What To Expect If You Do Not Get Your Concrete Cracks Repaired
Cracks can appear on concrete surfaces like walls, driveways, rooftops, staircases, and floors for any number of reasons. If you spot such cracks, you should have them repaired by a concrete joint sealing contractor immediately. However, many property owners often downplay the need for such repairs. Below, find out just how bad it can get if you let those cracks remain unchecked.
Moisture penetration
Concrete surfaces are built to be moisture proof. On walls, concrete prevents moisture from penetrating and getting indoors. On floors, moisture from the ground is kept under and moisture from inside is kept from seeping into the foundation. However, when a crack appears on your concrete surfaces, moisture starts to seep inside. This causes your wall paint to start peeling. Your property also gets much colder due to the moisture inside the floors/walls. Mold and algae may also appear over time.
Concrete cancer
Concrete cancer is a dreaded phenomenon that takes place on concrete surfaces due to moisture. However, concrete cancer only takes place if the concrete surface in question is internally exposed, e.g. through a crack. When moisture gets into the concrete, it starts to rust the steel rebar inside. As the rebar rusts, the steel expands and applies pressure on the concrete around it. The concrete then starts to flake off piece by piece. In the end, concrete cancer can damage your entire property. Not only that, concrete cancer requires a lot of money to repair because the affected rebar has to be surgically extracted and replaced.
Structural weakness
Wherever a crack appears, be it on a wall or a floor, it threatens the structural integrity of that surface and the entire property in general. Ideally, concrete surfaces are supposed to be seamless so that they can offer structural support to the entire building. However, cracks act as weak spots. They weaken the affected surfaces, making the property prone to dilapidation. Needless to say, this makes the affected property unsafe and potentially self-destructive.
Crack widening
Another thing to expect if you do not have your concrete cracks repaired is that they will grow. They will get deeper and longer with every passing day. What this means is that all the adverse effects of moisture penetration, structural weakness, and concrete cancer will get worse with time. Not only that, as the cracks get bigger, the repairs will also get more expensive because more work will be required.
The surprising fact is that concrete crack repairs are easy and fast to carry out. A simple process of filling the cracks with a cement emulsion is all that is needed. Then you can avoid all the risks mentioned above. Got a crack? Talk to a concrete repair contractor as soon as possible.
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