Most concrete fixing chores require mixing. Since the repair projects are small, you won’t need to worry about the proper amounts of cement powder, gravel, and sand. These dry ingredients are already in the bag of ready-mix. It is critical that you add the proper amount of water and mix it in properly. This is an important part of the success of your repair job. Here are a few simple steps:

1. Try to figure out how much concrete you’ll need. There aren’t too many ways to use an extra cubic yard of slush that will soon be hard as a rock.

2. The bag will tell you how much water to use. Measure this out ahead of time rather than guessing. Add the water in a little at a time. When you first start mixing, it will seem to need more water.

3. Mixing can be done in a wheelbarrow or even on a plastic sheet on a driveway. A hoe is the proper tool for mixing.

4. You are not finished mixing until every grain of sand and every bit of gravel is coated with the gray mix.

Cracks in concrete are pretty much a fact of life. But once there is the smallest of hairline cracks, there’s a better than average chance it will grow into something resembling the Grand Canyon. Patching can stop the crack’s growth.