Concrete Problems

Cracked, Stained or Worn Concrete?

Name: Atlas Concrete Solutions
Telephone: 0494 693 738

See what's happened to your concrete and which Atlas service suits it.

Concrete driveway with dark staining across the surface

Concrete Problem

Stained / Dirty Concrete

Dark patches where cars park. Green or black growth in damp or shaded spots. Dirty traffic marks. Sections that look much darker than the rest.

Some marks sit on the surface. Others have been there long enough to soak in. Peeling sealer and damaged concrete can also look like a dirty slab.

What can be behind it

Oil and other fluids from vehicles
Mould and algae in damp or shaded spots
Dirt and traffic grime built up over time

Cleaning It and Erasing It Aren't the Same Thing.

A dirty slab isn't a damaged slab. Dirt, grime and algae sit on the surface, and cleaning takes them off.

Concrete is porous. Oil, rust, tyre marks and other stains can soak in, and those may only fade. Some won't shift much at all. Atlas can't promise a particular mark will come out.

What Atlas does

Concrete Cleaning is the job for surface dirt, grime, mould, algae and surface staining. Andre looks at what's on the concrete first and tells you what to expect before he starts.

Once it's clean you can see what's left. Sealing is a separate decision.

If what you thought was a stain turns out to be peeling sealer or damaged concrete, cleaning won't fix it. That's a different job.

Atlas services for this

Concrete CleaningTakes dirt, mould, algae and surface staining off sound concrete.Concrete SealingA separate job, for a clean slab that needs sealing or resealing.

Not sure which one you need? Send Andre photos.

Faded, patchy discoloured concrete driveway in front of a residential home

Concrete Problem

Faded / Discoloured Concrete

Washed-out concrete. Patchy colour. Lighter and darker areas. Dull sections next to brighter ones.

Dirt, old sealer, a worn surface and colour that has actually gone can all look like this.

What can be behind it

Dirt and grime built up on the surface
An old or worn sealer
Colour that has weathered out of the concrete or its finish

Faded, Dirty or Worn? They’re Not the Same Thing.

Faded colour doesn't mean the concrete needs replacing.

If it's dirt, cleaning shows you. If it's a worn sealed finish, resealing renews it. If the colour has actually gone, neither brings it back. Resealing keeps the finish you've got. It doesn't put colour back.

What Atlas does

Cleaning is the quickest way to find out which you've got, because it shows what's underneath. If it's a worn sealed or decorative finish, that's Concrete Sealing, and failing sealer is dealt with before anything goes on top.

If the colour has genuinely gone, Andre will tell you that cleaning and resealing won't restore it. Replacing the concrete is the other option, and new concrete won't match what's next to it.

Atlas services for this

Concrete CleaningShows whether dirt is what's dulling it.Concrete SealingRenews a worn sealed or decorative finish. Doesn't bring colour back.

Not sure which one you need? Send Andre photos.

Large residential concrete area with peeling sealer and patchy failed coating

Concrete Problem

Peeling / Failed Sealer

Clear or coloured coating peeling away. Cloudy or milky patches. Bubbles. Dull areas. Sections that look different from the concrete around them.

Sometimes the failure is obvious. Other times the surface just looks uneven or tired, and you can't tell whether the problem is the sealer, the concrete underneath or both.

What can be behind it

An old sealer that has worn out
A coating that has failed in patches
Something else. The look alone doesn't tell you

Another Coat Won't Fix a Failed One.

Peeling or cloudy sealer doesn't mean the concrete underneath is damaged. It does mean the old finish has to be dealt with before anything new goes on.

A new coat over loose or failing sealer doesn't make it stick. It gives you two layers to fix.

What Atlas does

Andre looks at what's on the concrete and the condition of the surface under it. Failing sealer is dealt with before the new coat goes on, and the concrete has to be clean and dry. How it's dealt with depends on what's there, and he tells you before the job starts. Atlas doesn't coat over it.

That's Concrete Sealing. If the concrete underneath is damaged, sealing doesn't fix that.

Atlas services for this

Concrete SealingDeals with the old sealer first, then reseals.

Not sure which one you need? Send Andre photos.

