How To Repair Uneven Concrete Garage Floor

Garage Floor Crack Repair 101 (Plus When to DIY & When to Call a Pro)

Updated: Feb 5, 2022 | Categories: Garage

No matter how nice your garage floor is when information technology'southward first installed, and regardless of how well you accept care of it, you'll eventually get a garage floor crack that needs repair. The ground around your garage volition shift, and the brunt of that will be felt by the floor since your garage doesn't accept a basement or a deeper foundation (in nigh cases).

Garage floor scissure repair is probably easier than yous think. Whether y'all're just starting your research, or you're looking to try to justify a surprising approximate you lot got from a contractor by better understanding what's involved, you're in the right place.

To become correct to the point, you can absolutely take care of this repair yourself in about cases. If it's a very serious scissure and your garage foundation is significantly shifted and uneven, it may be fourth dimension to call in an expert, only for smaller cracks or ones that aren't causing whatever major issues, it's a very doable DIY gear up and mostly corrective.

In one case this crevice appears, you can be like most people and more or less ignore information technology, or you lot can take steps to repair information technology. The crack will exist a gathering-footing for dust and debris, not to mention ice and slush in the wintertime.

Having water and ice make it there isn't ideal, it tin can atomic number 82 to additional damage, especially as the water ice expands and puts pressure level on information technology. And you don't want to use temporary sandbag alternatives at your garage door forever.

Granted, freezing ice isn't going to single-handedly or rapidly shift the cement around it, but it's like death by a thousand papercuts and it's not even that difficult to repair the scissure and so that's what I recommend you practise.

I take a feeling we're already on the same folio, since people who aren't interested in fixing this problem aren't going to be the people searching for how to repair concrete cracks in garage floors.

Before Fixing Cracks in Your Garage Floor

Cracks in the concrete can be very sparse and modest, or they tin be more than than an inch wide and they can span the entire length of your garage. Near of them fall somewhere in between once they outset to become noticeable and attract enough attention to have a homeowner looking for solutions.

Sometimes, you'll make full in the crack and that'southward that, similar when it's acquired by a 1-time shift in the ground around your garage. Othertimes, the crack will proceed getting worse and worse until a structural issue is addressed.

In the first case, you set information technology and y'all're done. In the second example, the fix is more of a ring-aid. That'south okay, however, because even if the garage floor continues to crack equally more time passes, yous'll withal exist able to patch it upwardly in the concurrently while you decide what to practise in the longer-term.

When To Telephone call a Professional for Cracks in a Garage Floor

Before nosotros get into specifics on how repair cracks in garage flooring, let's go over a few examples of when yous'll want to phone call in a professional for aid instead of taking the DIY route.

Getting a professional person to fix these types of cracks early can pb to less long-term damage, and the sooner you become it sorted out, the improve.

Mostly speaking, there are cosmetic cracks and cracks that appear equally a sign of structural issues. Corrective cracks wait bad, merely that's nearly information technology - they aren't a sign of a greater problem. They're isolated, and once they're fixed you're all set.

Structurally-acquired cracks, on the other mitt, are a warning sign that there's something more serious that needs to be fixed. Peculiarly if it propagates along the entire length of your standard garage size.

Expect for these telltale signs of structural issues:

When the scissure is bulging out of the floor, that's a sign that the foundation has shifted and contracted a bit, pushing up the bulging area. This is something that a professional can evaluate.
Erosion of the flooring can be another sign that at that place's a deeper structural event.
When the cement on 1 side of your crack is lower than the other side of the crack, the scissure is likely due to the ground below shifting and a structural effect.

Regarding the last sign above, one side beneath your floor had more than "wiggle room" than the other side, and somewhen the floor couldn't support its own weight anymore, and i side croaky then shifted lower.

When this gets really severe, there are companies who can shoot textile beneath the flooring to raise-upwards the part that's sunk, it's not cheap but information technology'due south a really good way to set this blazon of effect.

Granted, most of this happens very slowly. If you're in a climate where the temperature varies a lot, for example somewhere with hot, dry summers and cold, freezing winters, this can help dilate and speed up the spread of damage, only fifty-fifty at that, it tin accept years for information technology to go from noticeable to bad.

I'm not telling yous to just ignore or let it elevate on, but sympathise that you don't take to call an emergency contractor to come the side by side twenty-four hours. Shop around, get some quotes, get some opinions, accept photos of the crack and compare it a month after, meet if it's getting progressively worse or staying relatively the aforementioned.

How To Ready Cracks In a Garage Floor

Alright, if y'all've decided to tackle this yourself, here's the best way to do it. We start by cleaning and prepping the expanse, then nosotros fill it in.

Clean Out The Expanse of the Crack

Kickoff by cleaning the area where the fissure is, and all effectually it. If in that location are any loose pebbles or modest stones inside of the crack in your physical, make sure to get them out of the way. The same goes for any physical alternatives including wood or rammed earth.

A ShopVac volition do a skillful enough job of removing clay, debris, stones, and any else may be in in that location. A wire castor can also milkshake loose whatever pieces that are on the verge of coming off.

The goal is to become whatever stray pieces out of the scissure, and as well to knock loose whatsoever parts that take crumbled and are nearly to fall off. Repairing around a crumbling foundation volition merely ensure that your repair doesn't terminal very long, regardless of the types of business firm foundations you lot have!

garage floor crack chaser repair — Check Price on Amazon

You may also want to consider using a tool called a crack chaser. It'due south essentially a type of saw blade that will brand the crack more uniform. It'south amend for longer cracks. It tidies everything up, and turns a cleft that could be tricky to fill into one straighter route.

This makes information technology easier to fill information technology in, and helps you get the filler-product into any smaller cracks that may not otherwise arrange it correctly.

Filling In a Crack In Your Garage Flooring

There are 2 types of filler y'all can use. For smaller cracks, cocky-mixing filler is a good selection. For larger and longer cracks, you'll probably find it more than economical and applied to mix the filler yourself.

In whatsoever case, in that location are a number of commercial products bachelor for this and whatever hardware shop will be able to help you out with choosing the best fit for your expanse. Your local climate is something to keep in mind (how weather-proof does it demand to be?).

Epoxy is a common way to fill up in larger cracks, and so is a polymerized concrete mix. The polymer acts every bit a binder, and helps adhere the filler to the rest of the original concrete on your floor.

Dissimilar products will have their own instructions to follow, but the master matter I recommend time and time again, especially when using epoxies, is to read the entire instruction process before you get started.

These things can have some fourth dimension to set, they may need special UV lights or sunlight to properly cure, and if you just offset on step one and make your way down the list, you're bound to run into at least one or two unexpected hurdles.

Final Thoughts on Garage Floor Crack Repair

Across that, it'south only a thing of mixing the product y'all choose together, applying it into the crack, smoothing information technology out, and letting it dry or cure as the case may exist.

It'southward definitely a project that y'all can DIY on your own, but once more, take precautions to ensure that it'due south not a deeper structural event.

Even if it is, y'all can make the scissure expect better in the curt-term, but you'll still want to recollect about getting things levelled out in the long run considering patching upwards the signs of structural problems can only take you so far.

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Editor: Rick Worst

Rick Worst Headshot Rick is a habitation design consultant and enthusiast, whose life is consumed by all things home and garden. Started every bit a hobby, Worst Room has grown into an information and inspiration wheelhouse for professionals and dwelling owners alike. Rick serves as owner and editor for our many content contributors. Acquire more than virtually Rick & the Worst Room operation hither.