OAP Needing some advice with filling concrete please

Good to see you wanting to have a go, and good luck.

But that is serious OCD. If you want to do anything with it, then just a little bricklaying mortar would suffice. But honestly I don't think it's worth the time, the effort or the tools and materials unless you have them all ready

 

Agree.

 

Kaye, what finish is on that edging? It looks almost like spattered render/tyrolean or summat? Has it been painted, or is it 'raw' concrete finish?

Anyhoo, as said above, all it needs is a cupful of mortar - even a small 10kg bag is going to be hugely wasteful.

But, whatever mortar you are planning to use will be a different colour, so your OCD ain't going to be satisfied.

If you have a way of blending in the finish colour - eg if it has a painted finish - then I'd personally just fill that with a good quality outdoor sealant, bringing it slightly above surface level and then use something like the tips of a stiff brush to blend in the texture. Then paint it all.

If, however, it's a natural concrete finish, then you are going to struggle to blend it in colour-wise.

 

Get a tube of concrete grey stixall

 

Pop in to your local builders merchant and ask if you could have a cup full of cement from split bag (they always have split bags)

Mix it up neat with a drop of water into a firm paste, get some between your fingers and roll into a saugage the size of the slot, press into the slot and smooth off, leave and forget.

Make sure you thoroughly wash your hands afterwards as cement can burn.

 

Yes, any cement will do.

The difference betwixt cement and mortar is semantics - 'cement' is what we generally call the powder in the bag, but we also often call it the stuff that's been mixed in t'barrow. 'Mortar' is basically a sand/cement mix that's used for brick-laying or pointing and stuff like that.

In general.

Phil suggest above using pure cement and water. This will make a very 'fine' mix with no grittiness, so will certainly look different to your existing kerbs wot you describe as being a bit 'sandy' textured. It will work, but your call as to whether you think it's ideal

I'd suggest not mixing it in your hand even if you do wash them well afterwards... It is very strongly alkaline and will chemical-burn your skin.

It's annoying 'cos all you actually need is a cupful of sand/cement mix. Is there no building work going on in yer neighbourhood? I am sure they wouldn't mind you asking - I bet they'd be impressed. (I've had a pro builder turning up at my house once whilst I was renovating it a decade ago asking for a 'spadeful' of cement - he just wanted his nearby job finished and couldn't face going to the builder's merchants for such a piddling quantity. He left with a small bucket of sand, cement and splash of plasticiser - and his profuse thanks ringing down the street... )

Once you get hold of some, clean out the crack to remove all dusty surfaces and debris. Make up your mix roughly 4 sand to 1 cement (tho' it ain't critical), mix it thoroughly and then add small amounts of water until you get a 'stiff' mix - you want it to be all 'damp through' and to bind together when pressed, but not 'sloppy' or 'wet' at all.

Then use summat - anything will do - to press the mix right in to that crack. Whatever will pass through - even a wooden dowel or stick. Press the mix right in and build it up until it's flush with the kerb surface. You then have a choice - finish it either flush or slightly concave. Use a flat-edged stick or similar to get the mortar line flush - press it along at a low angle. Or even hold it flat against the kerbs and reciprocate it sideways to 'wear' away the mortar line to the kerb's level.

The mortar line should ideally be quite stiff at this point, or else it might 'drag' as you try and level it.

If it looks too smooth, you can use a stiff brush to rough it up and blend it in - just have an experiment

 

Really, even for a job like this 1.

Tinned meat in sandwiches today ?

 

it is just more spam

 

I reported it. Spam.

 

They are just more of societies leaches, today had six calls from ppi/accident, two door to cold calling. The second one, got my wrath and even then kept his sales pitch going. To shut him up, I asked how fast he could run and told him to look in my downstairs window



standing 6ft 2 tall