That crack in a slab outside Tulsa ate up 6 hours of my life

I poured a small patio for a lady near Tulsa last Thursday, maybe 60 square feet. Everything was going fine until I saw this hairline crack forming right as I was finishing the edge. I spent the next 6 hours mixing small batches of patch, trying to match the color, and re-troweling it three different times. Turns out the ground wasn't compacted right underneath one corner, so the whole thing settled just enough to crack. Has anyone else had a stupid little crack turn into a whole day project?

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james9955mo ago

Ended up doing the same thing on a sidewalk last summer, chasing a crack for almost 5 hours before I gave in and cut out the whole section. What finally worked was using a bonding agent on the old edge and mixing the new stuff a little drier than normal. Saved me from another round of patching and it's held up fine through the freeze.

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brookep275mo ago

Wait, you chased a crack for 5 HOURS before cutting it out? Dude that is some serious dedication right there. I would've given up after like 30 minutes tops and just filled it with caulk or something. You must have the patience of a saint to spend almost a whole afternoon on one busted sidewalk crack. The bonding agent tip is smart though, Ive always just mixed the concrete and hoped for the best. Never thought about making the mix drier either but that makes sense so it doesnt sluff off the edge. Honestly if I spent 5 hours on one crack my back would be so wrecked I'd need a chiropractor and a week off. Glad it held up through the freeze though, thats the real test in our climate.

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