For large joints, skip the foam filler cord - get a bag of play sand ( unlike other sand sold, it has no moisture ) fill the joint to 1/2" below the top and pump self leveling Sika on top. Also , get the Large tubes ( 29 oz ) as they are $13.69 at Home Depot, the smaller tubes are 10oz and are $7.98 ea.
Put masking tape on the sides where you dont want any joint seal (sika), use a very wet finger to smooth and keep wetting that finger. Pull tape and smooth again. Joint seal wont stick to a wet finger so just wipe finger off with a rag. Don't soak joint seal (sika) with water while smoothing it off as joint seal wont stick. Also, when smoothing, leave joint seal lower in middle and higher on sides (concave) for any expansion, your finger ☝should be enough. For wider joints, use a thin plastic scraper or tube to make the same concave indentation along the length of the joint. Tip to get it off your hands. Put rubber gloves on, like surgical or the ones for preparing food, and let them sweat. Then rub it off. Sika wont stick to a wet surface. I've done kilometres of joint sealing.......so yeah😭😵👷
I used the SIKA product (grey) with the backer foam as you have shown here. The only thing I did different, (from another CZcamsR) was to throw a bunch of sand on it when it was still wet, and allowed it to cure for 3 days before driving on it, and sweeping the excess sand away. It worked like a champ and has survived 2 WINTERS in the Northeast. Now that I am in my retirement home in the mountains of North Carolina, I plan on repeating this process again. Many THANKS for your video ! It was a huge help !
Great video. I use Sika always - it has lasted the longest. Other tips include, warm the tubes up to at least 70 degrees to save the forearm and I have topped the joint with a light coating of sand to prevent any accidental foot traffic from picking up the product - i generally do public areas when public is present. NIce job!
Good product and Easy to use. Home Depot sells 29oz large tube about $13.00. Painters tape along edges a very good tip. Also do not add more than 1/2 inch deep if product in joint. (Product says 1/4” min and 1/2” max = you’ll save more on amount of product you’ll use when keeping depth about 1/4”). You will definitely use much more than you think - buy extra, you can always return. Now the most important- product takes 3-5 days to fully cure and will stay “sticky” for many hours, that means unless you like a surface with bugs, leaves, dust, etc, cover joints with something to protect and keep clean while curing. I was “lucky” and only poured about 12’ before realizing and then “covered” the rest of all my patio joints.
Thank you so much. I love how REAL this tutorial is! I do all kinds of projects myself but thought that I needed to leave certain ones to the "pros".... annnnd I hate spending money on things I can do myself. Now! I'm ready to tackle more! :D
I appreciate learning from your mistakes on this one! I have a very small project (sealing an irregular crack in the joint of two concrete stairs), and your video is helping me a lot!
Great video. I just moved to Ohio this year from South Florida and the driveway and garage floor cracks seem to be much more of an issue because of the temperature variance. Your directions were spot on. Thanks.
If only I had watched this video yesterday... Still have more to go, though. And your tips will make it much easier with a better finished product. Thanks!
I have almost the identical situation, and I'm using EXACTLY the same products you demo here. My gap was larger, though, and I ended up using two 3/4" foam backer rods plus one 3/8". This AFTER I filled some of the gap with gravel and sand. I wedged the foam rod in there best as I could. I ended up with about a 3/8" gap to the top of the concrete. 10 minutes later, to my horror, the foam backer rod was floating to the top. Then I noticed I didn't have enough caulk, so now I'm hoping this first round of Sika will hold the backer foam in place, and I'll need to do another layer of Sika in a day or two. One thing I found is that using a rotary grinder and a 60 grit grinding/sanding disc, I can easily remove crud on the edges of the concrete without damaging the concrete itself. So, if you have caulk spills that harden on the concrete, the disc should work well to remove them.
a quality caulk gun can make a huge difference as well, I did a few with a standard 29oz gun that got trashed beyond use. I got another with these features: "18:1 Thrust Ratio, Rotating Barrel, Sintered Steel Catch Plate, Brass Thrust Rod Bearing, Dripless" for my most recent work on small oddly shaped cracks in concrete and I could not have done any of that with the standard gun, especially the release that stops the flow. I have patches of sikaflex on my face from 4 days ago, it is STRONG stuff.
Pay attention to the size of tubes. Lowes sells the 10 0z. tubes for around $9.00 and the 29 0z. tubes for $13.00 so big savings on larger tubes. Home Depot was about a $1.00 a tube cheaper on the 29 0z. tubes.
Chris, this was a great walk through. Thanks for calling out the pitfalls. I was about to buy one backing rod and then ran into this video. I am buying another to make sure its squeezes and fits well.
