Concrete Repair Mortars Built for Detroit Conditions
When a crack, spall, or structural damage appears in concrete, the fix depends on the specific situation. Ardex repair mortars are engineered for different scenarios: wide-line chemistry for hairline cracks, vertical-grade formulas for wall spalls, horizontal-set products for slab surfaces, and deep-section mortars for structural voids. We assess the damage, select the right Ardex repair product, apply the bonded-primer protocol, and deliver a repair that holds. Free assessment on every job.
Concrete damage is not uniform. A hairline crack in a driveway needs different chemistry than a spall on a foundation wall or a deep void in a structural slab. The Ardex repair line exists because one generic mortar cannot handle every scenario. Each product is formulated for its specific load, cure time, placement angle, and depth.
We diagnose the damage type, select the matched Ardex repair mortar, prep the substrate to spec, apply the bonded primer, and place the repair at the engineered thickness. The system's strength is in matching the product to the damage, not in using a one-size-fits-all approach.
We evaluate the crack, spall, or void to determine its geometry, load profile, and location (horizontal, vertical, or structural). This assessment drives the product selection.
Prepare the concrete surface
The repair area is cleaned to Ardex spec, saw-cut to a clean edge where needed, and all loose material, dust, and contaminants are removed to expose sound concrete.
Apply bonded primer and mortar
The Ardex bonded primer is brushed onto the prepped substrate, the repair mortar is mixed to manufacturer ratios, and placed at the correct thickness for the selected product.
Finish and cure
The repair is finished to match the surrounding concrete texture and gloss, cured per Ardex schedule, and handed off with full system documentation and warranty details.
Why repairs fail
The Cost of Wrong Product Selection
We regularly repair failed concrete repairs where a contractor used a generic mortar for a situation that required a specific Ardex product. The patch delaminates, the crack reopens, or the vertical repair sags. These failures happen because the product was not matched to the damage type. Ardex offers different formulas for different scenarios; using the wrong one guarantees failure.
Coordinate with Ardex waterproofing systems if the repair is in a wet or below-grade context, and leverage our full brand portfolio to integrate repair with other concrete work on the site.
Product matching, bonded primer, vertical repair and warranty.
Different repair situations have different load profiles, set time requirements, and substrate conditions. A horizontal patch product placed vertically will sag; a fast-set product placed in a deep section will crack. Matching product to situation is what makes Ardex repairs hold.
Yes. The Ardex bonded primer is what makes the repair material bond permanently to the existing concrete. Skipping or substituting voids the system warranty and risks delamination.
Yes, with the Ardex vertical-repair product that has non-sag rheology. Using a horizontal product on vertical work is one of the most common failure patterns we see in non-Ardex-spec repairs.
Properly matched and installed Ardex repairs last decades. The bond is engineered to outlast the surrounding concrete in most service environments.
Close, not exact. Ardex repair mortars come in standard colors that approximate concrete gray; exact match to old or stained concrete is not achievable. We are honest about the visible difference up front.
Three failed previous repairs popped loose. They used the right Ardex product for vertical work with proper bonded primer; the new repair has held two years. Product match was the difference.
Z. U5
Property Manager, Detroit
★★★★★
Structural repair on a deep slab section. They specced the Ardex deep-section product, not the standard mortar another contractor had suggested. Repair holds load, no cracking.
Y. U5
Facility Director, Warren
★★★★★
Multiple repair situations across one project, each with the matched Ardex product. The discipline of product-per-situation showed in the result. All repairs holding.
Q. U5
Commercial GC, Ann Arbor
★★★★★
They were honest about color match limitations on the repair. Set the expectation properly, then matched as close as possible. No surprises at handoff.
X. U5
Warehouse Operations, Sterling Heights
From the blog
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Practical reading on planning, finishes and caring for concrete in Detroit.
Describe the damage (crack, spall, vertical, structural) and the surrounding context. We will specify the matched Ardex repair product and provide a written quote.
