Concrete offers a durable, long-lasting option for walkways, flooring and other structures. However, cracks are often an issue. Even if they do not affect the integrity of the structure, they can be an unsightly eyesore. To quickly repair these imperfections, use the following DIY concrete hack in Santa Rosa, CA.

This repair is fairly easy, ranking low on the DIY difficulty scale. You can expect to devote one to two hours to this project. Sound doable? Let’s get started.

Gather your tools

You’ll need several key items to complete this job. For tools, you’ll need a wire brush, a cold chisel, a hammer, a paintbrush and a trowel. For supplies, you’ll need concrete bonding adhesive and sand mix. For safety and cleanup, you’ll also need safety glasses and a vacuum cleaner or shop vac. Once you’ve gathered all of these items, you’re ready to dig into your concrete repair.

Prep the surface

Using your wire brush, clean the crack that you are going to repair. Be sure to remove all loose debris, using the vacuum cleaner as necessary. Before you proceed to the next step, make sure you have removed any dirt or other grime from the crack. Once you have cleaned the crack, undercut the edges with the chisel and hammer. Don’t forget to don your safety glasses first. This undercutting process will prep the edges to better receive the adhesive.

Fill the crack

Coat the surface of the crack with concrete bonding adhesive, using your paintbrush. Once this dries completely, fill the crack with sand mix. Follow the instructions on the bag of mix to combine it with the appropriate amount of water. Your trowel will work nicely to fill the crack with the sand mix.

Cure the patch

Take precautions to ensure the patch remains undisturbed so it can dry and cure. Once this process is complete, you can enjoy your freshly-repaired concrete.

Take an alternate path

DIY concrete hacks in Santa Rosa, CA aren’t for everyone. While some projects are perfect for DIY, you may want to choose an alternative for this repair. If your concrete is cracked, don’t hesitate to contact a professional for assistance. A concrete expert can make the necessary repairs or recommend and make replacement if needed. This is typically the best option if your structure has severe cracking, including large cracks or multiple cracks. In these cases, amateur repairs might not cut it. Concrete specialists have the right tools and knowledge to handle these situations.

Call for backup

If you need more than a DIY concrete hack in Santa Rosa, CA, contact the concrete professionals at Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. Locally owned and operated, we strive for a high level of customer satisfaction, and we always try to go above and beyond. We offer both residential and commercial services, including the laying of concrete or asphalt, seal coating, paving, grading, striping, driveway construction, color paving, facility maintenance and more. Call us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your next project.

If you have a landscape with soil that’s at risk of moving around or eroding, you might benefit from the extra support and buttressing of a retaining wall. These walls serve a number of purposes in helping you gain better control of the ground around you. Their most basic purpose is to fight off gravity and control land that wants to slide down elsewhere. These walls have been in use for thousands of years—picture terraced farming in Peru or Vietnam—and can really help create land that is extremely usable.

A concrete retaining wall in Santa Rosa, CA might be a method that you’d like to consider, and the professional and efficient team at Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. can get the job done for you. Below are some tips to get you thinking about whether or not this method might be a good fit for your yard.

Consider look and climate

Poured concrete retaining walls can be a striking addition to your architecture. They fit in particularly well with homes that have a distinctly modern look, and can really add something special to them if used properly. They are a beautiful addition, but there are some things you’ll need to consider. They’re not really a good fit in areas of extreme weather (think the Pacific Northwest) because fine poured concrete work is just not really possible in these places. A poured concrete wall in Santa Rosa, CA is more of a possibility due to the consistency of our weather, but there are still caveats to keep in mind when you’re pondering what type of retaining wall you’d like to have built on your property.

Cracks can cause headaches

Many landscapers will shy away from poured concrete retaining walls because it’s not particularly easy to maintain them. If any cracks appear in a concrete retaining wall in Santa Rosa, CA, then they can essentially be irreparable—even though these types of walls can be patched, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that there’s really no long-term fix. Oftentimes, the only solution is to tear the wall down and start all over with a brand-new one.

