But for patching holes, where the edges help contain the patch, the material can be up to 1/2-inch thick. Before you patch, scrub the divots with a wire brush to remove any loose sand grains and ...

—Purchase a small tub of pre-mixed concrete patch material and trowel it in and over the crack. —Slather on roofing cement. —Order some magic sticky material hawked by a carnival barker.

This botched concrete repair might be traced to poor eyesight, poor skills or an I-don’t-care attitude. The truck keys, fob and Mike Mulligan charm are for scale. (Tim Carter/Tribune Content Agency) ...