To really get the urethane sealant into the crack, reverse the direction you move the caulk gun. Rather than drag it away, push the sealant forward into the crack. Same principle of holding it tight to the surface, but allowing it to flow into the crack in front of the tip thus pushing the sealant down and flowing out ahead. This fills the crack fully behind the gun tip with the overflow moving ahead. The crack is always full behind the tip and has no where to go but down and ahead of where you have already filled. It reduces sagging below the surface with less overflow to tool out. Give it a try like that and you will see what I mean. I believe the product instructions say to do it this way also. It works better for me that way, but to each their own. It’s different than caulking your tub or sink top. Good video!
I can totally picture what you mean. I believe this will be how I use it. I'll have to wait on home projects until my pay check catches up with inflation because I KNOW greedy corporate Mongrels are not going to reduce the prices of goods if conditions change back. 😑
Another good trick is when you use a grinder with a crack chasing wheel sweep up the cement powder that you ground out of the crack and save it in a cup. When you put down the self leveling cement caulk like you used sprinkle the cement powder that you saved onto the wet crack filler. It will match much more closely. I’ve done it that way and the way you’re doing it in this video and both work well but the way I explained just matches the cement color better.
It's all in the prep. The more thorough you clean and prepare, the better the repair. I find a pressure washer cleaning makes a huge difference. So you can clean out and patch the whole surface, not just the top. Let's the material penetrate down and gives it a nice clean surface to bond to. Cool video, thanks! 👍
I see this has been brought up before in the comments, how about an update video on this? I have watched a couple crack repair videos and really like the outcome of the method you used but curious on how it held up!
Brilliant! I was thinking about repairing my driveway with nothing but the sealant but I was very hesitant because I knew it would stick out like a sore thumb so I came to CZcams looking for a better solution and here it is! This looks so much better and it's hardly any more work.
I picked up sika products at the local road building supply store for repairs. The quickcrete over the caulk is a excellent improvement for adhesion, leveling and looks and I’m sure is more durable. I’ll be using that method for every repair unless the customer wants a trowled look. Because my hand is not as experienced as yours I usually use duct tape on both sides of the cracks. Especially on sidewalk to foundation joints.
Quickcrete sprinkled over horizontal concrete repair is good. Try a small sample first. I recommend sand sprinkled over vertical caulking if you want to blend the caulking color, sand is available in a lot of colors from tan to white, gray and multi color. I tried ouickcrete over tan color sika caulk and it turned very dark gray and spotty and blends in well.
@@kennethmiller5543 Hi. So sprinkling sand over the caulk is better than concrete powder, in your opinion? Just Plain sand, or a special type? After you sprinkle it, how long to wait until you remove it? Minutes or a full day? How best to remove it, use a blower or sweep it off? Thank you vey much.
Although a little time consuming to make the repair even less noticeable is to tape the sides of the crack. Also you could consider using a pressure washer on the excess. I did this same repair on colored concrete using matched hardener and it worked ok.
Nice repair. I did cringe though when I saw you using the Portland cement with your bare hand. Portland cement is a super dehydrator. It will suck all of the moisture out of your skin. Therefore, leaving you with deep, painful cracks in your fingers. Especially in the joints. If this didn't happen to you, you are very fortunate. Always wear gloves when handling it.
Hi - You mentioned that you would do a quick follow up video how this repair held up after a year after. I'm not finding it. Did you do one? Thank you!
OMG! Thank you! I didn't want to use just the sealant because how it looks. I have a bag of cement and was thinking of using just cement but I knew that was a bad idea. Thank you!!
@@terryhenry8243 Hi. Can I just use plain, ordinary sand? Whats “play sand” and why is the better over plain, ordinary sand? Where can I find the special sand? Also, after sprinkling over it, how long to wait before removing it? How exactly to remove it, use a blower? Thank you very much.
