Failing concrete

[RSNovi]

Hi All,

My garage floor is about 2.5 years old and it is failing just outside the garage door. I think it is due to poor finishing technique at a location that gets heavy vehicle traffic and salt. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to prevent it from getting worse and then make it look nicer. Please see the picture and thank you.

 

[383]

Salt can make any concrete fail.

 

[SalesmanTony]

This is not too difficult to repair, but it is a bit labor intensive. You need to grind out the damaged area and any weak area with a diamond grinding wheel on a electric grinder. This must be attached to a dust collecting vacuum. Both of these can be rented at a construction rental store. You will actually make this area deeper, at least 1/2 inch. It is very important to NOT feather the edges, it should be a straight edge transition from hole to concrete.

Tape your edges for a better appearance and fill the hole with a 100% solids epoxy mortar. There are many available, if you have a nearby Sherwin Williams they will have several. I have used General Polymers FT910. It cures much stronger than the concrete itself. Spray your trowel with acetone or 91% isopropyl alcohol to help with stickiness.

FYI I do these types of repairs as part of my daily job.

Good luck -you CAN do it.

 

[SalesmanTony]

These pictures are from a similar repair in front of an elevator door at a hotel

 

[RSNovi]

Thank you Tony for the advice and also the vote of confidence.

We do have a Sherwin Williams nearby. When it warms up I will tackle it.

I have considered making a saw cut right at the garage door and grading down the entire door width. It would be quite the job, but I am worried the entire width of the door is weak due to the finishing.

 

[ConCretin]

SalesmanTony offered up some good advice regarding a repair but your concerns regarding the longevity of the repair aren't completely unfounded. The repair material will hold up fine but if the underlying concrete continues to deteriorate, the repair could be undermined.

I suspect the original cause of the problem is the type of concrete used rather than workmanship. Air entrained concrete is typically used where it will be exposed to moisture and freeze/thaw. The other consideration when using air entrained concrete is that it's subject to delamination when given a steel trowel finish as you'd normally see inside a garage. As such, non air entrained concrete is often used, which leaves the floor outside the garage unprotected leading to the conditions you are experiencing.

With all that said, if you remove all the exposed concrete and replace it with an epoxy product or a cementitious product and a sealer, you'll probably be fine because moisture will be less likely to get to the concrete below so freeze/thaw won't be as big an issue. Good luck.

 

[Zippercat]

This thread might be helpful too:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=458612&highlight=Top+bond

 

[RSNovi]

This thread might be helpful too:

Thank you for the additional option