You can see some cracking, rusting steel, crumbling concrete or some other signs of an apparent problem with the concrete around your building. Evidence of this type of damage may be prevalent on your balconies, or building facade or in your parking garage. These outward signs are but symptoms of a more serious internal problems— corrosion of steel or other metals inside the concrete or a self-destructive mechanism occurring within the concrete itself. Thousands of property owners have experienced similar problems and numerous questions have been raised. In hopes of shedding some light on the subject, some of the most frequently asked questions are discussed below.

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What is the difference between repair and rehabilitation? A. Repair techniques are used to restore the structural integrity and shape of a concrete element. For example, a balcony slab can be repaired so that it does not have any damaged concrete or unsafe indentations. Repair techniques generally include removal of damaged concrete and placement of new concrete in its place. Repair methods, however, do little to address the cause of deterioration. Therefore, in the case of reinforcing steel corrosion, simple repairs typically fail prematurely since nothing is done to mitigate or stop the primary deterioration mechanism. Rehabilitation methods, in addition to restoring structural integrity and shape, mitigate or stop the process responsible for the damage. Because rehabilitation includes addressing the cause of the problem itself, the repairs last significantly longer.

Carbon fiber is the common name used to refer to plastic reinforced by a graphite textile. Less frequently, the term is used to describe the textile itself, but it is pretty much useless unless embedded in plastic. Carbon fiber is known alternatively as carbon fiber reinforced plastic or carbon fiber composite. The plastic typically used is epoxy. Carbon fiber is very expensive, but has a fantastic weight-to-strength ratio. Attempts to put it into mass production have so far failed, due to inadequate demand, the customized nature of most carbon fiber parts, and a lack of skilled craftsmen. The material is employed in high-quality cars, boats, bicycles, and planes, including popular Formula One racecars. Depending on the orientation of the fiber, the carbon fiber composite can be stronger in a certain direction or equally strong in all directions. A small piece can withstand an impact of many tons and still deform minimally. The complex interwoven nature of the fiber makes it very difficult to break. In terms of weight-to-strength ratio, carbon fiber composite is currently the best material that our civilization can produce in appreciable quantities. Introducing carbon nanotubes into the fiber is currently in research stages, and may offer improved ratios of 10 times or greater – a space age material indeed. Carbon fibers are chemically "grown" on smaller frames with a high surface area, designed to bond to deposited carbon atoms. The frame typically constitutes 2% of the total fiber produced.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate Requires a warm, dry weekend and some stamina (for wielding a paint roller). You finally got the tools hanging neatly on an outlined pegboard, and all the paint is organized in carefully labeled cabinets. But now your car is jealous, sitting like a lump on the oily, dirty concrete slab. You still need to put the finishing touch on the garage cleanup: a colorful, shiny epoxy floor coating that will have you—and your car—feeling like you're driving into a showroom every time you come home. Epoxy not only tops off the pro look but also resists oil stains, beads water, and wipes clean like a kitchen counter. Color chips and custom paint colors hide annoying imperfections in the concrete, and antiskid additives give you the grip you need on a snowy day. As This Old House technical editor Mark Powers shows on the following pages, you just need a weekend to sweep the dirt out and paint the epoxy on. Then the garage will finally be a space worth driving up to—and showing off.

The Truth About Basement Waterproofing The majority of waterproofing today comes from system companies. System companies claim to offer different methods, but will always steer you to a water control, or inside system. This one size fits all approach benefits the company more often than the customer.

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What are Basement Waterproofing Systems? Need to know what to do when considering better basement waterproofing systems? A look at the overview with plenty of tips for you to start.

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Avoiding Basement Flooding Tips and advice on how to avoid basement flooding with a focus on maintaing your sump pump.

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Some Ideas for Finishing an Unfinished Basement The article "Ideas For Remodeling Or Finishing An Unfinished Basement" specify how a little planning and some expert advice can turn one of the most unused areas of your home into a most productive zone.

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