The snow has finally melted and I found my front door concrete threshold is spalling. That explains why my door mat is always dirty. The chip in the front surface of the threshold has been there since we bought the house 8 years ago. The house is about 17 years old. What can I do to stop the spalling or fix it for good? I don't need a smooth surface there as it is just for the door to sit on. Should I just seal the surface? A quick look at HD, there are quite a few concrete repair products: Patching Compound, Vinyl Patch, Re-Cap Resurfacer, etc. What should I use? Thanks!
You have some options. Here is a video promoting Quickcrete products. There are other brands and if you look around you can probably find some other videos. Most concrete patching products do not have much body so you can't probably fill the front in one coat. Most set fast however so you can do one coat, wait a while and do the next coat.
It is important to get alo the loose stuff off and get the salt residue cleaned off. You might be able to find a brand that is closer to the color you have than other brands https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete...0-35/202092184
I've tried numerous concrete patches and resurfacing products and none have held up long term. They do OK for a few years but getting wet and going through freeze thaw cycles is really hard on it.
I had a similar problem with the front entrance to my office building. I capped it with a piece of stainless steel almost 20 years ago and it still looks great. Yours would be a very simple piece with one bend in it and any steel fabrication or welding shop that has a break (machine that bends metal) would be able to easily make it. Then masonry anchors could attach it to your old threshold.
I thought about suggesting replacement with a natural stone that is less susceptible to the action of salt. I like Pilot Dane's idea better. Is the metal bending machine a brake or a break?
Probably the most important thing is to get down to solid material before you do your repair. Then use whatever material you like. The fix will not be permanent. You will have to do it again. In how much time you will have to do it is unknown. Renewing the sealer annually is an easy thing that might, maybe prolong the period between redoings. But this is an easy repair that should not take more than a half a day if the material is slow to set and a couple hours if it sets quickly.
How far above grade are forms usually set when pouring a concrete path that runs next to a planting area? I would assume you would not want it level with the dirt as you would constantly have to be cleaning it up. You would also have no room to add bark/compost.
Is there a "standard"?
Second question. What is the typical thickness of a concrete path? 3", 4"? The path will never carry a load of any sort.
I have a building that was built in 1901 in central Oklahoma. It is 3 stories and about the mid 90's they painted over the brick. This (at least from what I have read) is probably starting to mess up the brick causing spalling etc. I have called 7 brick people now and trying to get them to do the work or even quote me has proven impossible. It looks like I am going to have to do the repairs myself which I am not sure I want to but then again I am not sure I can let it keep going like this either. So I guess my questions are as follows:
Should I remove the paint and go back to original brick and mortar (if so best method for this)?
Should I fix the spalled bricks/broken mortar joints before removing the paint?
I have watched a crap ton of youTube videos but in no way am an expert or have even received a good mortar mix to replace in the joints. What is some good literature or videos or something that people would reccomend?
The mortar originally stuck out from the brick about a quarter inch but normal brick work now it seems to inset. Looks wise the obvious choice would be for continuity and have it stick out but is there a reason why I shouldn't?
A lot of people have said stucco over it and be done but this really is not an option for me because one side has a great big mural that is kind of a tourist attraction (wish I could make money off it :/).
I have looked at this arbortech saw and it looks really cool and looks like it would save me a lot of time but I am not sure if it is worth the grand or if there are better cheaper alternatives etc.
02-24-21, 09:05 AM
