What Is Best To Repair Wriveway Joint

Concrete expansion joints are important for your sidewalk or driveway.

Keeping your joints watertight volition prevent moisture from seeping under concrete pads and causing them to heave or sink. This post shares how to accomplish this job.

The purpose of a concrete expansion articulation is to allow the pads to expand and contract (become bigger and smaller) with temperature & humidity changes.

If you've got kids think of the expansion joint equally yourself and the concrete pads as your children – queue memory of standing between two kids every bit they attempt to tear each other apart. Well, this is how I feel sometimes with my daughters (is information technology bad if I view myself equally an expansion joint that buffers arguments about clothes, nutrient, and hair?).

Good news!!

Protecting and repairing a concrete expansion joint is super easy. And it's far cheaper to do this weekend project than information technology is to hire a contractor to replace a severely damaged concrete driveway or sidewalk.

Here are the supplies you'll need

Sikaflex self-leveling sealant
Caulking gun for 29-ounce tubes
Utility knife
Rags (you lot'll need several)
Safety spectacles
Nitrile gloves
DeWALT 4 1/2 Inch Angle Grinder
DeWALT Tile Bract for Angle Grinder (this works style improve than the blade I used here)
Acetone
These Amazon chapter links help back up HRT…thank you for using them

This supply list may audio intimidating because of the angle grinder.

But what amend time to brainstorm using one of these awesome tools, and they tin can be very affordable.

Then let's go started and seal your concrete expansion joint so it's protected from the effects of weather!

Removing One-time Fabric from a Concrete Expansion Articulation

Concrete expansion joints are besides known as isolation joints.

Like I said in the intro these joints permit concrete pads to expand and contract during freeze-thaw cycles.

Without a concrete expansion articulation, your sidewalk or driveway would crack.

If you lot look at the expansion joints between your concrete you lot might see black felt or onetime sealant.

Old sealant and worn-out felt need to exist removed.

Concrete Expansion Joints-Remove old sealant

When I chosen Sika, the company that makes the self-leveling sealant for this kind of projection, they told me to use a utility knife to remove onetime material and clean off any remaining balance with acetone. If you do this step, make certain the Acetone flash dries (Sika said to wait near 1 hour).

You could give this utility knife technique a try. But I found that the people who endemic our house applied a layer of new sealant over an quondam layer. And I had a true hot mess because both sealants were pulling abroad from the physical.

If you're in the same predicament, using an angle grinder with a standard cutting wheel or diamond blade is the way to go.

Sure, neighbors might think yous're a bit crazy. But they also will call back twice about sending their kids over for fundraisers (which could exist a good affair).

Concrete Expansion Joints-Angle grinders help remove old sealant

Aye, the angle grinder is an extra purchase but you tin can become one cheaper than a pair of running shoes.

In my example, I had to cut through two layers of old sealant. The angle grinder cutting wheel had to penetrate about ane/2 to 1 inch downwards through the sealant layers. You should as well remove any old foam backer rod that is beneath the sealant (I'll explain what this is in the side by side section).

The physical joint doesn't have to be perfectly make clean for the new sealant. And old sealant that'southward left behind afterward you lot use the bending grinder volition exist pretty well adhered to the concrete and won't interfere with the new sealant'southward bonding chapters.

Loose sealant on the edge of the expansion joint tin can be scraped off with your utility knife.

This step is peradventure the most of import i. It's definitely the most time-consuming.

Make sure you vesture prophylactic spectacles and protective gloves since the cutting wheel sparks a scrap when it occasionally touches the concrete.

Here's a short video to give you an idea of what needs to be washed to remove one-time sealant from a concrete expansion joint.

Prepping Your Concrete Expansion Joint for Sealant

If you lot're equally nerdy as me when it comes to remodeling you may accept wondered what the heck that prophylactic stuff is between concrete pads or walkways.

It'due south okay if you've never had this thought, this means yous're normal and the rest of usa DIYers are at risk of tripping over ourselves while pondering such questions.

The stuff that looks like prophylactic is a self-leveling sealant. The brand you can discover at the local store here in the states is called Sikaflex Self-Leveling Sealant.