The team at Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. can help you evaluate if a concrete retaining wall could be what you’ve been missing at your home or business.

How much strength do you need?

Despite some of these drawbacks, a concrete retaining wall in Santa Rosa, CA is basically unmatched when it comes to strength. Landscapers agree that they’re quite a bit stronger than block walls due to the addition of admixtures that can help the wall adjust to any climate challenges that it might encounter during installation.

A poured concrete retaining wall can be a tricky proposition—it requires a good amount of skill to pour and install correctly and effectively, and the maintenance issues can scare many people off. However, if you pick the right team and have the right house to complement this striking architectural feature, it really can be a wonderful addition to your landscaping layout. Contact Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. to schedule a consultation and learn more about the possibilities a concrete retaining wall could present to your property.

Many people are stuck at home and contemplating outdoor projects these days. If it is time for a new patio or steps, it is likely you want to know when to pour concrete in Santa Rosa, CA. Since a failure to time this step correctly can lead to shoddy construction and repeating the task next spring, knowing the best weather to pour concrete and other factors could save time, money and frustration. Here are five factors to consider when pouring concrete:

• Temperature: Many intrepid DIY types choose the hottest weather for concrete pouring because they believe it will dry faster. That is actually not the best time to do this, as drying too quickly in hot weather leads to shrinkage cracks. If it is too cold, however, the concrete will retain more water than necessary and dry slowly, becoming unstable. Your best bet is a cloudy day with temperatures in the 50s.
• Wind: There are two problems with wind. One, it causes excessive evaporation, which leads to cracking. Just like direct sunlight, wind is not a friend to concrete. Second, it moves debris around that is likely to dry into your concrete. Unless you want to repeat the job next year and have a surface that can never be swept clean, never pour concrete on a windy day.
• Time of day: Mornings may be too cool or damp and delay drying. Starting late in the day risks running out of daylight, although it allows concrete to dry overnight. Waiting until late morning to pour concrete may offer the best compromise, depending on the weather and the chance of wind and rain.
• Precipitation: The problem with waiting for a cloudy day is that you risk facing rain. While rain will not necessarily destroy your project, it will slow drying and complicate the process. Many homeowners have the skills for a smaller, less critical job that dries quickly. When it comes to large jobs, like walkways, foundations or driveways, making up for any extra water or other conditions is difficult for anyone without the experience. So, unless you are lucky enough to choose a day where zero chance of rain ends up being the case, you risk having to adapt your project to unexpected weather.
• Time: Do not plan this work on a day on which everything needs to be a rush job. That will lead to improper concrete mixing, and your overall work quality will suffer. Many mistakes occur because a homeowner must complete a project over the weekend before returning to work on Monday. When it is 6 p.m. on Sunday and the job still is not done, you will likely have a problem—especially if the concrete remains wet.

Rather than taking your best guess on when to pour concrete, hire skilled labor instead and await the good results without the worry. Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. offers paving and sealcoating services. To schedule us on a day with the best weather to pour concrete in Santa Rosa, CA, contact us today and get a free estimate.

Concrete is a durable, long-lasting material—but it doesn’t last forever. Eventually, wear and tear get the better of concrete, resulting in cracks and other problems. While it’s impossible to prevent concrete damage entirely, there are some things property owners can do to maintain their concrete and prevent cracks from forming. Keep reading to learn more about how to prevent cracks in concrete in Santa Rosa, CA.

Why does concrete crack?

To understand how to effectively prevent concrete cracking, it’s important to learn more about what causes cracked concrete in Santa Rosa, CA in the first place. In many cases, cracks in concrete are caused by improper installation. If concrete is mixed with too much water or the concrete dries too fast, cracks are far more likely to develop. Concrete that isn’t installed with proper control joints is also more likely to crack. Concrete that’s poured in freezing temperatures is also more susceptible to cracking.

