DIY Driveway for $660 - Concrete repair Part #1 - Cement repair, resurface and renovation

Today, we're going to renovate this old driveway into a brand new surface at the fraction of the cost of replacing an entire driveway. And we're going to show you guys how to do it step by step. So, let's get started. This existing driveway was aged, pitted, and cracked. And for less than $660, we were able to completely rejuvenate it and do all the work ourselves. We're going to be breaking this project down into its most basic components. Today we're going to be talking about patching and repairing concrete just using some very simple tools. By the time we're done with today's video, you should be able to handle a repair job on any concrete surface that you come across. In the next video series, we're going to actually be resurfacing this driveway, giving it a brand new look. When we're going to wrap this series up with staining and sealing it to give it a very unique feel. By the time we're done with this job, you guys should hopefully have everything you need to be able to tackle your own project and rejuvenate your own old concrete surfaces. So on this project, we have cracks, chips, but also sunken areas. This is down about an inch and a quarter. And before we can do anything else, we want to make sure that we get this repaired right. So we're using the Sackrete fast setting cement patcher. [Music] Make sure you get the right material for this kind of a project. Now, before we get into the main part of the driveway, we want to practice. If you don't have a small area that you can try out, just go and pick yourself up some Permabase. It works exactly the same. On a refinishing project like this, what you're going to find is the prep work takes up a lot of your time. You must carefully and thoroughly clean the surface. Now, because we're going to be resurfacing the entire driveway and coloring it, we want to make sure that we take the time to expose any edges that could eventually be seen. Your expansion joints must be maintained. Easiest way to do it is to use a foam cord gap filler. Now, this next step isn't mandatory, but in this project, we actually deepened the gaps to make sure that we could get a nice tight bond with the gap filler in between the concrete slabs. Once you're done prepping, it's time to start repairing. I specifically chose Sakrete's cement patcher because this is a very versatile but strong product. It allows us to go up to 2 in thick and go down to a/4 in while maintaining its strength and bonding to the subsurface. It's also flexible enough to allow us to easily create corners without going through the hassle of setting up form boards. So, you don't even need forms with this stuff? Nope. For the record, I did ask Frankie to wear gloves, but he just shoved them in his back pocket. Just smash it in good. Work it in so you get a good bond. Yeah. Make sure your concrete's wet. You're bonding, too. Yeah. It's a high strength, fast setting compound that gives you about 5 minutes of work time, but it does require precise measurements with your water and your mixing. There's no guessing with this material. I have water in there first when I dump the bag, and then I'll add the other. So, a three 40 lb bag takes three quarts. And we're measuring precise. You add the water first. Two quarts. This product gets mixed in small batches. A cement mixer is not recommended. All you need is a plastic pail and a hand mixer. The water always goes in first cuz if you put the cement in first and then try to add the water, what happens, Frankie? It balls up and you'll never get the bottom. Will always stay dry. I guess you don't want dry balls. So Frankie adds a 40 lb bag to three quarts of water in a 5gallon pail. And he uses actually a dedicated mud mixer. That's not a cordless drill. That gives him more control. It's designed specifically for this application. After the material is thoroughly mixed together, you have about 5 minutes of working time. Frankie's working fast cuz we got five minutes. prior to the concrete new concrete going down. That water is needed to make it adhere. The surface you're repairing has to be moist. If it's too wet, it's just not good. That's why she said Frankie has poured dozens of slabs before in the past, and he'll tell you that this stuff stiffens up faster than normal concrete. It's also much stronger and denser than a typical concrete mix and actually bonds to the surface you're repairing to, making it the ideal product for this application. And that's why you want to get this stuff instead of regular cement for patches and repairs. It is different than I mean it's it's a whole different deal than concrete. So if you're familiar with concrete work, you have the basics, but this is not the same as concrete. If you work you got to work fast though. got him, you know, ready to cuz it's been about 15 20 minutes and it's already turning gray. Yeah, she's she's set up. How And then check the bucket out. How long did it take for that to do that? Oh, it's 5 minutes. That's hard as a concrete rock. Now, the tools you need to do a project like today's is very simple. I'm going to recommend you pick up a leaf blower to remove any big debris and then a high-pressure washer to thoroughly clean and pre-wet your surfaces. You're going to need a 5gallon pail because this is a small batch type of material. Going to also recommend that you pick up a dedicated mixing unit. This thing is just going to make your life that much easier and work so much better than a standard drill for mixing. It's fast setting cement patcher. And then finally, we experienced that if you use a steel tel over an aluminum triel, you just get better results. It doesn't stick quite so much onto the surface. If this video's helped you guys out, let me know in the comments down below or hit the like button. Make sure you stay tuned because the next video in the series, we're actually going to be resurfacing this project and then wrapping it up with the staining ceiling to give it that unique look we talked about earlier. God bless. Go get them. And I got to pick all this crap up. I don't know if