Why concrete cracks should not be ignored

Q: Dear Contractors.com,

Over the winter a large crack appeared across the middle of my concrete driveway. Can it be fixed or do I need to have the driveway completely resurfaced?

W. K. – Washington, D.C.

The bad news is that a crack that size can’t just be fixed. Unlike cracks in asphalt, which can be repaired to look like new, filling a large concrete crack with waterproof caulk will look terrible and may not even be completely effective protection against ground erosion and further cracking.

But the good news is that you may not need to resurface the entire driveway. “If the crack was caused by the heaving of the concrete as it froze, there could be a cut made and an expansion joint installed without having to overhaul the whole driveway,” says Peter Crassas of Concrete Artisans, who specialize in concrete installation and repair.

“But if the crack was caused by a tree root, and was very small and didn’t appear until the normal winter expansion and contraction, then more significant procedures will be needed,” Crassas explained further.

It is important for your contractor to find the root of the problem, and not just fix the symptom. For example, if the underlying problem is poor drainage, more cracks are likely to appear next year if left untreated.

In any case, it is important to attend to the crack sooner rather than later. Water gets into the crack and can erode the soil underneath, which can create a whole host of new problems for your driveway. If you leave the crack unfixed for next winter, when the water in the crack freezes it will expand, which can worsen the crack and create new cracks. Eventually you will need to replace the driveway.