@@mikeike7114 yes, just regular sand works good. Just watch how much you apply. I have found that trying to repair concrete with concrete is very temporary. It always busts up later. Using the sika self leveling sealant has been the best in my experience for cracks. It moves with the concrete under expansion and you don't have to come back later for another repair job. The sand just helps hide the color difference making the repair less obvious. Hope that helps.
I would like to see shots of the prior repair. The crucial thing about concrete repairs is how they hold up. I'm talking years, not days. Let's see this next year.
i have used about 8 or 9 big tubes of that sikaflex it runs in cracks very easy, i used it in a 30 below freezer to fix maybe 200 to 300 feet of cracks, it worked great, it has been down for about 3 months now with no problems, i took a V blade to open the cracks up for the sikaflex, the boss does not care about color matching just fix the cracks, it hardens in about 1 hour to touch and after it cures you are suppose to be able to sand the sikaflex, i did not have to sand it for our purpose, that sikaflex is great stuff
The only issue I see with your process it the quickrete will crack when the driveway starts to expand and contract with each change in season. The sealant will flex when this happens, the quickrete won’t.
I think the best solution is to tape either side of the crack off, then put quick Crete in a bottle and add water... the when it is reasonable runny pour it down the crack! When it's semi dry brush off the excess and then remove the tape.
I cleaned out the cracks and used the Silka (Which cracked right down the center on the whole 50 foot of my repair) but did not use the Concrete powder. Guess I will have to revisit that step.
The last time I filled a driveway crack I took some mortar powder and swept it into the crack and left it there and let the moisture harden it. You could hardly tell. It looked like a vein of some sort after it cured.
Problem with that is the filler material is not flexible and the crack will just reopen with freeze/thaw, this flexible filler with the concrete overlay gives you a flexible joint fill with the appearance of concrete.
I’m favoriting this video. I think some of our cracks may be a little more at uneven heights though. Either way I like it and it has given me inspiration! Thank you.
@@MULTIPLESHOTSFIRED, how has the repair held up? Any thing you would do different if you did it over? Maybe even make a follow up video. Anyhow, I Appreciate any feedback.
It takes more time but if you mask the crack off with short strips of tape and then work it in with a flat trowl the result will look much cleaner. Epoxy works much better as well .
Have you tried it with Ardex? Portland isn't good in a topcoat application (VeRy fragile) . Ardex is epoxy reinforced, and you can apply it in very thin applications and it remains durable. Dunno about the color though... I will def try this and potentially add it as an upsell in residential application if it holds up to vehicle traffic for a few months +
I just tried this and all went well to the quick Crete phase and it’s a dark brown and color is horrible. Not sure what to do next. Hoping I don’t get sued by homeowner I should of tested it in a small section first
@@Cybergrip1 This is called “crack chasing” in the industry. It is an important step so take the time to do it correctly as demonstrated in this video. After blowing out the debris, you are left with a clean crack surface, which will facilitate better adhesion for the joint sealant. Better results and much longer lasting repair. State DOTs require the crack chasing before sealing roadway control joints and random cracking. I really like the idea for the cosmetic repair to make the crack less noticeable. Great video!
Hi. What’s the difference between this “crack fix” versus “self-leveling sealant”??? Do you know? Seems like same product… same color, both liquidy, and both are self-leveling it seems. I don’t understand what’s the difference between the two? The “crack-fix” says that it’s ‘textured’. That’s the only difference I see. Is that it? Thank you very much.
"Using some quikrete cement over the crack sealant makes it look much better" There ya go....question though: IS that quikrete concrete patcher the "powder" you used? I thought that patcher was a premixed 'dough-like' application?
If you search the product name, you'll find there's a powder version, and pre-mixed version. The ingredients might not be the same, despite the same name.
I like the idea, everything looks easy enough that anyone can do it. I just have one question... should I use water rather than air only to clear out the crack of dust and debris? It seems a bit more logical but I'm not a Vulcan so I could be wrong.
