Repair or replace · Albuquerque

When to Repair Concrete and When to Replace It in Albuquerque

Concrete that is mostly stable with damage in one spot can be repaired; widespread settling and breakup mean it is time to replace. We look at yours for free and tell you which.

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A concrete driveway broken into settled sections beside a sound slab with a single crack

Read the slab

Repair

Signs Concrete Can Be Repaired

Repair works when the concrete is mostly stable and the damage is isolated, such as small cracks, minor chips or surface wear. A repair reinforces the slab you already have, stops the damage from spreading and extends its life.

These are the signs a slab can be repaired:

Small cracks. Isolated cracks under a quarter inch wide can sometimes be sealed and watched.
Minor chips. A chipped edge or a pitted patch, what the trade calls "spalling" when the surface flakes.
Surface wear. A worn or weathered top on concrete that is still sound underneath.
A stable slab. It sits level and in one piece, and the damage is in one spot rather than everywhere.

Replace

Signs Concrete Needs Replacing

Major settling, wide cracks in many places and sections breaking apart point to replacement. When a repair will not last, a new slab is the better choice.

These are the signs a slab needs replacing:

Major settling. Whole sections have dropped, not just a corner or an edge.
Wide cracks. Cracks wider than a quarter inch, in many places, mean the ground under the slab has moved.
Broken sections. Pieces of the slab are breaking apart from each other.
A new layout. You want to change the shape of the area or make it bigger, which no repair can do.

The quarter-inch test

Measure the widest crack

Narrower, and in one spot. Usually a repair. An isolated crack this size can sometimes be sealed and watched.

Wider, or in many places. The "sub-grade", the packed soil under the slab, has moved, and that points to replacement.

Not sure how wide is too wide? We measure it at a free estimate and tell you straight.

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The middle option

Partial Replacement and Color Matching

Partial replacement cuts out only the failed sections, back to the nearest "control joint", and re-pours them, though the new concrete is always lighter at first. A control joint is one of the planned cut lines or grooves in the concrete, so the new section meets the old along a straight, clean line.

It is possible when only some sections have failed and the rest are sound, and on a larger repair it gives the cleanest result. You keep the concrete that is still good and replace only what is not.

Worth knowing

Matching the color and texture of the old slab is hard. Expect the new section to read as new.

Plan viewA driveway, cut at its joints

Sound section, left in place Failed section, cut out and re-poured Control joint, where the cut is made

How a repair goes

The Steps of a Concrete Repair

A repair starts with an evaluation, removes the failing material, repairs or replaces the damaged sections, matches the finish and ends with cleanup. The American Concrete Institute publishes the standards for concrete repair and crack control.

These are the steps of a typical repair, in order.

Evaluation
We look at the cracks, the settling, any flaking and any drainage problems, and tell you whether it is a repair or a replacement.
Removal
Loose or failing material comes out where it needs to, so the repair starts from sound concrete.
Repair
Cracks are filled, chips are patched, and any section too far gone is cut out and re-poured until the slab is stable.
Finish
We finish the repair to match the existing texture and finish as closely as possible.
Cleanup
We clean up when the work is done, so the area is ready to use.

How long it takes

A few hours to two days

Most concrete repairs, depending on the size of the area and how bad the damage is.

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Whole driveway?

A driveway that is cracked and settled all over is a replacement job, and it has a page of its own.

concrete driveway contractors for repair and replacement

Under the slab

Other Things That Change the Decision

The site itself can decide whether any new pour will last: where the water drains, the roots growing near the slab and the soil it sits on. Get those wrong and new concrete fails the same way the old concrete did.

Drainage. Water that runs under a slab or pools against it keeps working on the ground beneath. Drainage problems are part of what we look at before we quote.

Roots. Replacing root-damaged concrete without removing the roots means the new slab heaves the same way.

Soil. A slab is only as steady as the ground under it, and soil that keeps moving takes new concrete with it as surely as old.

Reviews

In a customer's own words

A review from our Google profile, exactly as it was left.

Google review

Service was excellent.Great quality concrete.Locally owned and located in Bernalillo NM. Fast and friendly service.Very satisfied with the whole service team.Thank you !!!

Jess VGoogle review

Free, no-obligation estimates

Repair or replace?

Call and we look at the slab, tell you which it needs and quote the whole job before we start.

Call for a Free Estimate

Not sure which your slab needs?

Free, no-obligation estimates on concrete repair across Albuquerque.

We tell you whether it is a repair or a replacement, and quote the whole job before we start.

Call for a Free Estimate

Call today, we answer or call back the same day (505) 520-1760

Mon to Fri, early morning to mid-afternoon

We show up when we say we will, and we clean up when the work is done.