Question: I enjoy your column every week. I do hope you can advise me on a problem. I have a concrete driveway that started to crumble. It would cost $6,000 to $8,000 to fix it. I’m afraid I don’t have the cash. I went to the home and garden show and saw a product designed to restore concrete. The representative said they could fix it for $1,200. When the job was completed, the driveway looked nice. Then after a couple of years, it started to shale. I got a hold of this company, and to make a long story short, they finally came out and fixed the problem. But they really just put a Band-Aid on it. It is shaling again. I cannot get a hold of the company, and they will not return calls.
Is there a product I can use to coat over it so it doesn’t shale? Would you have the time to come and inspect this driveway, or perhaps point me in the right direction on how to fix it?
— Sincerely, Debbie Roy
Answer: In the marketplace, there are always products or services that appear to be miracle repairs for common home deterioration problems, like your spalling driveway. While some of these actually can prolong the life of partially deteriorated components, many are simply temporary cosmetic items that can be costly and largely disappointing in their performance. It is often better to save your money and budget for a proper repair, which in this case is replacement of your damaged driveway with new concrete or paving stone.
Patching the surface of your damaged concrete driveway to keep the surface from crumbling further is about the only thing I can recommend. As you have experienced, the temporary fix of bonding something to the surface of the old driveway looked good for short period of time but still continued to deteriorate. The reason you may not be able to get in touch with this company is because they are likely out of business. That is common with these quick-fix type of contractors, who may make a small splash when they first appear to have a miracle cure to an age-old problem. What typically happens is they are exposed as a temporary solution, and business drastically falls off until they pack up shop. While there are better quality products for your issue, they are often only used in commercial applications because the cost and effort of application outweighs the value.
In my three-plus decades of doing renovations and inspection I have seen dozens of products or procedures that have made outrageous claims for cheap, relatively easy fixes that negate the need for replacement of older, deteriorated house components. Some, such as the bathroom reglazing for tubs and showers, seem to have survived despite mediocre results at best. Others, such as the famous "Never Paint Again" exterior wall coverings fall quickly out of favour as the unhappy customers pile up when their homes look worse after a couple of years than they did before the treatment. Likewise for your driveway, the only long-term repair that will survive is replacement with new concrete, or better yet, paving stone, which can be relayed if excessive movement occurs.
While the $1,200 you spent on the new finish for your driveway was only a fraction of the cost of replacement, it only lasted a couple of years. If you look at the life expectancy of a properly installed new driveway, which will be several decades, the money you have spent is not good value. The better option is to put away some funds each year until you have enough for a proper job. Even if your driveway is crumbling, it may still function properly for you to park your vehicles or gain access to your garage. While it may look bad, it can still serve its purpose until you have the resources to replace it with a professionally installed new driveway.
While it could be useful to have a registered home inspector such as myself come and inspect your driveway, my conclusion would likely be exactly the same as my advice here. I don’t think you should waste your time or money having anyone tell you there is little you can do other than replacement. Calling a masonry or paving contractor to look at it may be a better bet, and then you will know the cost of proper replacement. If they tell you there is a solution that does not involve complete replacement, ask how long it will last and ask for references and addresses where you can look at the product that has been in place for several years. Or, you could just send them packing and call a reputable concrete contractor that will give you a proper estimate for replacement.
While there are lots of products available to repair or temporarily halt the deterioration of building components in homes, many are not worth the effort or expense. When it comes to deteriorated concrete outside your home, saving the cost of a temporary repair will put you closer to your budget for a proper job.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the email address below. Marantz can be reached at 204-291-5358, or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
