Walkways
Cement and Concrete, Cleaning Concrete, Patching Cracking Concrete, Repairing Steps, Sealing Concrete, Masonry

Cement and Concrete
This may come as a surprise to you: Your sidewalk, driveway, patio, and paths are not made of cement. Rather, they are made of concrete which contains cement -- Portland Cement to be exact.

Basic concrete is a mixture of rock, sand, and cement. In combination with the oxygen in water, the three dry elements bond together to make good old fashioned concrete. You know -- the stuff in your yard that usually has cracks in it that you're always trying to patch.

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Cleaning Concrete
If your driveway looks like an Indy 500 pit stop, a good cleaning makes the concrete look better and does wonders to improve the curb appeal of your home. By keeping your concrete clean, you also significantly reduce the risk of falls.

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Patching Cracking Concrete
Aside from sprucing up the exterior appearance of your house, repairing cracks and holes in concrete also prevents water damage and improves safety. Cracks in concrete can allow water to travel into areas where it isn't invited -- like a crawlspace of your basement, which can wreak havoc. Furthermore, cracks, potholes, and uneven concrete are notorious causes of nasty falls.

Frequently, extensive or severe cracks in concrete are the result of a soil condition that needs attention. For example, an inordinate amount of water may exist in the soil beside or below a path or foundation, causing the soil to expand and the concrete to crack. All of the cosmetic crack repairs in the world won't correct a drainage problem that could conceivably result in more severe damage if left uncorrected. Address excessive moisture due to over-watering or poor drainage before making any crack repairs. Standing water, mold and mildew-laden walls and siding, cracks in walks and walls, and difficult to open doors and windows are telltale signs of poor drainage.

Using a masonry drill and a tube of clear or gray silicone caulk, you can easily mix up a concrete patching compound that leaves the crack virtually invisible. Find an out-of-the-way spot in your cracked patio or step, such as just below the grade. Using a masonry drill bit, drill a hole in the hidden area and collect the dust coming out of the hole (just place a small flat metal pan under the hole). Next, apply a bead of caulk to the top of the crack. While it's still fresh, sprinkle the masonry dust over the crack and work it into the caulk with your finger. After you're done, sweep away the excess dust and viola, no more crack.

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Repairing Steps
Patching crumbling concrete steps enhances the appearance and safety of your home, all for a fraction of the cost of new stairs. And the best part is that it's a task that most do-it-yourselfers can handle with ease.

As the weakest point of construction, the step's edge is most vulnerable to damage. Expansive soil, freeze and thaw cycles, efflorescence, and deterioration from salt and disruptive traffic are a few of the major causes of crumbling concrete stairs.

Crumbling steps frequently result from what were once small cracks that were not tended to. A majority of the damage to steps can be prevented by caulking, which allows the concrete to expand and contract yet prevents moisture from entering the area.

Isn't it just like a home fix-it expert to suggest breaking it the rest of the way as the first step in making a repair? To repair a concrete stair -- or anything else made of concrete -- you must first completely remove all loose pieces and make sure that what remains is solid.

Start the repair process by removing the loose and crumbling concrete with a sledgehammer and cold chisel. Be sure to wear safety goggles. Sweep up all of the debris and clean the area with the strong spray of a garden hose.

After you have a clean, solid foundation, assemble the following:

• 1 mixing container
• 1 shovel
• 1 garden hose
• 1 concrete finishing trowel
• 1 wooden float (a wooden trowel used to tamp and work the concrete into place)
• 1 small piece of 3/4 quarter-inch plywood to act as a form board (scrap pieces of plywood can be obtained from most home centers or lumber yards)
• Concrete bonding agent
• Ready-to-mix concrete patch material (or epoxy patch material)
• 1 tarp or plastic sheeting
• 1 quart of clean motor oil or concrete form release oil
• At least 4 bricks (more may be needed)

Follow these steps to get your steps feet-worthy:

1. Paint the raw patch area with a concrete bonding agent.
   The bonding agent is a glue that helps the new patch material adhere to the old cured concrete. Allow it to set up for about 15 minutes before installing the patch material.

2. Use a circular or hand saw to cut the scrap piece of plywood to act as the form board that will be set flush against the face of the step to hold the concrete patch material into place until it is fully cured.
   (The form board should be cut equal to the height of the step and a few inches longer at either end than the damaged area.)

3. Apply a light coat of clean motor oil or form release oil on the surface of the form board facing the concrete to prevent the form from sticking and damaging the patch when removed.

4. Place the form flush against the face of the steps for a smooth patch. (The bottom of the form board should fit flat against the top of the step below.)

5. Use several bricks to hold the form boards firmly in place.

6. Mix the concrete patch material.
   Vinyl concrete patch or polymer cement are the most popular concrete patching products because they are easy to use and blend well with the old material. Though more expensive, epoxy patch material is the best money can buy. It is stronger and holds better -- the result of a chemical reaction among the ingredients of the adhesive.

