Saturday, January 11, 2014

How to Repair a Concrete Sidewalk

We've all done it. Hurrying inside to an important meeting, or walking into a restaurant for dinner, it happens. You trip. Hopefully you only stumble a bit, feel foolish and then continue on with your day. Sometimes, it doesn't work out that way and you have injured more than your pride.
As a property manager or owner, the thought of a customer, tenant or visitor to your business getting hurt on your property probably makes you cringe a bit. And, it's most likely not just out of sympathy thinking of your fellow-man suffering an injury, but also out of fear of a possible lawsuit.
Keeping your concrete sidewalks and concrete curbs in good repair is a must for facility managers. Not only does it prevent these types of mishaps, but also it does wonders for the curb appeal of your building.

Access Your Property 
Take a stroll around your facility right now to access the state of your sidewalks and curbs. Are they uneven, raised, cracked, or broken? If so, here's what a paving contractor can do to fix those issues:
Cracked or Uneven Concrete Sidewalks
Most people probably think an uneven sidewalk is a huge concrete sidewalk repair project, but it's not really that bad. Depending on the type of concrete sidewalk repair needed, complete replacement may be needed or a simple repair can be done.
Replacing Concrete 
For a complete replacement, your paving contractor will use a masonry drill to break up the section of concrete sidewalk slab that is broken, sunken, raised, or uneven. He'll remove the crumbled concrete bits and then work to level the area.
A nearby tree may be the cause for the uneven concrete. Whatever the cause, after these issues are resolved, the paving company will most likely use a form to hold the new concrete into the desired shape of the new slab and then pump concrete into the area.
As a final touch, the still wet concrete section will be leveled with a trowel to ensure the connecting sections are flush. Once dry, the form will be removed and the sidewalk will be open again for foot traffic.
Repairing Concrete 
If the concrete damage isn't excessive, a concrete repair can be made using a process called "mudjacking". To level a slab of concrete using this process, the paving contractor will bore holes into the slab and then pump a grout mixture into the holes to force the slab rise and level. This process can not only be completed in one day, but regular use of the concrete sidewalk can resume immediately after leveling with no drying time needed. Another benefit of this type of concrete sidewalk repair is that it can be done for a fraction of the cost of tearing out and replacing.
As a marketing consultant, Maureen McHale provides marketing help to a wide range of businesses. Contact her today at 352-406-2011.
Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. AFS provides a complete range of services, so our clients have the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property maintenance needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website for an online proposal for your concrete sidewalk repair project.

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