Concrete Repair in Ocala, FL

Concrete repair costs far less than replacement when the slab underneath is still sound. A lot of Ocala's concrete is old enough to need it. Point2Homes' summary of Census data puts the city's median year built at 1984, with about 13.5% of homes built before 1960 and another 49% in the 1960s through the 1980s. Driveways, walks, patios and pool decks from those decades have been through a lot of summers. Some just need cracks sealed or a worn surface renewed. Others have settled or broken up and are past repair. The first job is telling which is which.

What causes concrete damage here

• A base that settled. Sand that was not compacted well before the original pour settles over the years, and the slab above it sinks or cracks.
• Water under the slab. Ocala averages about 51.6 inches of rain a year, and June through September are the four wettest months. Water from downspouts, sprinklers or poor slope can wash sand out from under a slab's edge.
• Tree roots. Live oaks and other large trees lift and crack driveways and walks.
• Heavy loads. Trucks, trailers and equipment on a slab built for cars break the edges and corners.
• Surface wear. Sun, rain, chlorine around pools and age wear down the top layer until it flakes and roughens.

Repair or replace?

HomeGuide's resurfacing guide gives a simple rule. Minor flaking and cracks narrower than 1/4 inch can be repaired or resurfaced. Large cracks, crumbling, spalling or structural problems call for replacement, as do repairs that would need a new layer more than 2 inches thick. Cracks wider than 1/4 inch often point to a problem with the ground below. We use the same test. A repair that would only last a season is not worth your money, and we say so.

Get a Free Estimate

Our repair options

Crack repair. We rout or wire-brush the crack clean, then fill it with either a flexible sealant or a rigid repair mortar, depending on how wide it is and whether it is still moving. HomeGuide lists crack filling at $0.50 to $3 per linear foot. Filling keeps water and sand from washing through and slows further damage.

Leveling. A sunken slab that is still in one piece can often be raised. Mudjacking injects a cement-based grout beneath the slab through drilled ports. Polyjacking injects a foam that expands to lift the slab, using smaller ports and adding less weight. HomeGuide's leveling guide prices mudjacking from $4 to $9 a square foot and polyjacking from $8 to $25, and says polyjacking often lasts the longest. Leveling works well on sidewalk panels, driveway sections and pool deck sections that have dropped.

Resurfacing. A thin cement-based overlay goes over clean, sound concrete to give it a new surface. It can be plain, colored or stamped. HomeGuide puts resurfacing an average two-car driveway at $1,200 to $2,900 and gives overlays a lifespan of 8 to 15 years before repairs are needed.

Partial replacement. Sometimes one or two broken sections can be cut out and replaced while the rest of the slab stays. The new concrete is doweled into the old. The color will not match exactly at first, but it fixes the hazard without replacing the whole driveway.

Sealing. A penetrating sealer slows water getting into the concrete and makes stains easier to clean. HomeGuide's resurfacing guide puts sealing in the $1 to $3 a square foot range.

Fixing the cause

A repair only lasts if the cause is dealt with. That might mean redirecting a downspout, adjusting sprinklers, cutting back a root or sealing the joint where a slab meets the house. We point these out at the estimate.

A note on sinkholes

Ocala sits on limestone in karst country, and sinkholes are part of life in this part of Florida. Sunken concrete is far more often base settlement or washout than a sinkhole. But if a depression keeps growing, or cracks appear in the ground, walls or foundation as well as the slab, have the ground evaluated before any concrete work.