7. Pack the material into the area with a wood float. The butt end of the float works great for this. The consistency of the patch material should be loose, but not runny. The material must be firmly packed into the orifice, eliminating any air pockets for a solid connection.

8. Remove excess patch material with a wooden float and finish the patch to match the surrounding concrete with a metal concrete trowel.

9. When the material starts to set up (in approximately 10 to 30 minutes), cover it with a tarp or sheet of plastic.
   Doing so holds moisture in. If the material dries too fast, it may crack or not adhere securely.

10. Until the concrete has completely dried (which could take up to a week), remove the cover once a day and spray the patch with a fine mist of water. Then replace the cover.

    Leave the form board in place during the drying process to reduce the prospect of damage resulting from form removal or foot traffic. Complete the job by carefully removing the form boards, stakes, and bricks.

Most exterior concrete surfaces have a slightly rough finish to prevent slipping when wet. The most common finish is the broom finish. After the concrete has had a chance to become firm, it is brushed with a broom. A similar look can be achieved for a small patch by using a stiff paintbrush instead of a broom.

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Sealing Concrete
Concrete is quite porous and acts like a sponge. When temperatures drop and concrete is wet, it can freeze, causing cracking and spalling or chipping. You can minimize this damage by periodically sealing the concrete with an acrylic or silicone-based concrete and masonry sealer.

A liquid concrete sealer prevents water absorption by filling the pores of the concrete. Generally clear, a concrete sealer lasts for six months to a year depending upon the quality of the material, surface preparation, and the climate.

Inexpensive "water seals" don't offer the level of protection that some of the more pricey products do. Moreover, poor-quality sealers need to be applied more frequently and can end up costing more money in the long run.

Concrete sealers can be applied with a brush, roller, or by using a pump garden sprayer. Before you begin, the concrete should be clean.

Rock salt used to melt snow is another primary source of deterioration of concrete. Sealer can also help protect the concrete from salt damage. After the snow melts, rinse the area with hot water to remove the majority of salt.

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Masonry
When it comes to cleaning, repairing and sealing, the techniques and materials used for brick and stone are the same.

Efflorescence, salt air, stress cracks, and severe weathering can be threats.

Stress cracks typically occur in mortar joints rather than within the brick or stone itself. If stress cracks in mortar are the problem.

If the problem is a cracked or broken stone or brick, it can be removed by chiseling out the mortar surrounding it. With the mortar out of the way, the brick or stone will have room to expand and can be easily broken up using a cold chisel along with a small sledgehammer. A new brick or stone can be inserted into the hole to replace the one removed. The brick or stone should be surrounded with mortar for a solid fit.

Applying a sealer can minimize brick or stone damage from salt air and severe weathering. It can even work to prevent efflorescence. However, just as with concrete, brick and stone should be thoroughly cleaned before applying a sealer.

If you've come up against a stone wall trying to clean brick or stone in patios, walkways, walls, or a chimney, then you really should read on. The three most common masonry-cleaning problems are:

• Fungus, moss, and mildew: One quart of household liquid bleach mixed into 1 gallon of warm water applied with a stiff bristle brush usually takes care of these guys. (Don't forget to rinse the solution off with clean water.) However, sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in bleach, might not dissolve large masses of these types of growths. In such cases, scrape off as much of the crud as you can with a broad-bladed putty knife (or wire brush). Then, scrub on the killer mixture.

  When trying to eliminate fungus, it's the bleach that does the job-not the elbow grease. Make sure you give the bleach plenty of time to work before scrubbing and rinsing away. If not, fungus spores will remain and can grow back quickly.

• Oils, soot, and mineral residue: Oils, soot, and white, powdery mineral residue pose a slightly more difficult problem. Characteristically, they are embedded more deeply into the pores of the masonry than moss and mildew. You need a solution of 1 part muriatic acid to 9 parts water to get rid of these unwanted guests. Add the acid to the water and apply the solution -- allowing it to set for about 15 minutes. Then use a bristle brush to clean the affected area and rinse with fresh water.

• Paint: Sandblasting, wash-away or peel-off paint removers, hand or electric wire brushing, muriatic acid washing, and power washing are just a few of the ways that you can remove paint from masonry. Sandblasting or wire brushing is hard, messy work, and paint removers sometimes create more mess than they eliminate. Instead, we recommend power washing. A commercial power washer can be rented for about $50 per day. It's easy to operate, mess is kept to a minimum, and you don't have to be a chemist to make it work. A power washer might work fine on the outside of your home, but all of that water could wreak havoc on the inside of your house. Therefore, when it comes to removing paint from brick or stone, your best bet is a chemical stripper such as Peel Away.

In addition to cleaning your masonry, you need to repoint the brick mortar from time to time as it shows signs of deterioration.

When a new mortar patch dries and doesn't match the existing shade or color, have a small amount of latex paint color matched to the existing mortar. Use an artist's brush to paint the new mortar joints. No one will ever know where the existing material ends and the new work begins -- including you.