That's a good idea, in this case I had used the quikrete to repair a part of the driveway previously and it matched really well, that's what gave me the idea to use it to help blend in the crack repair.
Can I use this product to fill the thin settling cracks between the stone flower beds & foundation? I tried outdoor caulk but it just showed a crack again after a week. Thanks!
I agree it looks good but,. Since the Sika sealant is flexible and the cement on top is not flexible I would think that the first time you drive over it ,the cement on top would collapse into the softer Sika sealant. Then you have crumbling cement to sweep up. Doesn't look like it will last.
Quikrete on top of flex filler is brilliant. Thanks for the tip, appreciate it. BTW, do you need to angle grind it if it’s big enough that the sealant goes right in?
To really get the urethane sealant into the crack, reverse the direction you move the caulk gun. Rather than drag it away, push the sealant forward into the crack. Same principle of holding it tight to the surface, but allowing it to flow into the crack in front of the tip thus pushing the sealant down and flowing out ahead. This fills the crack fully behind the gun tip with the overflow moving ahead. The crack is always full behind the tip and has no where to go but down and ahead of where you have already filled. It reduces sagging below the surface with less overflow to tool out. Give it a try like that and you will see what I mean. I believe the product instructions say to do it this way also. It works better for me that way, but to each their own. It’s different than caulking your tub or sink top. Good video!
Good tip I'll try that next time I do it!
Very nice tip!
I can totally picture what you mean. I believe this will be how I use it. I'll have to wait on home projects until my pay check catches up with inflation because I KNOW greedy corporate Mongrels are not going to reduce the prices of goods if conditions change back. 😑
Another good trick is when you use a grinder with a crack chasing wheel sweep up the cement powder that you ground out of the crack and save it in a cup. When you put down the self leveling cement caulk like you used sprinkle the cement powder that you saved onto the wet crack filler. It will match much more closely. I’ve done it that way and the way you’re doing it in this video and both work well but the way I explained just matches the cement color better.
this is actually a great idea
Awesome idea!
It's all in the prep. The more thorough you clean and prepare, the better the repair. I find a pressure washer cleaning makes a huge difference. So you can clean out and patch the whole surface, not just the top. Let's the material penetrate down and gives it a nice clean surface to bond to.
Cool video, thanks! 👍
About to be a first time home buyer and wouldn't have thought to add quickrete to the sealant. Great video and turnout. Thank you!
I see this has been brought up before in the comments, how about an update video on this? I have watched a couple crack repair videos and really like the outcome of the method you used but curious on how it held up!
Agreed................and how much freeze do you really have in SE USA?
Brilliant! I was thinking about repairing my driveway with nothing but the sealant but I was very hesitant because I knew it would stick out like a sore thumb so I came to CZcams looking for a better solution and here it is! This looks so much better and it's hardly any more work.
Guy wears a Rolex while doing masonry work. He's the man!!
This is where he parks his Lambo so gotta do a good job.
Now that's the ultimate flex. I wouldn't do that with my $30 Casio. 🤣
I picked up sika products at the local road building supply store for repairs. The quickcrete over the caulk is a excellent improvement for adhesion, leveling and looks and I’m sure is more durable. I’ll be using that method for every repair unless the customer wants a trowled look. Because my hand is not as experienced as yours I usually use duct tape on both sides of the cracks. Especially on sidewalk to foundation joints.
Quickcrete sprinkled over horizontal concrete repair is good. Try a small sample first. I recommend sand sprinkled over vertical caulking if you want to blend the caulking color, sand is available in a lot of colors from tan to white, gray and multi color. I tried ouickcrete over tan color sika caulk and it turned very dark gray and spotty and blends in well.
Will be trying this come spring time here
@@kennethmiller5543 Hi. So sprinkling sand over the caulk is better than concrete powder, in your opinion? Just Plain sand, or a special type? After you sprinkle it, how long to wait until you remove it? Minutes or a full day? How best to remove it, use a blower or sweep it off? Thank you vey much.
