When a crack, spall, or structural damage appears in concrete, the repair mortar must match the specific failure mode. Ardex manufactures distinct products for wide-line cracks, vertical wall spalls, horizontal slab patches, and deep structural sections. We diagnose the repair type, select the engineered Ardex mortar for that situation, apply the bonded-primer system, and deliver a repair built to last. Free assessment on every job.
Concrete fails in different ways, and each failure mode demands a different repair chemistry. A wide hairline crack needs a flowable, flexible mortar that can penetrate and bond along the crack face. A spalled wall section needs a high-strength, non-sag product that stays in place on vertical surfaces. A horizontal slab patch needs a product that can be troweled smooth and cures to match the surrounding finish. A deep structural repair needs a mortar formulated to handle load transfer without shrinkage cracking.
Ardex builds separate products for each scenario rather than forcing one general-purpose mortar to do every job. We assess the damage, identify which Ardex product is engineered for that specific repair, and install it with the bonded-primer protocol that locks the repair to the existing concrete. This discipline of matching product to failure mode is what separates a repair that holds from one that fails again.
We examine the crack, spall, or structural damage to determine its cause, extent, and load context. This assessment determines which Ardex product is engineered for the repair rather than applying a one-size-fits-all mortar.
Prepare the surface
The repair area is cleaned to Ardex specification, saw-cut to a clean edge where needed, and all loose concrete, dust, and contaminants are removed to expose sound substrate.
Apply bonded primer
The Ardex bonded primer is applied to the prepped surface. This primer is the critical step that creates a permanent chemical bond between the repair mortar and the existing concrete.
Mix and place mortar
The selected Ardex repair mortar is mixed to manufacturer ratios and placed at the engineered thickness for that product type, whether it is a thin crack fill, a vertical patch, or a deep structural section.
Finish and cure
The repair is finished to match the surrounding concrete texture and gloss, allowed to cure per Ardex schedule, and handed off with system documentation and warranty information.
Why repairs fail
The Product-Match Discipline
We regularly encounter failed repairs where a contractor applied a generic mortar to a situation that required a specific Ardex product. The patch delaminated, the crack reopened, or the vertical repair sagged because the mortar was not engineered for that failure mode. Ardex exists because one product cannot solve every repair; the discipline is matching the right mortar to the right damage pattern.
When you see a repair fail within months or a year, it is almost always because the product was mismatched to the situation. A horizontal-patch mortar placed on a vertical wall will sag. A fast-set mortar placed in a deep section will crack from shrinkage. A low-strength mortar used for structural repair will fail under load. We avoid these failures by specifying the Ardex product engineered for the exact repair type.
Combine Ardex overlays when the repair is part of a larger resurfacing project, and coordinate with other brand systems across your concrete work.
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, Regina
★★★★★
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, Regina
★★★★★
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, Emerald Park
★★★★★
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, White City
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Describe the damage (crack, spall, vertical, structural) and the surrounding context, and we will specify the matched Ardex product and provide a written quote.
