Crack Digital Overlay

Many decorative concrete artists favor overlays as their canvas of choice. And the artwork that can be produced with these products is often breathtaking. So, it is especially unfortunate when cracks appear in an overlay. What causes cracks in overlays? A number of things. Most overlay experts agree that the most common crack-inducing culprit is the substrate, and there can be multiple factors involved.

Expansion joints in the underlying slab that are not honored will telegraph through an overlay. But, more often than not, it’s movement in the substrate that will produce cracks in the overlay. “No overlays are structural,” says Seth Pevarnik, manager of technical service at Ardex Engineered Cements. Citect Scada 7.1 Crack here.

“If the concrete [below] wants to move, it can result in a crack in the overlay.” The simplest solution is to prevent cracks before they happen — before you apply the overlay. Brian Vicari, owner of The Concrete Colorist Inc., says you should always examine the substrate slab and look specifically for areas that may cause issues in the future, such as cracks that are raised on one side (signaling up and down movement), wide cracks, expansion joints, utility trenches and prior patches.