When you are going through your home inspection, be careful with concrete repairs! It is not uncommon at all to notice cracks in sidewalks, driveways and patios. There is an old adage that says:
“There are two kinds of concrete: Concrete that has cracked and Concrete that will crack…
And, not all cracks signal trouble. The photo to left was taken in a commercial setting at the entrance to our office building. I watched as the cones were put out to direct foot traffic as some crack was repaired. Frankly I go in and out of this door every week day and I never noticed a problem. Dutifully the contractor performed their work and those of us who work in the building dodged the cones. Fast forward!
Now we have this bleached out fresh new cement look. If you look closely you can see a former repair in the curb in front of the new one that did soften with age. I just have no idea how long that took. My goal with this post is to warn of some unintended consequences when approaching your home inspection with zeal. If your requests involve concrete repairs, you need to consider them carefully. The repair could end up being worse than the crack if it is small and mostly cosmetic.