Concrete Expansion Joints-Sikaflex is self leveling sealant

Sikaflex tin be used to seal horizontal expansion joints. Information technology's a great product considering information technology remains permanently flexible, dries quickly, sticks to anything, is self-leveling, and highly resistant to weather conditions.

Yous should use Sikaflex when the temperature is betwixt 40F-100F. The ideal temperature is in the middle of this range because the joint will be less probable to exist fully contracted or expanded.

Sikaflex will be tack-free in 1 to 2 hours and fully cured in 3 to 5 days.

I didn't drive on information technology for v days. Who wants tires tracks of sealant on their driveway (not me and I certainly don't want to explicate this to my wife). Also, brand certain rain isn't in the forecast for 24 hours.

Subsequently removing all the one-time sealant use a vacuum or moisture/dry vac to suck up any debris from your physical joints.

Then use a closed-cell foam capitalist rod in between the joints.

Concrete Expansion Joints-Backer rod needs to be placed in joints before sealant

Foam backer rods act to make full in space between concrete joints so you don't demand to use a ton of self-leveling sealant.

Here'due south a Large TIP: the diameter of the backer rod should be 1/8 inch larger than the width of your physical expansion joint.

This will ensure a h2o-tight seal.

Concrete Expansion Joints-Add closed cell backer rods to joints before sealant

Push the backer rod down into the joint with your hand. The depth of the joint should be a minimum of i/four inch and a maximum of 1/2 inch below the concrete pads. This ways the backer rod should be this far below the physical pad surface.

If your joint is wider than the backer rod you can twist 2 strands together similar a rope.

Here's a 2d Big TIP: double-check the capitalist rod sits below the surface of the concrete pad.

Otherwise, you'll have a piddling hump that develops when you apply the sealant. And aye, I'm speaking from experience 🙁

By the way, the backer rod tin can exist found in the same section equally the concrete supplies at the hardware shop.

Continue Your Physical Expansion Joint Watertight and Crack Resistant with Sikaflex Sealant

Gather all your old socks and a few worn-out T-shirts.

You'll need them as rags (don't whine about using your old Pinkish Floyd concert shirt, nobody thinks y'all're absurd if you wear it to the mall in 2000 whatever. Hey, I love Pink Floyd but seriously, if you lot're reading this yous're probably old enough to know they aren't touring anytime shortly).

Sikaflex cocky-leveling sealant comes in two size tubes. The large tube is 29 fluid ounces and the minor tube is 10 fluid ounces.

If you lot have a huge concrete expansion articulation to fill I highly recommend the 29 fl oz tube. You'll have to purchase a large caulking gun only this will save y'all a ton of time.

Concrete Expansion Joints-29 oz tubes of Sikaflex require a large caulking gun

Here's a Third Big TIP:

Recollect about how many tubes yous demand then BUY twice as many.

Again, talking from experience hither. It'southward so much easier to buy a ton of sealant then return what you don't utilize.

With the capitalist rod in place, y'all tin can cut the Sikaflex tube and then that it will make a 1/4 inch bead. You might be tempted to cutting the tube bigger but don't.

In one case the sealant starts flowing it can be hard to finish and a bigger bead ways you'll accept to piece of work faster. Not to mention, but I volition anyway, the huge potential mess you lot might accept. Visualize sealant on your pants, hands, shoes, hair…..

Pierce the seal inside the tube with an sometime wire hanger, the kind you go from the dry cleaners.

Identify the tube in your caulking gun and pretend you're Muddy Harry. But kidding. This pace is unnecessary and simply meant to make you lot feel cool (which yous are of form).

Squeeze the Sikaflex sealant into the concrete expansion joint and allow information technology to flow & self-level itself. Add more Sikaflex where it's needed.

Voila!!!

Your physical expansion joint is now watertight and way more unlikely to crevice.

In case you're more into watching than reading hither'due south a video showing you what to expect when using Sikaflex

What's Side by side

Our tutorial on rock patio care is also super helpful – you lot'll save a ton of time cleaning with our tips!

If you're doing a bathroom remodel and need help, join ane of our online courses – they'll make your bathroom renovation much easier!

Allow me know if y'all have any questions and I'll do my best to help.

Cheers equally ever for reading, watching, and existence part of our awesome customs.

Cheers,

Jeff

Concrete Expansion Joints