LESLIE: Evy in Ohio is dealing with a concrete garage floor that’s got some issues, to say the least. What’s going on?
EVY: We have a concrete floor and it’s separating from the outside wall.
TOM: OK.
EVY: The wall does not seem to be bowing on the outside; it’s just coming loose from, supposedly, the wall.
TOM: Yeah. And this is your garage floor, right?
EVY: Yes.
TOM: So let me tell you how these floors are poured. Typically, they use concrete blocks to build the foundation for the garage walls and the very, very last thing that happens, before the masons head out for life, is they pour the garage floor. And typically, the garage floors can be poured on soil that’s perhaps not compacted as well; there could have been some construction debris that was tossed in there; it may not have been reinforced properly. But the key here, Evy, is that it’s not a structural problem, generally, when that happens. Could be a problem with the floor itself but think of that concrete as sort of a floor covering over the dirt.
EVY: OK. How do I fix it; just put QUIKRETE in it or something?
LESLIE: If it’s really bothering you, since there’s nothing structural about this, you can get an epoxy patching compound. Comes in a variety of forms. Sometimes you’ll find it in what looks like a caulking tube; sometimes it’s in a tub. If you can get it in the caulking tube, go for it because that’ll be the easiest to apply in this situation. And that’s the only thing that’s going to work because that’ll really adhere to the concrete; nothing else will.
EVY: Wonderful. That is awesome. You saved me big bucks. They wanted …
TOM: (overlapping voices) Alright.
LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Good.
EVY: OK, thank you so much for taking my call.
TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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