Worn concrete driveway with pitted, flaking surface exposing the aggregate underneath

Concrete Problem

Worn / Damaged Concrete

A rough, pitted or chipped surface. Flaking. Exposed stones. Pieces breaking away. Cracks around the damaged area.

A dull, grubby slab that's still solid is a different problem from one that's breaking up. Run your hand over it. Is it just dirty, or is the surface coming away?

What can be behind it

Dirt and old sealer making sound concrete look worn
Years of weather and traffic wearing the surface
Damage to the concrete itself

Surface Wear or Something Deeper?

Not every rough or grubby slab is damaged. If it's dirty, that's a clean. If it's a worn sealed finish, that's sealing or resealing.

If the concrete itself is pitting, flaking or breaking away, cleaning and sealing won't fix it. They sit on top of it. And not every slab fits neatly into one category. One slab can be dirty, worn and damaged all at once.

What Atlas does

If the damage is one section and the rest of the concrete is sound, Atlas can replace that section. That's concreting, and the new concrete won't match the old. If a large area is damaged, that's new concrete, and Andre will tell you whether it's a job Atlas takes on.

If the damage is widespread, the slab has moved, or reinforcement is showing, that's beyond a section replacement. Atlas doesn't assess structural condition. Get an engineer or builder to look at it.

Atlas services for this

ConcretingTakes out a damaged section and pours new concrete if the rest of the slab is sound.

Not sure which one you need? Send Andre photos.

Damp concrete path with green surface growth in a shaded area

Concrete Problem

Slippery Concrete

Green or dark growth in damp, shaded spots. Or a surface that looks clean and still feels slick when it's wet.

It can be worse on a slope, near taps or a pool, or where the finish is smoother.

What can be behind it

Mould, algae or grime on the surface
A smooth or worn surface
The finish on top of the concrete

What Changes When It Gets Wet?

A slippery surface is a safety problem, not just an appearance one. It doesn't tell you whether the slab is sound.

If it's growth or grime, cleaning removes it, and that can make a real difference. If it's the texture or the finish, cleaning won't change it.

What Atlas does

Atlas can clean the surface. That's all Atlas offers for slippery concrete. Atlas doesn't test or rate slip resistance, doesn't add anti-slip treatments, and doesn't certify a surface as safe.

If the surface itself is the problem, or it has to meet a standard or requirement, like a pool surround or a ramp, that needs specialist testing and advice. Atlas can't give you that.

Atlas services for this

Concrete CleaningRemoves mould, algae and grime from the surface. Not a slip-resistance treatment.

Not sure which one you need? Send Andre photos.

Concrete Problem

Cracked Concrete

Fine lines across the surface. Wider, jagged cracks. A crack that's got longer or wider. One side sitting higher than the other.

Look at the concrete around the crack as well. Is the slab still level? Is there more than one crack in the same area?

What can be behind it

Shrinkage as the concrete cured
The ground under the slab moving
Movement at joints, edges or where one slab meets another

A Crack Is a Clue.

Not every crack means the slab is failing. A small crack that hasn't changed, in a slab that's otherwise sound, doesn't have to be fixed.

A crack that's widening, keeps coming back or has left one side higher is different. It tells you something under the slab may be moving. It doesn't tell you what.

What Atlas does

Atlas doesn't patch or inject cracks. Crack repair isn't one of its services, and cleaning and sealing don't fix cracks.

What Atlas can do is replace the concrete. If a section is badly cracked or broken and the rest of the slab is sound, taking it out and pouring new concrete is a concreting job Atlas can quote. Andre will tell you whether yours suits replacement. The new concrete won't match the old, and it doesn't fix whatever cracked the old section.

If the slab is moving, lifting or cracking in several places, it needs someone who can assess why. Atlas doesn't do structural or ground assessments, so get an engineer or builder to look at it first.

Atlas services for this

ConcretingTakes out a badly cracked section and pours new concrete if the rest of the slab is sound. Not crack repair.

Not sure which one you need? Send Andre photos.

Want Andre to Look at It?

Send a few photos or give him a call. He'll tell you whether the job needs new concrete, a clean or a seal.

Contact Andre 0494 693 738