But when corners are cut during the pour, it is only later, after the contractor and the workers are long gone, that the homeowner begins feeling the pain: cracks in the basement floors and walls, as well as patios and sidewalks.

Walkway surfaces start flaking and chipping away, leaving craters everywhere. Maybe they’re merely unsightly, but soon people are tripping over them and commenting on how unsightly the property is.

How about solid yet flexible concrete fences?

But wouldn’t a concrete fence make a home unsightly? Contrary to popular belief, concrete can be molded into almost any shape and size, and embellished with myriad designs to suit your aesthetic tastes. All you need are accurate measurements, concrete forms, rebars and steel mesh, and then you’re good to go.

Just prepare the mold for the concrete and you’re all set to start pouring and curing. Of course, it helps to have precise measurements of the perimeter of your property.

What makes concrete a better material for fence construction is its ability to take any contour, large or small, tall or short, thick or thin, with the proper mold and some extra materials to reinforce the structure, such as steel. Prior to setting up the forms, remember to take exact measurements of your lot’s perimeter and determine how high you want the fence to stand.

Speaking of aesthetics, concrete fences may be made to look like other materials like wood or brick, or painted with a variety of colors to bestow your home’s frontage with beauty that lasts. Treat yourself further by repeating the exterior design of the fence on the interior to give your yard an artistic boost.

Concrete fences may also be dressed up with different patterns that cater to even the most discerning preferences. The advent of paint mixed especially for concrete provides another option for beautifying an otherwise drab fence. Match the design elements and colors of the fence to those of your house.

Instead of building the fence from the ground up, however, you may want to opt for prefabricated concrete fences. With the most of the dirty work done off site, in a facility where temperature is regulated to allow proper casting and curing of concrete panels, the only thing left to do is install them.

Later, when the concrete has properly set, the panels may be transported to the site and attached to similarly precast concrete posts.

The cost of labor for the installation on top of the amount you spend on purchasing the precast concrete panels can be daunting, but it is more cost-effective than setting up fences made of other materials in the long terms since maintenance won’t be much of a problem.

C) For moderate cracks (up to 1/2″), repeat above steps, but use sealant or pre-mixed mortar.

D) For larger cracks:
1) Chip and clean out crack area, then clean the surfaces.
2) Apply concrete adhesive, then fill with pre-mixed concrete, following manufacturer’s mixing instructions.
3) After one hour, trowel away excess material.
4) Keep it moist and covered for several days.
5) After it’s dry, coat the patch with sealant.

Over 90% of basement wall concrete cracks pose no structural threat- but what about water seepage? Where there are cracks, moisture will always follow, either now or later. So how the problem should be dealt with?

Some manufacturers of prefabricated concrete fences offer to install tubing in the panels through which electrical wires for lights and other fixtures can pass. If you plan ahead, there may be no need to have more work done just to install lamps and other devices which require electricity.

If you are planning to install lighting or other gadgets on the concrete wall, you might as well ask the manufacturer to modify the panels to accommodate electrical conduits and other accessories. By doing this, you lessen the risk of the concrete fences chipping or breaking when you try setting up an electrical system to run through it

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