Excellent video. I would like to suggest another alternative to backer rod. I used foam interlocking mats. The kind you find in gyms. I happened to have some left over from my laundry room remodel. They are inexpensive and you can cut them to the exact width for your joint. My Sikaflex joint came out beautifully and has held up for fives years. This is in Pittsburgh where we have freeze thaw cycles. Great job you did on yours.
Great video man.. this kind is my best to watch :) I did see a person use a weather proof caulking to secure the becker rod in the joint then fill with the filler.. then neatly applied on top of the sealing a color play sand to blend into the concrete
Cut your nozzle to a similar width to the joint. Apply masking tape either side to the joint and use an appropriate tool to finish to desired profile. Use Mineral turps to clean off your tools and hands. If you have a larger joint to fill than the backing rod you have, you can twist the backing rod along its length so it is like a spiral and place that into the joint. Best to try and match the backing rod diameter to the joint width and go slightly larger so it holds itself in place. Use a solution of washing up soap and water to dip your finger in to then shape the joint with, test the strength of the mix until satisfied. Joints should be half round/concave to allow for movement. If the joint is finished flat they will not accommodate movement and in time tear/shear from the concrete. Never heard of self levelling Sika Flex Pro, would suggest you use the alternative to self levelling if available there. Cheers
I did this between my concrete porch and my foundation about 3 years ago. Water was seeping in at that spot and going into my garage. It worked great until recently. The self leveling silicone shrunk and was letting water back into my garage. Guess I will have to come up with another solution.
i've used the product and have found it works well. a suggestion on the squeeze-out effort issue. try puncturing a sample tube with a larger diameter point. i started out with the fold back small wire on my caulking guns and found that the tubes were really difficult to eject. a larger diameter puncture helped. ( with Sika tan color)
+Hardcase19691 I suggest that you cut the tip small at first to get used to the flow and then make it larger! Beware this stuff is sticky after it gets a chance to dry; so clean any mistakes you have as well as you can.
You mention using a flat head screwdriver to help you install the backer rod....."WRONG", most (if not all) backer rod material sold in chain stores is what is called "open cell"......that means that its like a hot dog casing.......if you damage or puncture the outer casing on the backer rod, then apply sealant over it, the air trapped inside the backer rod during MFG will "out-gas"......that air has to go somewhere......it can and will cause your sealant to develop "blisters" all over the place......destroying what you just did. I sometimes takes days for this to show up......only use a smooth roller type wheel that is designed to install backer rod.......or better yet, only use "closed cell" type backer rod and you won't have to worry about "out gassing".
I first tried using backing rod and found it to be either too big or too small. If it bulged up too far the sealant ran over onto the driveway. If there was any space between the backing rod and the concrete, the sealant ran down into the space. I then eliminated the backing rod all together and tried filling the space with sand. I then used a stiff broom to sweep out the excess sand to get the proper level. It worked fine! Time will tell if this holds up.
It should, Sika adheres and hardens quickly. I think the backing rod was a better choice for me and remember you can always cut the rod to size to help your needs.
Chris, how hard will it be to scrape off the sika that leaked out of the crack once it dries 100%? - i applied it about 10 hrs ago and its still sticky.
The backer rod needs to be 1.5 times the size of the joint. You were using .75" backer rod in a 1" joint, that was your problem and why you had to double it up.
Yes but the other problem was getting different sizes, at the time if ask for backing rod at the box store.......crickets from the employees.....so i wasnt even aware that they made different rod until ONE DAY I passed an area that was suited to whole situation. LOL
You forgot to tell them how to stop the flow on each end of the expansion joint. It will drain away the expensive Sika if you don't put something there. I put tape but that was a mistake.
My gap between the driveway and garage is pretty deep. Do you think that I have to clean out all the old "rubber felt" or can I leave the bottomstuff in their and just clean the top to make enough room for the backerrod
In the end as long as the sika is on TOP of the material your fine. The backing rod you use is to make sure it doesnt spill into a void that will basically drain the material away. At times I didnt need the backing rod because in the smaller channels of expansion joints the concrete was still there. I cleaned the concrete and then applied the sika above that crevice
usa.sika.com/en/solutions_products/Construction-Products-Services/construction-sealing-bonding/construction-sealing-bonding-products/02a025/02a008/02a008sa53.html I tried but they keep moving the link. lol This one is for 10/2018 look for SIKAFLEX that is the product I am using specifically.
Would it work to do this prior to applying an epoxy/flake floor? The expansion joints I'm trying to fill are similar to the size in the video. I'm worried that the self leveling polyurethane will be TOO flexible under the epoxy. Thoughts?
