answer

I think your dad and mine were brothers,,,, in an era,, when you used what you had, even if they could afford otherwise,..However you redo it it will always remind you of your dad,,

Sherrie S · Answer

@Denise H  my biggest concern would be the liability if someone fell at your home because of the cracks.  Sad part is:  people sue for any/everything.

Susan B. Anderson · Answer

Mary T has got it. You could 'patina' it with moss!

Felicity Woodruffe · Answer

Get a kango break all the surface up then stamp all over it and finally purchase some pretty stone chippings or small slate chips and tip them all over and rake until it looks even all over you could place some containers in situ before tipping on the slate or stones so that you could plant herbs or strawberries etc

Sherrie S · Answer

@Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com I realize something was done improperly on this post but I wonder why my large deck has no cracks after at least 15 years. One thing I remember is they installed rebar (sp?). I don't remember much about what else they did but I wonder if that rebar helped.

Ai Jaedee · Answer

Pour on cement leveller to fill in the cracks & level it all out.Then lay sandstone or other tiles on top to hide all that gray.

Sherrie S · Answer

Thank you so much for your detailed answer. As I watched them do this I guess the big cement truck that was pouring out the cement had the right mixture. Now I know what the guys were doing with rakes, too. Kinda wondered about that @Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com.

Carey · Answer

Probably the cement mixture originally was not mixed either enough or with the proper amount of water, sand and Gravel.  In addition, if the base under the concrete is not thoroughly tamped and solid, the cement will settle and crack with the weather changes.  My husband rented a tamper, and after leveling the gravel as much a he could he tamped it so well that I could walk on it with heels and it didn't damage them.  I was amazed!!!  Our concrete has lasted at this point 26 years and still going strong even with vehicles parking on it.

Karen Silman · Answer

I would take a broom and sweep all the loose concrete and gravel off.  I would get some Quickcrete  ask for shavings for putting it into your concrete.  Make a new wooden frame or form .  You can use wire clothes hangers for rebar then pour your mixed Quickcrete over your broken cracks and make a new corner.  You can also put color into your wet concrete so it wont be that drab gray.  Let it set for several days.

Wendy L. Schmidt · Answer

Wow! I can't afford to do any of this stuff. I'm on a tight budget and most of these answers require quite a bit of cash and some major muscles. Except maybe the moss idea, the rest are assuming people have the technical or design know how and a large budget. Moss, maybe a filler, low decking or wood pieces placed over the existing slab or a really nice outdoor rug would be the most economical as well as reasonable choices.

Tuf50136328 · Answer

So much here. The best idea is to replace the concrete patio -- had to say it. Okay, to piecemeal I would do the following. Any areas with large gaps or broken edges have to be removed completely, compacted, reformed and repoured. You can tie into the adjacent solid areas by grinding a few grooves on the good side and drop in pieces of rebar that extend into the cut out area before pouring (good to make a few bends on the open side). Then the entire patio can be resurfaced with an expensive 'micro-bond' self-leveling mortar (mixed with a lot of water so it flows with a squeegie). As to the areas of spalling (exposed aggregate), the mortar will fill it in. If these areas are deep, you may need to cut out those areas and patch with concrete before the overlayment. Be sure to eliminate all weak areas or you will be doing it again. Good luck!

Tuf50136328 · Answer

<p>Smart de</p>

Tuf50136328 · Answer

<p>Smart de</p>

How can I salvage a crumbling, cracked 24x24" triangle shaped concrete patio without tearing it out?

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How can I salvage a crumbling, cracked 24x24" triangle shaped concrete patio without tearing it out?

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