How I Repaired a Crack and Hole in My Concrete Driveway Before Winter

See how I repaired a crack and hole in my concrete driveway before winter for about $35, with step-by-step photos and honest DIY takeaways.

HOME DIY & DECOR

10/8/20264 min read

I wasn’t planning on a driveway repair. I was planning on a clean driveway.

But after I pressure washed my concrete, I stood back to admire my work and saw what the dirt had been hiding: a long crack and a hole I could no longer pretend wasn’t there.

A dirty driveway camouflages a lot. A clean one tells the truth.

With winter coming, I wanted to take care of the damage instead of leaving it for another season. So I tackled it myself, on a budget, with a putty knife and a lot of patience.

The materials cost me about $35, not counting the pressure washer I already owned. The actual work was manageable—the waiting between layers was the part that stretched this project over several days.

Here’s what I used, how I applied it, and my honest take on the finished result.

Full transparency: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase through them. I only share products I’ve personally used and would recommend. Thank you for your support!

What I Used to Repair My Concrete Driveway

DAP Repair & Renew concrete repair product
Putty knife
Rust-Oleum MultiColor Textured spray paint
Gloves
Pressure washer for cleaning the damaged areas

My total materials cost was about $35. Your cost will depend on what you already own and how much repair material you need.

Before starting, check your repair product’s directions for surface preparation, application temperature, layer thickness, drying time, and when the repaired area can handle traffic.

Step 1: Clean the Damaged Areas

Pressure washing was what revealed the damage in the first place, but it also gave me a chance to clean out the areas I needed to repair.

I removed dirt, loose debris, and crumbling bits of concrete from the crack and hole. Then I let the areas dry before applying the repair product.

This wasn’t the exciting part of the project, but I didn’t want to put fresh repair material over dirt or loose concrete.

If your driveway needs a good cleaning too, you can read about how I pressure washed mine here.

Step 2: Fill the Crack

With gloves on, I used a putty knife to press the DAP Repair & Renew into the crack, working it into the damaged area rather than just spreading it across the top.

Then I smoothed the surface as level as I could with the surrounding driveway.

I waited about 24 hours before moving on. That was my project timeline—not a blanket rule for every repair or weather condition. Follow the instructions on your product for drying, painting, exposure to rain, and when it’s safe to walk or drive over it.

Step 3: Fill the Hole in Layers

The hole needed a little more patience.

The directions on the DAP Repair & Renew I used allowed repairs deeper than ½ inch, but specified applying the product in ¼-inch layers. That’s why I filled the hole in three separate applications instead of filling it all at once.

For each layer, I pressed the material into place with my putty knife. I waited about 24 hours between applications, then added the next layer. On the final application, I smoothed the patch as level as possible with the surrounding concrete.

Was the waiting a little annoying? Yes. But I wanted to follow the layer-thickness instructions rather than rush to the finished result.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take photos of the hole during the repair. I was too focused on getting it filled to grab my phone. Lesson learned for the next project!

Step 4: My Cosmetic Touch-Up

Once the repair material had dried, the patches were noticeably different in color from the older concrete.

I used Rust-Oleum MultiColor Textured spray paint over the repaired areas to help make them less obvious.

This was a cosmetic experiment, not an additional repair step or a promise of a perfect match. I’m sharing what I tried rather than recommending it as a proven driveway coating.

Up close, you can still tell where I repaired the concrete. From the street, though, the patches blend in much better.

For a $35 project, I’m happy with the improvement. How the finish holds up over time is something I’ll need to evaluate separately from how it looks right now.

My Honest Takeaways

Cleaning first helped me see what needed attention. Pressure washing revealed the damage and let me clean out the areas before repairing them.
The deep hole took several applications. My product’s directions called for ¼-inch layers, so I spread the work across three rounds.
Waiting was a bigger part of the project than the hands-on work. Allow time for each application instead of expecting to finish everything in one afternoon.
The color match isn’t perfect. The cosmetic touch-up made my patches less noticeable, but it didn’t make them disappear.
Product directions matter. Check the instructions on the exact product you’re using rather than assuming all concrete repair materials work the same way.

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t a flawless-looking repair, but it was an affordable project I could tackle myself.

The crack and hole are filled, the repaired areas look better, and I’m glad I didn’t leave the project on my “I’ll get to it eventually” list for another season.

For now, I’m happy with the result. The real test will be how the repair and cosmetic finish hold up over time.

And the next time I pressure wash something, I’ll remember: sometimes a clean surface comes with a new project.