How to Repair Cracks in a Concrete Slab Prior to Laying Ceramic Tile
Repairing cracks in your concrete slab before laying down ceramic tile is important because you want the slab to be strong and level. Repairing cracks is a matter of mixing up some concrete ready mix, filling the gaps and smoothing the surface out. If you're laying ceramic tile over the concrete slab, focus on strengthening and leveling the cracks, and not so much on cosmetic aspects. You'll have a great surface for laying your ceramic tile. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Inspect the cracks to see if you can loosen any concrete inside the cracks. Pull out any loose chunks that you can loosen by hand and discard them.
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Sweep the surface of the concrete, and then hose down the cracked areas to remove any loose bits of concrete or mortar that may be lodged in the cracks. The wet concrete will not pull water from your repair site, which would interfere with the curing of the new concrete.
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Prepare ready mix concrete according to the package directions. Mix enough concrete to fill the cracks and to cover the extent of the damage.
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Use a pointed trowel to introduce concrete mix into the cracks. Scoop some concrete mix onto the trowel and plop it onto the crack. Squash the wet mix into the crack with the flat bottom of the trowel. Scoop up another round and squash that into the crack. Fill until concrete starts oozing out and no more will enter the crack.
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Use the flat edge of the trowel to scrape off the excess concrete mix and return it to the bucket or mixer. Position the trowel so the flat edge, not the wide bottom, is flush against the floor and almost perpendicular to the crack. Use the edge to scrape excess mix until the crack is level with the surrounding floor. Try not to dig into the crack.
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Continue filling cracks in this manner. Allow at least 24 hours for the repaired places to dry before commencing with your ceramic tile project.
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