@@mikeike7114i have been a professional caulker for ver 45 years. Using sand shortens the sealants life expectancy.
It looks better than many others I have seen.
Although a little time consuming to make the repair even less noticeable is to tape the sides of the crack. Also you could consider using a pressure washer on the excess. I did this same repair on colored concrete using matched hardener and it worked ok.
That was the best video of this fix I've seen. Thanks, oh, nice Rolex. 👍👍👍
Nice repair. I did cringe though when I saw you using the Portland cement with your bare hand. Portland cement is a super dehydrator. It will suck all of the moisture out of your skin. Therefore, leaving you with deep, painful cracks in your fingers. Especially in the joints. If this didn't happen to you, you are very fortunate. Always wear gloves when handling it.
Good advice, As a young laborer I found out the hard way. My hands took weeks to heal.
Gotta love a guy that does home improvement videos wearing his Rolex watch!
I wear it all the time- it's the ultimate tool watch.
@@MULTIPLESHOTSFIRED HA! That's what I was thinking! Rolex, BMW and DIY. Nice!
2 BMW’s actually
I was looking at several videos. Brother yours is the best for beginners!. Thanks
Glad you like the video!!
Hi - You mentioned that you would do a quick follow up video how this repair held up after a year after. I'm not finding it. Did you do one? Thank you!
Not a bad idea. I a lot of times believe a crack looks better than the fix……. But that’s me.
I’ve had success with using Tec Power Grout for repairs. Comes in a variety of gray shades to get a close match
Good taste in cars and watch. You inspired me to do my driveway. Going to try and paint on top also
OMG! Thank you! I didn't want to use just the sealant because how it looks. I have a bag of cement and was thinking of using just cement but I knew that was a bad idea. Thank you!!
I have always used sand on top. Will give the Quickrete a go this time. Thanks for the video.
I was just think how I have a lighter driveway than his so I can't use quickcrete but sand would be perfect!
Good idea to hide sins but that quickrete will crack up first time there is any expansion. Throw a little play sand on top of sika and you got it.
@@terryhenry8243 agree. I still use sand.
@@terryhenry8243 Hi. Can I just use plain, ordinary sand? Whats “play sand” and why is the better over plain, ordinary sand? Where can I find the special sand?
Also, after sprinkling over it, how long to wait before removing it? How exactly to remove it, use a blower? Thank you very much.
@@mikeike7114 yes, just regular sand works good. Just watch how much you apply. I have found that trying to repair concrete with concrete is very temporary. It always busts up later. Using the sika self leveling sealant has been the best in my experience for cracks. It moves with the concrete under expansion and you don't have to come back later for another repair job. The sand just helps hide the color difference making the repair less obvious. Hope that helps.
Those crack sealants are so unattractive; it was brilliant to top it with some Quickrete to blend it in. Thanks for the tip!
I would like to see shots of the prior repair. The crucial thing about concrete repairs is how they hold up. I'm talking years, not days. Let's see this next year.
i have used about 8 or 9 big tubes of that sikaflex it runs in cracks very easy, i used it in a 30 below freezer to fix maybe 200 to 300 feet of cracks, it worked great, it has been down for about 3 months now with no problems, i took a V blade to open the cracks up for the sikaflex, the boss does not care about color matching just fix the cracks, it hardens in about 1 hour to touch and after it cures you are suppose to be able to sand the sikaflex, i did not have to sand it for our purpose, that sikaflex is great stuff
The only issue I see with your process it the quickrete will crack when the driveway starts to expand and contract with each change in season. The sealant will flex when this happens, the quickrete won’t.
I was thinking the same thing especially if you live in an area where there's freeze/thaw
I think the best solution is to tape either side of the crack off, then put quick Crete in a bottle and add water... the when it is reasonable runny pour it down the crack! When it's semi dry brush off the excess and then remove the tape.
Awsome video didn't know about applying the powder over the caulk!
