In the decorative concrete industry, one subject that almost always comes up are cracks.  The information below is intended to help our clients understand why cracking occurs and what can be done to help reduce the chances of a crack returning after an overlay is installed.  

It is our opinion that cracks do not necessarily blemish a floor, but rather, add charm, character, and uniqueness.  Many times, cracks can even be incorporated into a desired pattern.  Manicured Concrete can "treat" cracks with a high strength epoxy/aggregate mixture allowing an overlay to cover the crack completely. However, we cannot warranty cracking or crack treatments of any kind.

Nothing repairs a crack - its always there. We can fill 'em, seal 'em, weld 'em, and cosmetically hide 'em, but they're still there.  Concrete, like all other materials, will slightly change in volume when it dries out. In typical concrete this change amounts to about 500 millionths. Translated into dimensions-this is about 1/16 of an inch in 10 feet. The reason that contractors put joints in concrete pavements and floors is to allow the concrete to crack in a neat, straight line at the joint when the volume of the concrete changes due to shrinkage.

Concrete cracks for a reason. There's either internal or external forces which cause a fracture. External forces such as poor sub-grade or impact fracture.  If there is unlevel, sunken or raised areas, there may be a problem with the sub-grade or water infiltration (look for down spouts dumping on a trapped side of the slab).  If you have an area that has concentrated cracks radiating outward, this is a compression fracture: some one parked the truck on it the day after the pour or a tree fell hitting with the weight concentrated on that area. Also, this will happen in corners or at flairs where the concrete gets less than a foot or so wide.Internal stresses are caused by improper expansion areas. Contractors try to foresee these stress cracks and apply weak areas to control the crack lines.  They are often not placedcorrectly or even not at all.

When a crack occurs, the slab becomes two separate entities, expanding and contracting independently of each other. When we attempt to marry these two together, we must take into consideration their differences. You should always try to cut another crack control joint to take the stresses of the original crack if the pattern allows.The epoxy crack fill will take great stresses before it fails. If you cut another crack control joint near the original stress area, when the stress occurs (usually expansion and contraction with weather changes) the crack will appear in the line of least resistance. Cutting your relief cut close to the original crack, bonding the original crack together with some really tough stuff, and giving the stress another avenue to go..... Now here goes: You HOPE it does what you intend it to do. It looks good on paper and often it works, but don't bet the farm on it. However, we offer what we feel is the best option available.