No matter how much we spend fixing up our homes and or businesses nothing really seems complete when we have 'bad concrete. Bad concrete can mean bad curb appeal. What is 'bad concrete'? Well that can apply to many issues from stains to cracks to slip/trip hazards or deteriorated concrete.

Let's take a look at these issues.

• Stains

These can come from rust, oil, crayons, vandals, and nature. There are many products available today at your local hardware and home improvement stores. Selecting the best product for your problem can be a problem. Be prepared to explain the source of the problem to the service representative so that the best product can be recommended. Remember that some of these products are very aggressive and may permanently damage the concrete. For severe stains we recommend contacting a professional that can provide you with the best advice.

• Cracks

These are a natural occurrence in concrete. It is often said that there are two kinds of concrete.

• concrete that is cracked
• concrete that is going to cracks

The proper design and layout of control joints can remedy many of these issues. Most cracked concrete will require professional help to repair however there are some products available at your local hardware or home improvement store. Remember that most repairs to cracks will not eliminate the physical appearance but will make it easier to clean the surface and reduce the trip hazard potential. A frequently overlooked cause of cracked concrete is tree roots. When planning your landscape layout make sure to keep trees away from the concrete.

• Slip or trip hazards

These can be anything that creates a dangerous situation for you and/or visitors to your property. These problems can lead to serious injury and potentially to an unwelcomed lawsuit. Slip/trip hazards are things like uneven concrete, excessively smooth and slippery concrete, wet conditions, oil and grease spills, and also concrete coatings that are not installed with proper non-skid incorporated into the finish. Avoid unnecessary slopes or steps where possible. Provide some type of cautionary indicator at these areas. Change the color of a decorative coating; by providing a yellow hazard stripe at steps are things that can help prevent injury and lawsuits. If you have concrete that is not properly pitched contact a licensed contractor that can re-slope your slab often in one day as opposed to replacing the entire slab.

• Deteriorated concrete

Soil conditions, proper drainage, quality materials all play a factor in how your concrete will perform. Irrigation sprinklers are a major problem here in the Desert because of our alkaline water. Creating an aggregate border against you concrete to create a buffer from excessive water is one solution to not only damage to the concrete but also to coatings you may elect to put on the concrete. Another problem we have experienced is the backwash water from a water softener being discharged near the house foundation causing extensive damage to the concrete.

Before making costly mistakes in concrete repairs or concrete additions talk to a qualified ToFixIt contractor. Services include removal of damaged concrete, repairs to cracked concrete, pouring of new concrete for patios, driveways, walkways. The qualified contractor will also offer many options for resurfacing of your concrete both outside of your facility and also for new exciting decorative interior coatings and color dye options.