Great video. But what did it look like a week later? Got a follow up video?? I want to see it looking really good before I try it! Thanks
Im just going to start doing this
Thank you so much for the info, I'll write back when its done.
I like this technique best so far and will try it on my driveway! Good job!
Thank you for sharing!
After looking at hours if videos i think I found the solution to my driveway…thanks
I like the way he did that u aways learn something new
Best results I've seen!
I cleaned out the cracks and used the Silka (Which cracked right down the center on the whole 50 foot of my repair) but did not use the Concrete powder. Guess I will have to revisit that step.
We chisel the cracks for loose or chunks of concrete in cracks
That sounds reasonable.
How has it held up now that it’s been two years?
They got some sealent we use at special bridge concrete piller bolt adesive that stuff is some tuff adesive it cost like a tube 30 bucks expensive
Well done. Thanks, direct and to the point!
0:43 slight Rolex flex lol
Great tips! This looks great and looks like it will hold up.
Thats a pretty cool Landlord special😂
I was so thinking about dusting the sealant, glad I came across your video! Thank you!
The last time I filled a driveway crack I took some mortar powder and swept it into the crack and left it there and let the moisture harden it. You could hardly tell. It looked like a vein of some sort after it cured.
Problem with that is the filler material is not flexible and the crack will just reopen with freeze/thaw, this flexible filler with the concrete overlay gives you a flexible joint fill with the appearance of concrete.
Such a great idea. Can’t wait to try this spring thanks for sharing 👊
Great job. Looks good. Easy enough even I can do it. 😊
🔥
Excited to give this a go!
Now I can finally fix my patio. Thanks.
Could you list the products you used? Great job and looks professional! Thank you for sharing!
Brilliant! Seems very effective in dealing with the crack and product looks great. Thanks for sharing.
I’m favoriting this video. I think some of our cracks may be a little more at uneven heights though. Either way I like it and it has given me inspiration! Thank you.
Sweep a little sand over the the crack before applying sealant.
Sounds like a fantastic way to ensure a poor bond.
@@MULTIPLESHOTSFIRED, how has the repair held up? Any thing you would do different if you did it over? Maybe even make a follow up video. Anyhow, I Appreciate any feedback.
great vid thanks - looks like it worked great I'm gonna try it on my coastal NC driveway
Great idea. Will do this when necessary
Wonder if just sprinkling polymeric sand on the sealant instead of concrete would work?
Would love to see a follow up video after a year...
Yep, exactly
I can do that- I did the repair in Oct of 2020, as of March 30, 2021 they still look great. I'll do a video around October 21 to show how they look.
@@MULTIPLESHOTSFIRED even a 6 month update video now would be nice
Loved your video, but highlight for me was your peek a boo of rolex flex haha. Kudos!!! Don't know how no one noticed ;
Lol thanks- the sub is my daily, been a great watch, no point in keeping it locked up!
Thanks for sharing! Brilliant idea, and one that I’ll use for my home project.
It takes more time but if you mask the crack off with short strips of tape and then work it in with a flat trowl the result will look much cleaner. Epoxy works much better as well .
Trying to mask off a long wandering crack like these would be pretty difficult- I am very happy with the end result of this type of repair.
@@MULTIPLESHOTSFIRED I have masked cracks like that, like I said, it takes time. I guess I'm just more particular than you are.
Everyone has what works for them, I'm happy with my approach, glad you found a method you like.
Simple and effective = brilliant
Great video man perfectly done and I think your results are pretty good.
Guys Most sealant manufactures recommend to open the crack to a minimum 1/4''. That didn't happen here
Excellent job! Great idea as well.
Your technique is really excellent 👏
That's a great idea to hide the sealant.
Great idea and to the point directly.. Well done!!
Thank you!
