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QUESTION:I'm looking for a reasonably low-tech way to fill cracks in a
concrete floor that can stand up to heavy loads. I work for a
printing company, and we regularly move skids of paper that weigh
over a ton-- usually with a Raymond forklift that has solid
rubber wheels, or sometimes by hand with a heavy duty pallet
jack. The cracks are chipping out, and moving tall loads can be
an adventure...
Some years ago, someone filled some of them with a tarlike
substance that's OK but not really flat. I was thinking of some
kind of concrete skim coat, like a floor-leveling compound.
Also, I assume we need to get the dust etc. out of the cracks
first, so the stuff can adhere to the floor.
What is the "right" way to do this?
ANSWER: I don't know how many linear feet of cracking you have, and if it is
excessive then the idea I am about to propose won't sound like much
fun, but here goes:
Your friendly local home-improvement store can sell you a variety of
concrete products. A good one for crack repair is the
vinyl-reinforced product. The most important part is preparation of
the crack. It has to be chiselled out into a sort of a dovetail
shape. Another product can be purchased that will enhance the
adhesion of new concrete to old. Can't recall the name but it looks a
bit like white "Elmer's" glue. Of course, dust and debris present in
the repair are major no-no's.
Been there, done that, and it works amazingly well if you FOLLOW THE
DIRECTIONS. Sort of like RTFM, in a way.
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