High Strength Concrete Patching Materials

Cement

• Concrete is a material made of gravel, sand or crushed stone -- referred to as the aggregate -- that is held together by cement and water. Cement can be used to patch concrete without any significant change in performance compared to an undamaged slab. There are two different types of cement patches with slightly different compositions. Hydraulic cement has additives that allow it to dry in less than five minutes. The hydraulic cement patch is most useful for plugging damaged concrete where water leakage is the main issue. Anchoring-cement patches dry slower, taking almost 30 minutes. However, anchoring-cement patches are stronger than hydraulic cement, which is useful for patching holes around posts, bolts or other objects embedded in the concrete.

Concrete Resurfacer

• A concrete resurfacer is a special blend of concrete designed to patch up a damaged concrete surface. A thin layer of the resurfacer is poured over the entire surface of the damaged concrete. The resurfacer fills in the damaged areas of the original surface and hardens. The final appearance looks like a newly formed slab of concrete. The size of the resurfacer layer can vary significantly but does not exceed half an inch. The resurfacer takes more time and money than the other patch materials, but the result is ideal when the appearance of the concrete is important.

Epoxy

• Epoxy is a noncement-based patching material. Not all concrete damage is caused by physical wear or water. Chemical exposure can also damage concrete. Sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonium chloride and many other acids, bases and salts can wear away concrete through continued exposure. These chemicals leach away compounds in the concrete, weakening it and causing it to become brittle and crack. Epoxy is a polymer that is much more resilient to chemical damage, making it better suited for repairing chemical damage. It is difficult for most chemicals to bond with or break down the epoxy molecules, which means it is usually unaffected by most chemicals. The lack of odor, dust or mess makes it a superior patch material for industrial settings, where odor or dust could contaminate materials manufactured nearby. For example, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are heavily regulated. Concrete dust getting into any piece of equipment would contaminate the batch being made, rendering it almost worthless in most situations. However, concrete dust contamination in a home is no more then a nuisance.

Liquid Latex

• Liquid latex works very similarly to epoxy as a concrete patching material. Liquid latex is a natural material, unlike epoxy, which is manmade. The two materials share similar properties because epoxy is designed to perform the same task that liquid latex does. Both resist chemicals, water and physical wear in many situations. It is also just as easy to use and does not create much of a mess. Overall, epoxy and liquid latex are interchangeable for use as a patching material. Epoxy is usually the better choice because it withstands a wider range of chemicals. Liquid latex is a better choice if you only want a temporary patch. Liquid latex melts at a lower temperature then epoxy, making it easier to remove. Easy removal is useful if you ultimately want to use cement or a concrete resurfacer to patch a crack in concrete but need the crack repaired before you have time to use either of those options. You can use liquid latex to create a patch and then remove it when you have time to use a more time-intensive patching method.