Preventing concrete cracking

There are a lot of things that can cause concrete to crack, but there are some simple steps that property owners can take to prevent cracks in concrete in Santa Rosa, CA. Here are a few of the best ways to prevent cracked concrete:

• Ensure a solid subgrade: The best concrete pavement starts with a solid foundation. Make sure to start with a solid subgrade that’s compacted and graded properly. It’s also important to make sure your subgrade is effectively prepped for concrete installation. If your subgrade is frozen, your concrete won’t set properly and you will be left with extensive cracking.
• Use the right concrete mix: Make sure your concrete mix includes the appropriate amount of water to prevent cracking. Different concrete mixes have different strength levels, so select a mix that works for your application.
• Plan joints: Joints are crucial to the structural integrity and strength of concrete pavement. Plan joints in your concrete to improve its stability and reduce cracking over time.
• Cure the concrete: Proper concrete curing can make a huge difference in its strength and resilience. Give your concrete plenty of time to cure and follow curing instructions for the best results.
• Work with a reputable paving technician: Many property owners choose to take on DIY paving projects, but it’s best to leave big jobs to the professionals. Professional paving technicians have the tools, experience and knowledge necessary to meet high standards of quality. Hiring a professional for your paving project offers a lot of benefits for property owners. Professionally installed pavement lasts longer and is less likely to need premature repairs.

Concrete repair services

Keep your concrete in the best condition possible and get professional repairs for cracked concrete in Santa Rosa, CA by reaching out to Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. Since 2003, we have been the premier provider of asphalt and concrete paving, maintenance and repair services for commercial, residential and industrial clients in our area. As a locally owned and operated company, we are committed to providing the highest quality services possible. Get started with a consultation and quote by giving us a call today.

At Sikes Asphalt Group Inc., we perform a lot of driveway installation and maintenance, but we also provide concrete services for smaller projects, including patio construction. If you’re considering replacing, repairing or installing a concrete patio at your home or business, you’ve come to the right place!

We’ve helped countless clients with their outdoor relaxation spaces, and we’d love to make you our next satisfied customer. Understanding the materials you can choose from is one of the first items we’ll discuss during an initial consultation, and knowing the difference between concrete patio pavers in Santa Rosa, CA and their solid counterpart is a good place to start.

What are these materials?

Before we get started, we’ll help you plan out and envision the overall look of your patio space. Next, we’ll go over materials selection. Concrete patio pavers in Santa Rosa, CA are a great choice. They are individual slabs of concrete that can be made in many different sizes, shapes, colors and textures, giving customers a wide range of customization that many people find appealing.

On the other hand, we can also create a solid concrete patio outside of your home or business. This is just what it sounds like—it’s a poured slab that’s professionally and safely installed by our technicians, with minimal disruption to your yard.

How do you install them?

When we install a solid concrete patio in Santa Rosa, CA, we first create a border of wooden planks to create a “form” for the concrete to settle into. Next, we pour in the liquid concrete, smooth it down and ensure it’s level. It should be fully set and cured in around 48 hours, so in really no time at all you’ll be able to enjoy your new outdoor entertaining space.

When it comes to pavers, the process is a bit different. We’ll place the slabs around the area we’ve established with you in the right pattern before applying a special sand that fills the cracks between them and ensures they’re properly set in place. Finally, we compact the entire area to effectively seal the pavers.

Are there any major differences between these options?

First of all, it’s important to note that both of these types of surfaces are easy to maintain, since concrete is resistant to such threats as mold, mildew, rot and water. You can typically clean it with warm water and a stiff brush, and maybe a mild detergent when it’s called for.

If either of these surfaces are ever damaged, then the repair process is a bit different. If you opted for pavers, damaged slabs can usually just be replaced. Solid concrete can be trickier—many cracks can be patched, but a full replacement might be necessary if there’s major damage.

If you’re considering a poured concrete patio or one made out of concrete patio pavers in Santa Rosa, CA, reach out to Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. We will work with you to create an attractive and functional outdoor entertaining space using materials that require minimal maintenance on your part. If this sounds like something you want to learn more about, give us a call today for your free estimate!