Wet the concrete. You may want to do this on a cloudy day or even a very humid day. Take an hour or so and keep wetting the concrete until it can't absorb any more. Mix some portland cement with water--it should be wet enough that you can apply it with a scrub brush. Use this as a primer. Prime all the concrete, being sure to scrub it in the crevices. Be sure to get the edges primed very well, too. While it is wet, fill with portland cement and sand mix and trowel out.

I believe there is concrete primer sold on the market, but I've used this fix many times, in many different places and it works great. It has lasted forever in the places I've done this. Good luck.

Thanks for the reply Zeus, many of the depressions are quite shallow and priming them will be difficult. Any suggestions? Thanks again. Iggie

My experience with these kind of patches has not been good. The patches (especially shallow ones like yours) tend to crumble pretty quickly due to expansion and contraction caused by temperature swings and moisture. Also, I've found that there is typically some color variation which makes the patches look pretty conspicuous. This is why they typically tear up a problem section of sidewalk rather than try to patch it. Sorry, but IMHO, unless it looks really bad now, I'd leave it alone.

I,m interested in sealing it so it does not deterioriate further. I have not had in success in getting advice on a good driveway sealer for concrete. I am told acrylic polymers work well. However, after contacting several places listed on the web supposedly for DIYERS, I simply get names of local contractors who do such work. I would sure appreciate any reccomedation or help on finding the correct coating and a supplier. I want to do this myself. Thanks for the replies and advicw. Iggie

If you just use the "primer",that is the portland cement mixed with water to a workable consistancy, you can use THAT as the patch. About 20 years ago, my dad used this technique on spalded concrete treads on his front porch. Those steps STILL look good today. But be sure to scrub a coat of it on those areas first and while it's still wet, fill it in with the rest of the "primer." And be sure to use good wetting techniques on the concrete first or the water will get sucked out of the patch and THAT is what leads to lots of concrete repair failures. Even doing this after a good rain is one of the most ideal conditions.

Try contacting some concrete suppliers. We have some around here who will sell you the sealer they use. It seems to work a lot better than the DIY stuff. It's ugly stuff--has a terrible petroleum odor, but maybe that's why it lasts so long. Good luck.

There are also some products made specifically for patching. Quickcrete makes one that I had good results with on my pocked garage floor. I think they include polymers in the mix to increase the bonding strength with the old concrete.

All in all though, I like green-zeus' idea even better - just wish I had thought of that - using the straight cement as a primer. Plus it saves having half a bag of another product leftover.

Thanks to all who replied, I am definitely going to try Zeus suggestion.

My driveway is pitting more and more after the bad winters. I have received quotes to overlay my driveway with the concrete polymer and top it off with a decorative design. This is cost effective and saves approximatley $2500 from ripping it out and replacing it. After talking to various concrete companies they suggest new concrete vs. overlay. I think it is most cost effective for them. I live in Illinois, is freezing and snow removal a problem. Will the overlay give me the results I am looking for>