Here is the unsightly crack that I want gone!
Asked on Jul 23, 2017
Removing walkway cracks without tearing out the existing cement?
by
AngieZ
+5
I have a long, curved cement walkway from my driveway to my front door that is developing large cracks. How should I handle/ camouflage these cracks without having to tear up the entire walkway which would be a costly and time-consuming job?
This is part of the lovely walkway.
You'll have to cement in the crack or replace the concrete block.
Personally, I'd make the crack larger and add a decorative mosaic. But here are lots of ideas for how to repair: https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=repair%20large%20cracks%20in%20sidewalk&rs=typed&term_meta[]=repair%20large%20cracks%20in%20sidewalk%7Ctyped
Get on youtube for cement repair work. Plenty of tutorials on how and what to do. Lowe's sells a ready to use patch that I have used on both sidewalks and our swimming pool apron. Easy to use and sets overnight.
Lowes has a a hydraulic cement in small 10 Lb. buckets I have used very successfully. It only requires very careful cleaning of the joint and when applied the cement expands within the joint and sets up in a few minutes.
This looks like more than just a crack. The 2 edges seem to be different heights. If this is so, check your phone book's yellow pages (or local concrete installers) for a company that will come pump some foam like substance under the lower part to raise it up to match the higher part. Home Depot or Lowe's may have something that you could DYI to achieve the same lifting effect. Then patch the remaining, but now level, crack. If you don't fix the different height level, your patch may not hold as the concrete continues to drop. Hope this is helpful.
I does look like its not level. But since it is I would go with Mygrann31 suggestion. New concrete does not adhere to old. Use the hydraulic cement to fill the crack. It generally use to fill cracks in foundation walls to stop water leaks. In your situation it will fill the crack and expand as it dries. Mix it to a peanut butter consistency. It does harden fast and heats up as it hardens.
What you have has been caused by expansion and contraction. You now have two separate pieces of concrete that will move independently so filling the gap with a concrete product will squish out or pull apart. There is a commercial product that will fill the gap and bond to both sides called Self-leveling concrete sealant and can be found at most hardware stores in the caulks. Hint, you may need some "Backer-rod", a round foam rope, to fill the void so that you only use 1/2 inch of caulk. Also, dust the fresh caulk surface with sand to blend it in