Julie Johnson / The BulletinDriveway cracks can be filled to prevent worsening of the crack.

If you have a concrete driveway, chances are you’re going to get a crack or two as time goes by. If you don’t do anything about it, a crack will just get worse as water seeps in and freezing and thawing occurs. So it’s time to fix those cracks.

“Weather is our problem in Central Oregon — hot days, cold nights, expansion and contraction. If the subgrade wasn’t prepared properly and moisture gets under concrete in the winter and freezes, thaws and settles, weak spots can turn into cracks,” said David Graham, a Central Oregon custom home builder who specializes in concrete.

He’s run DC Graham Construction for 19 years and gave us tips for successful concrete repair.

The good news is that filling a concrete crack, and preventing it from cracking more, is a relatively easy do-it-yourself job if both sides of the crack are the same height.

The bad news is that it’s only a Band-Aid fix, even when done by an expert. The only real solution for a cracked driveway is an entirely new driveway at some point.

“I get four or five calls each week, sometimes two or three per day, asking me, ‘Do you do driveway crack repair?’ and honestly, I don’t anymore. That’s what crack filler is for, and most people can do it themselves. I recommend going to a good place like Bend Construction Supply to get their recommendation for a product that works best in our climate,” Graham said.

David Baker, the owner of Bend Concrete Supply, said most people use a hybrid polyurethane caulking. He carries a variety to choose from that come in multiple colors, including concrete gray. They can match most stained or colored concrete as well.

This is a do-it-yourself project that Baker told us is definitely worth doing, and the sooner the better.

“Some cracks that are very fine aren’t worth fixing, but if you have concrete cracks that are opening, to prevent them from continuing to crack and prevent water from getting in there and freezing and thawing, it makes sense to fill them. Once the top of the concrete starts popping off, and it’s crumbling and falling apart, it’s time for a tear-out,” Baker said.

If you decide that it’s time to get a new driveway put in, Graham said the price is anywhere from $1.45 to $1.75 per square foot to remove the old concrete. An average two-car driveway is about 600 square feet, so that’s about $900. Then the cost of having a new driveway poured runs between $2,000 and$4,500. Graham said he’s putting in more paver driveways than concrete ones these days. “Pavers in Central Oregon are a great option because if something happens to one of them, you just replace it, not the whole driveway. Pavers last longer than concrete, and wear better, too,” Graham said.