Browse Forums Paving & Concreting Re: Driveway cracks and sealer 5Jan 11, 2015 4:05 pm Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Driveway cracks and sealer 8Jan 12, 2015 7:53 am Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Driveway cracks and sealer 9Jan 12, 2015 4:07 pm The 'spiderweb' cracks have the technical name of 'mapping cracks' The cracks are typically only 2-3mm deep and are as a result of the surface concrete shrinking more, and sometimes faster, than the underlying concrete. The reasons for this greater/faster shrinkage include: ■ Adding water to improve concrete workability. ■ Starting finishing while 'bleedwater' (standing water from mix after concrete levelled) is still on the surface ■ Add cement to dry up 'bleedwater'. ■ Letting the surface dry before proper curing (see http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2012/05/con ... e-is-laid/) It is a cosmetic issue, which does spoil the look, although it doesn't significantly affect the strength of the concrete. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Driveway cracks and sealer 10Jan 12, 2015 5:26 pm Thanks Bashworth and Building Expert - appreciate the comment and explanations. Re mapping cracks - These currently only are visible when the driveway is just wet. As it ages, would you expect it to get worse? is there anything that can be done (i.e. sealer etc) to prevent them from getting worse? (I've already sealed with Diamond Coat) Re big crack - I checked the three control cuts, and on all three you can see a crack through both sides of the slab - see picture. Given this, and the driveway being now 5 months old. Is it still worth deepening the control cuts to 30mm? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Driveway cracks and sealer 11Jan 12, 2015 6:24 pm t_banning Thanks Bashworth and Building Expert - appreciate the comment and explanations. Re mapping cracks - These currently only are visible when the driveway is just wet. As it ages, would you expect it to get worse? is there anything that can be done (i.e. sealer etc) to prevent them from getting worse? (I've already sealed with Diamond Coat) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ They become visible because the water penetrates into the cracks. . . . so the more a sealer fills the cracks the less visible they will be. If the slab is 5 month old the concrete should not shrink any more, and the cracks at the 'control' joints have developed to the full depth, the need to deepen the joints is less critical. (However if there is some tension in the concrete cutting as Building Expert has mentioned will help release it.) The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Driveway cracks and sealer 12Jan 13, 2015 10:02 am So - if you have one crack - hairline - is there a good way to "hide" it ... Re: Driveway cracks and sealer 13Oct 18, 2017 4:41 pm Hi Guys, I have a similar problem, had my driveway poured about 4 months ago and now i have noticed a crack. My drive is about 5 meters wide and about 9 meters long. My now concern is, the tradie made only one cut running across the width. No cuts running across the length. Now am likely to see more cracks as a result or is there anything i can do to minimise this risk? Thanks guys. It sounds like you have a crack in your garage where the wall meets the ceiling, along the shadow line on the… 0 17868 Do you have a scope of works? If have texture on wall now, the patch will show through The standard for repair of texture is to patch, re-texture corner to corner,… 5 7299 |