How should I repair the concrete in from of my garage?

expert EXPERT April 26, 2007

You need the following things: some scrap wood for forming, a concrete block or two, a hammer drill and a 6 inch long, one half inch bit (which you can rent), one bag of Portland cement, 3 four inch long pieces and one 20 inch long piece of one half inch steel re-bar, a bucket of coarse sand, and a bucket of clean gravel, and a few tools. The trick is to pin the repair to the existing floor. Begin by removing all loose concrete. Use a half-inch cold chisel with a hammer to remove partially loose stones. Wear safety glasses! Drill three holes approximately 2 inches deep into the old concrete. These holes should be spaced equally in the area to be patched. Drive the 4-inch long pins into these holes. Take a broom or old paintbrush and sweep away all the dust. Using your scrap lumber, cut and size a board which will act as your vertical form. This form will be held in place with the concrete blocks. Take some pure Portland cement and put it in a bucket. Add water and stir until you achieve the consistency of a thick bodied paint. Slightly dampen the area to be patched with some water. Apply the cement paint to the old concrete and the pins. Mix 3 measures of gravel, 2 of sand, and 1 and a half of Portland cement to make your concrete. Add enough water so the mixture will pour from your mixing basin. Don't add too much water, as it will weaken the concrete. Pour the concrete into the form. Insert the 20 inch piece of steel into the middle of the fresh concrete. Using a scrap piece of wood, strike off any excess concrete using a back and forth motion as you scrape. At this time take a bricklaying trowel and slide it up and down between the vertical form board and the concrete. This will minimize the presence of stones on the face of the patch. Within 2 - 3 hours the concrete should begin to stiffen. Gently remove the vertical form. Rub the face of the concrete with a small block of wood to achieve a sandy finish. Do the same with the top. When you are satisfied with the texture, replace the form carefully. Cover the patch with plastic. Don't remove the form or plastic for 3 days. Good luck.