They are everywhere you look -- those pesky horizontal and vertical concrete cracks. They can drive you crazy. No need to worry anymore. With a few easy steps, you can fix them and enjoy a crack-free existence.

Seal cracks

Tools: Wire brush or drill with wire-wheel attachment, cold chisel, hand maul, paintbrush, caulk gun, trowel

Materials: Vinyl-reinforced patching compound, concrete caulk, sand, hydraulic or quick-setting cement, sand-mix concrete, concrete fortifier

1. Use wire brush to clean out the crack, removing debris and any loose rocks or stones.

2. Using the cold chisel and hand maul, create an opening that is wider at the base than at the surface.

3. After cleaning out the crack and chiseling the crack open, apply bonding adhesive to the entire crack.

4. If the crack is small, you can use vinyl-reinforced patching compound (Quikrete Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Mix) to fill the crack. Make sure to trowel it even with the surface. You can also use squeeze tubes or bottles of gray concrete crack seal.

5. For a larger horizontal crack, first clean out the crack; second, fill the crack with sand. Third, put sand-mix concrete into the crack.

6. If you are repairing a large vertical wall crack, build up the layers of concrete or hydraulic cement.