Thanks for the video. How has this held up overtime. Any chance of uploading an image. Take care
Have you tried it with Ardex? Portland isn't good in a topcoat application (VeRy fragile) . Ardex is epoxy reinforced, and you can apply it in very thin applications and it remains durable. Dunno about the color though... I will def try this and potentially add it as an upsell in residential application if it holds up to vehicle traffic for a few months +
I just tried this and all went well to the quick Crete phase and it’s a dark brown and color is horrible. Not sure what to do next. Hoping I don’t get sued by homeowner I should of tested it in a small section first
Yeah finding a color match would be critical prior to starting the project.
Did the quickrete patch material you put over the caulk wash off or has it stayed in place during the long term?
I am not sure I have the patience to grind the crack open, but the rest is doable...thanks.
It's worth it- just takes a few minutes and you create enough space for the flexible sealant to do it's job.
@@MULTIPLESHOTSFIRED I will give it a go...thanks...
@@Cybergrip1 This is called “crack chasing” in the industry. It is an important step so take the time to do it correctly as demonstrated in this video. After blowing out the debris, you are left with a clean crack surface, which will facilitate better adhesion for the joint sealant. Better results and much longer lasting repair. State DOTs require the crack chasing before sealing roadway control joints and random cracking. I really like the idea for the cosmetic repair to make the crack less noticeable. Great video!
Thank you!
Pls give links or product / tools that you use ..nice video..
Excellent work. Thank you
Great job !
great advice and thanks for sharing. cheers from NZ
Great idea, thanks for the video.
Awesome job
Hi. What’s the difference between this “crack fix” versus “self-leveling sealant”??? Do you know? Seems like same product… same color, both liquidy, and both are self-leveling it seems. I don’t understand what’s the difference between the two? The “crack-fix” says that it’s ‘textured’. That’s the only difference I see. Is that it? Thank you very much.
Thank you
What kind of cement did you use was it sand mix or portland in a bucket or bag?
This is a great video! Can you please put the links for quickcrete and the sealant that was used?
What type of saw was that. You did an excellent job!
Brilliant! Thanks.
Please provide which Quickret brand and type you used. Thanks
Great idea
"Using some quikrete cement over the crack sealant makes it look much better"
There ya go....question though: IS that quikrete concrete patcher the "powder" you used? I thought that patcher was a premixed 'dough-like' application?
If you search the product name, you'll find there's a powder version, and pre-mixed version. The ingredients might not be the same, despite the same name.
What type of Portland cement did you use to put over the patch? Thanks
I will be trying your method to fix cracks in just few minutes, wish me luck. However, I don't have a Rolex to wear while I do it.
I like the idea, everything looks easy enough that anyone can do it. I just have one question... should I use water rather than air only to clear out the crack of dust and debris? It seems a bit more logical but I'm not a Vulcan so I could be wrong.
Well the filler material is not a cement based product- if it was I would use water to prep it for it.
GENIUS!!!! GREAT JOB!!
If you resurface can you go over it
I wonder if epoxy would be a problem sticking to that?
Thanks
After this method have you thought of putting on a concrete stain to make it blend in even better?
That's a good idea, in this case I had used the quikrete to repair a part of the driveway previously and it matched really well, that's what gave me the idea to use it to help blend in the crack repair.
Can I use this product to fill the thin settling cracks between the stone flower beds & foundation? I tried outdoor caulk but it just showed a crack again after a week. Thanks!
I would see no reason it would not work. It's durable and flexible, should be a good solution.
I agree it looks good but,. Since the Sika sealant is flexible and the cement on top is not flexible I would think that the first time you drive over it ,the cement on top would collapse into the softer Sika sealant. Then you have crumbling cement to sweep up.
Doesn't look like it will last.
Been over a year and the repairs look great.
Awesome
Why type of blade do I need for the grinder?
Any idea how long you need to wait before you can pressure wash?
Very helpful video 👍🏼
Glad it was helpful!
Not bad.... Think I'll try your way
Very good job 👍🏻
Quikrete on top of flex filler is brilliant. Thanks for the tip, appreciate it.
BTW, do you need to angle grind it if it’s big enough that the sealant goes right in?
Nope