Types of Concrete Porch Damage

Not all concrete porch damage is equal. There are many different reasons you may need to repair a concrete porch. These different types of damage may need different types of repair, so keep your eye out for the different damage types.

Which one of these seems most like the problems you’re having with your concrete porch? 

Cracks

Cracks are a common problem for many types of concrete. Although you can often avoid cracks in concrete by maintaining the concrete properly, you may start to see either hairline or deep cracks in your concrete porch after some time.

These cracks can just happen as the concrete sets right after an initial pouring. However, these are usually hairline cracks, less than 1/16” wide, and typically only happen within the first year after pouring.

If you’re starting to see wide cracks or the cracks are appearing after more than a year’s time, that could mean you’re dealing with structural problems underneath. It’s important to talk to an expert to determine your decisions going forward. 

Sagging and Sinking

Have you noticed that porch furniture seems like it’s started sliding around the floor? Do you feel like you step down too far when you walk onto the porch? If so, you might be having issues with home sagging and sinking.

This typically happens when the soil under your home starts to sink. The soil can sink if there has been a lot of rainfall, the soil wasn’t prepared properly, or you’re dealing with the wrong type of soil. You may notice that the area underneath starts to erode, causing sinking porch concrete.

It’s important to know how to fix a sagging concrete porch, but it’s even more important to know how to identify it. Even if you’ve only started to see very slight tilting, you may want to contact an expert for more information. 

Uneven Warping

Another form of sinking you might notice is warping. Rather than having the floor sink in the middle, this means one side is sinking further than the other side, or that it’s “twisting” in the middle to form an uneven surface.

This may also happen when you have more than one slab of concrete for your porch. If the different slabs settle differently, there may be unsightly ridges between the two different slabs, making them uneven.

Because of how stiff concrete is, it’s unlikely to form a twist in the middle and not crack. You may find that the soil underneath is settling unevenly and causing these kinds of cracks. If you want to maintain your concrete porch, you need to discuss sinking with an expert before it starts to cause cracks.