Using this checklist
The list is arranged by part of the slab rather than by month. Each part gets a short set of tasks, followed by a walk to take whenever the weather changes, notes for a new pour, and a guide to when a professional should look. Pick out the parts that match the concrete around your house.
The open surface
- Sweep grit and sand off regularly; grit ground in by shoes and tires can dull a finish.
- Rinse the surface with a hose and a stiff brush now and then, and look closely for flaking, pitting or a powdery top layer.
- Note any patch where the surface color or texture has changed since you last looked.
- Use a plastic or rubber-edged scraper for anything stuck on a decorative or sealed finish.
Joints and cracks
- Pull weeds and grass from joints before their roots spread.
- Look at the joint filler: is it cracked, shrunken or missing? Refill with a flexible product sold for concrete joints, following its label.
- Photograph any crack with a coin or tape measure beside it, and date the photo, so you can tell later whether it has grown.
- Check whether one side of a crack or joint now sits higher than the other.
Edges and the ground beside them
- Walk the perimeter and look for soil that has washed away, leaving a gap under the slab edge.
- Fill and tamp low spots so the ground beside the slab slopes away from it.
- Keep heavy equipment and vehicle tires off unsupported edges.
- Watch for tree roots lifting a section near its edge, and ask a contractor or arborist before cutting any large root.
Where concrete meets the house
- At doors and thresholds, check that the slab still sits below the door and falls away from it.
- At the garage door, set a straightedge across the seam between the garage floor and the driveway. A gap under it on one side can mean one slab has moved.
- At steps, run a hand along each nosing for chipped or crumbling spots, and lean on the handrail to see whether its base has loosened.
- Where a patio or walk touches the house, look at the joint material between them and replace it if it has failed.
Sprinklers, hoses and runoff
- Run the irrigation and watch where the spray lands. Turn heads that soak the slab or the soil at its edge.
- Check that downspouts empty onto ground that carries water off and away from the slab.
- After a rain, note any spot where water stands on the surface and mark it for your next contractor visit.
- Keep hose bibs from dripping onto the same spot for weeks at a time.
Heavy loads
- When you book a moving van, a roll-off bin or a pallet delivery, tell the company where it may and may not park, and ask your concrete contractor what the slab was designed to hold.
- Spread the weight of trailer jacks, motorcycle stands and jack stands with a board, since a small foot concentrates the load.
- Lift heavy pots onto feet or saucers so trapped water and rust stay off the surface.
A walk whenever the weather changes
Each time the weather shifts noticeably, take a slow walk around every slab:
- Look for new cracks, new puddles and new gaps at the edges.
- On a sealed surface, pour a cup of water and watch it for a minute. If it sinks in rather than sitting on top, raise resealing with your installer.
- Clear leaves, seed pods and debris from the slab and any trench drains.
- Read the label of any cleaner or garden chemical before it touches the concrete.
A new slab's first months
- Tape the installer's written curing and traffic notes inside a cabinet door or save them on your phone.
- Before buying any sealer, ask the installer how long the new concrete should dry first.
- Fine shrinkage cracks may show up close to the joints. Date a photo of each one, and if a later photo shows it longer or wider, send both to the installer.
- If you are still planning a pour, ask the contractor how they protect fresh concrete from fast drying on a hot or windy day.
Choosing and renewing a sealer
Some sealers soak into the concrete and leave its look nearly unchanged; others form a coat on top that can deepen color, add shine and lose grip when wet. Ask your installer which kind fits each surface, what sign tells you it is wearing thin, and whether the next coat has to match the product already on the slab.
Common stains
- Drips under the car: cover fresh oil with an absorbent, sweep it up, then scrub with a concrete degreaser.
- Orange rings from furniture or planters: try a rust remover labeled for concrete on a hidden spot first.
- A white bloom on the surface: brush it dry, and talk to your installer before reaching for anything acidic.
- Marks from leaves and pods: scrub with a mild cleaner soon after they appear.
Signs worth a professional look
- dated photos that show a crack getting longer or wider;
- a lip at a crack or joint where one side has dropped;
- a section that moves when stepped on, or rings hollow when tapped;
- a low area that now drains back toward the house;
- scaling or flaking across a broad part of a surface;
- a gap opening between steps and the wall or porch they serve.
Where a repair permit comes from
El Centro's Community Development Department, at 1275 W Main Street, has three divisions: Building and Safety, Code Enforcement, and Planning and Zoning. The city says its Building & Safety Division handles plan checking for code compliance and issues all City required permits.
Before a broken section is torn out or a new slab is poured, ask the contractor and the Building & Safety Division whether the work needs a city permit.
Questions when a repair is proposed
- What caused this, in your view, and does your repair deal with that cause?
- Are you proposing a patch, lifting the section, a new top layer or tear-out and replacement, and what led you there?
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Does the repair need a city permit, and who would pull it?
- Can you send proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- What does your written warranty on the repair cover, and what does it exclude?
A slab log
Start one file for the concrete around the house, with a page per surface. Record the pour date and the company, thickness and reinforcement if you know them, the dates and products of every sealing, your dated crack and stain photos, and every invoice. Whoever repairs a slab next can read its history there, and the file can pass to a buyer.