Your driveway is the entrance to your home and one of the first things to get noticed by visitors. If the driveway is busted or overwhelmed with unappealing cracks it can leave an unpleasant impression. More often than not, this is a problem that goes unaddressed.

If you have a driveway that is cracked or busted and are ready to address the problem you have two basic choices, replace or repair. Three things you must consider when making the decision to replace or repair.

1. Most driveways are a minimum of four inches thick. Natural stresses caused this four inch thick slab of concrete to literally tear itself apart. These stresses include expansion and contraction due to heat and cold, the weight of vehicle traffic, and movement of the substrate. Any crack repair material placed within these fractures will undoubtedly suffer a similar fate as the original slab of concrete, failure.

2. Driveway replacement can be expensive but if performed correctly can provide you with fifty plus years of solid use. If you decide to replace a concrete driveway make sure the contractor uses a four thousand psi mix of concrete poured at a minimum of four inches; furthermore, steel reinforcement should be added for increased tensile strength to compliment the already high compressive strength of concrete.

3. Over time, a driveway’s surface can become weathered and lose its finish. There are a variety of overlays available. Although relatively expensive, when compared to the cost of replacement, these overlays can be a viable option. I don’t suggest overlaying cracked or busted concrete; however, if the desired effect is simply a nicer finish then overlay can do the trick.

Concrete repair can be a risky endeavor. Far too often, I see a repair gone wrong, a costly mistake that never should have been attempted in the first place. Every day, home owners waste money on costly repairs that fail. That being said, cracks can be filled to prevent moisture penetration and good concrete can be overlaid for aesthetic appeal.

Many times, due to budget restraints, the best solution is to simply cut out and replace only the most severely damaged sections. This way, you spend less money and the repair is solid.