WWBD Concrete driveway Repair

[killramos]

Considering investing some time into fixing my crumbling driveway, or perhaps part of it.

Best I can tell it’s about 20 years past it’s useful life. Cracked and spalled to shit. And the section immediately in front of the door has deteriorated and sunk badly.

Driveway slopes below grade about 2 feet from sidewalk, around 18 feet deep and 28 feet wide.

The section in front of the door is my immediate concern, it’s formed quite a lipthat catches on the air dam of my car which I would like to fixed one way or another.

Now I’ve never worked with concrete, but at least replacing the small section in front of the garage seems doable to me after removing and fixing the substrate. It has a small grate hole in it for water drainage, but best I can tell it doesn’t really drain anywhere and is the likely cause for the depression.

My goal here is a quick and cheap fix, as I intend to either rip the whole thing back up in 3-7 years. But I’m interested in peoples ideas on the topic. Also curious if people think this is something better left to a pro all things considered, though to me it seems like setting 5-10k on fire to replace the driveway correctly. Heck I’m open to just pouring down a bag or 2 of cement into the depression as a temp fix if people think that’s a reasonable bandaid solution here.





Interior of garage is also fucked, and looks to me like a DIY previous owner tried to pour some leveling compound or something down which has already cracked and separated.

[88CRX]

Oh man that would drive me mental.

I can’t imagine any coating or skim to last in Calgary (cold weather and road salts). Jackhammer and redo or just leave it. My parents driveway has a section like that and they just keep filling with gravel cause the cost for replacement is ridiculously pricey.

[killramos]

Yup it bothers me every day. Honestly fixing it is really only a consideration since I got a low car again.

[benyl]

If it was just sunk and not cracked to shit, I would suggest this guys that raise concrete using expanding foam. But I think this is beyond even what they can do.

Does the drain actually work when it rains?

[90_Shelby]

Use self levelling concrete and pour it over the existing mess. If it flakes or breaks up a bit, who cares, it already looks like crap, but at least it will fill the dip.

Alternative solution, get off your wallet and do what benyl did.

[bjstare]

Leave it alone until you decide to fix it correctly (jackhammer, install proper drainage, then pour new driveway/portion of driveway). Anything else will be lighting money on fire.

[ThePenIsMightier]

^He can't just do nothing when he's currently damaging an expensive vehicle while simply parking.

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Use self levelling concrete and pour it over the existing mess. If it flakes or breaks up a bit, who cares, it already looks like crap, but at least it will fill the dip.

Alternative solution, get off your wallet and do what benyl did.

^x2 this.

I used to work (briefly) in concrete. This is fully beyond repair, but you can easily polish the turd and do it repeatedly for years. The full tear out will be quite expensive but not completely insane. Have the base redone and tamped and tamped and tamped halfway to Hell. Then get some beautiful stamped concrete in a nice colour.

[ExtraSlow]

Heated stamped concrete obvs.

[killramos]

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Heated stamped concrete obvs.

Very practical solution for the 3 years below I level the lot

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If it was just sunk and not cracked to shit, I would suggest this guys that raise concrete using expanding foam. But I think this is beyond even what they can do.

Does the drain actually work when it rains?

The drain clearly does something as u don’t get much pooling but does clog up easily ( I have a juniper that overhangs the driveway on one side ). Did a quick inspection with a light and I don’t think there is real drainage under the slab to tie into.

I have no water issues either into the house or the garage.

[ExtraSlow]

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Does the drain actually work when it rains?

important question.

[killramos]

I think some kind of drain is necessary for big storms, its basically a concrete bucket otherwise along my poorly sealed garage door ( it helps that my wife drove into it last year…). I’ve thought if I only replaced the immediately problematic section in front of the garage (maybe the part along the house as well to “match” ) to in-lay one of those track drains and just let it free drain into the ground from there. It’s only 2’ below grade ground shouldn’t be too soggy there.

[JfuckinC]

I’d just pay someone to rip out the really shittty part, then re pour it. Just gotta pack crush really well put some rebar down and giver.

[you&me]

I like the self-leveling concrete idea to band-aid the driveway until it's dynamite time.

If you're rebuilding in 3 years, then it's something you might have to do annually, but realistically, once should get you through.

I'm not sure what the costs are vs. a more 'proper' solution, but I have a hard time spending more than necessary to get an MVP when you know it only needs to last a few years because you're 'choosing' to rip it all out... Maybe that's just me. It would be like resodding your lawn instead of making due with some EZ-seed for a few years.

[killramos]

Yea I quite like the self levelling idea just to clean things up. I might try to find a way to keep the drain functional if only a half asses solution.

Even if I was able to make the lip only 1/2 it would make an enormous difference imo.

[JRSC00LUDE]

That's a 20K fix.

Self level if you scrabble it all down properly and prime it might hold together for awhile.

EDIT - missed the demo in 3 years part. Would still rent a machine to grind it and do a "proper" bandaid for the 3 year fix though.

[Strider]

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get off your wallet and do what benyl did.

This is the way. Might as well do it now before 3-7 years becomes 7-10 years.

[you&me]

The other, more reasonable solution, is to get a car with front axle lift. I'm thinking GT3RS. You're welcome.

[AndyL]

Step one... Find someone with a bobcat - kijiji / friends of friends etc. Get that section jackhammered /cleared.

Dig in a sump - install a pump - so you can be sure you're draining.

spend some time on the base - get it decent.

Pour minimum code concrete thickness over - Ucart or similar probably cheapest option.

Paying someone to do it all will be insanely not worth it... But DIY'ing isn't going to be deadly in this case - especially as a 'short lifetime' repair. The sump basins aren't terribly pricey, then it's just grading and spending a day really getting it prepped and right to pour/finish.

[killramos]

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The other, more reasonable solution, is to get a car with front axle lift. I'm thinking GT3RS. You're welcome.

Good choice. Notably it doesn’t actually hit anything, if you go slow it’s fine just annoying. If the suspension gets squeezed at all it will touch the plastic air dam.

[ExtraSlow]

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The other, more reasonable solution, is to get a car with front axle lift. I'm thinking GT3RS. You're welcome.

Confirmed best solution