Can i fill in holes in my concrete driveway?

I can’t afford a brand new driveway

4 Comments on “Can i fill in holes in my concrete driveway?

  1. difficult to answer only you know what kind of holes you are talking about oh well

  2. Depending on how big, but its a fairly easy job.

    Look for ‘concrete driveway sidewalk patch’ and the big box stores.

    Read the directions, importantly, you need to clean the old wvery well, roughen up the existng concrete so the brand new material has a tight bond to glue itself too. The also cover it so the brand new concrete can chemically cure.

    You want to undercut the hole, so there’s kind of a ledge around the crater that will rpevent the patch from popping out.

    You may want to also, clean any black algae and dirt with bleach over the entire drivewway before you begin so the brand new and the old blends in visually. Then when you’re done, apply a concrete sealer, to keep moisture, algae dirt off the repairs. The sealer will make the entire driveway last longer.

  3. I have done this and the patches are still holding several years later. There are 2 important things to successfully get a good patch. Cleanliness is first so the patch will bond with the old cement. Enlarge the hole slightly so you have a fresh, clean sides to the hole.

    Second Be sure to fill the hole level with the surrounding surface. If the hole is not level with the surrounding surface, traffic driving over it will cause the fill to move and work loose.

    I used Sakrete six bag dry pre-mix cement that you can buy in one cubic ft. bags. The number of bags listed on the label indicates the amount of cement in the sand / gravel mixture. The much higher the number the more cement in the mixture, the stronger the cement will be.

    Mix your cement and water to about the consistency of Ketchup and fill the hole. Tamp the patch into the hole so there are no bubbles and any gravel is below the surface, then level the cement off with the surrounding surface. Do not drive over the patch for at least three days. I gave mine a couple of extra days just to be on the safe side.

  4. The technique has basically been answered for you, but I’ll add 2 things…

    1) As was said, make sure you cover the wet patch with plastic to very slow the curing time. Longer sure = stronger concrete

    2) Undercut the hole before you fill it, so that the patch cannot lift out over time. Think dovetail. You not only want a strong chemical bond (clean, acid-etched hole), but you want a strong mechanical bond as well.