Duct tape makes this job much easier and way cleaner looking. 1/16" from the edges, pull once the skin starts. You will think it's too late, but it will level the stuff that rolls up and over from the tape back into itself. Second, it's self leveling yes, but you can and still should work it. Wait about 10 min and then you can level out low spots, or high areas, use a putty knife or something. Backer rod is great, or use sand, you can double up or even triple up backer rod until it wedges tight, I've even braided it before to make it fit. Sanding after it's skin starts will help it cure, give it texture to match concrete. Cross joints are good for self leveling, joints crossing grade though should use crack flex
Thank you, it worked very well and looks professional. My question is how to remove excess Sika SL sealer that flowed over the joint ? Is their a cleaner or a way to clean up the messy parts I made from a drippy caulking gun ?????
Color.....I did the exact same thing. Also did it now.... In the fall.... Leaves have stuck to it like a nice glitter-glue project. Is it an issue if I used spray foam instead of backing rod?
I have a bunch of cracks on the driveway. I grind them with a saw, but now I have to fill them. Why you any one care to fill expansion joints. These are straight edges. I wish that was my problem. Great video and lots of good info though.
if u would have used a larger diameter foam you would not need to use so much or a double amount . I use the foam in all diameters and u can purchase in the stores.
You know that is true...BUT my HD of my local area didnt have those sizes in store. They claim it was because they were a smaller store or something stupid like that...I could order and wait.....or just double up on the current backing rod that was there. The point of the video is to find the way to use what you got and still have an effective use of the material
I had asked once at Home Depot about filling in that crack between the driveway and the garage and they told me not to - that you needed to let some rain, etc. run down there. So, I never worried about it, but now I see that I should have as my driveway is now lowering slightly. Should I also fill the joint running down the center of a two car driveway? and the joints crossing it?
Hey chris. Thanks for the video. I made a mistake and used the rod with a bottle of crack filler in a deep joint. I did double up the rod. My question is should I try to remove it all and start over or can I finish up the job by using the sika to finish filling up the top? Your advice is greatly appreciated
Dtoon I mistakenly used one entire bottle of Sika on half of the expansion joint of my driveway until I realized I got the wrong color. SO to fix my mistake I topped over the wrong color with the right one, sika dosent care on what you have on the bottom to prevent it from flowing down. I just let the other color dry after 48hrs and just went to town and filled over it.
I used this stuff and it looked good for a few years but then it deteriorated due to the UV rays from the sun so unless you want to go to the expense of replacing it every few years I would suggest something else.
Lee I have not had that expirience yet, I could see how that direct sunlight could be a issue. I have the luck of not to much sun hitting my drive way.
That is an awesome question, that number is controlled by the size of the gap and how much of the material you use to cover the expansion joint;...but with that said I was able to get 20 feet out of a bottle..... I ADMIT it, I used more than I should because I wanted a nice thick application.
Dont waste your time if you live in the freeze belt I done this it didnt last for even 2 years slab raised in the frezze tore it apart first winter does not work
For large joints, skip the foam filler cord - get a bag of play sand ( unlike other sand sold, it has no moisture ) fill the joint to 1/2" below the top and pump self leveling Sika on top. Also , get the Large tubes ( 29 oz ) as they are $13.69 at Home Depot, the smaller tubes are 10oz and are $7.98 ea.
"use the CUT NOSE of the tube as a cork" That was a really GREAT tip!!! Thanks!
Put masking tape on the sides where you dont want any joint seal (sika), use a very wet finger to smooth and keep wetting that finger. Pull tape and smooth again. Joint seal wont stick to a wet finger so just wipe finger off with a rag. Don't soak joint seal (sika) with water while smoothing it off as joint seal wont stick. Also, when smoothing, leave joint seal lower in middle and higher on sides (concave) for any expansion, your finger ☝should be enough. For wider joints, use a thin plastic scraper or tube to make the same concave indentation along the length of the joint.
Tip to get it off your hands. Put rubber gloves on, like surgical or the ones for preparing food, and let them sweat. Then rub it off. Sika wont stick to a wet surface.
I've done kilometres of joint sealing.......so yeah😭😵👷
I used the SIKA product (grey) with the backer foam as you have shown here. The only thing I did different, (from another CZcamsR) was to throw a bunch of sand on it when it was still wet, and allowed it to cure for 3 days before driving on it, and sweeping the excess sand away. It worked like a champ and has survived 2 WINTERS in the Northeast. Now that I am in my retirement home in the mountains of North Carolina, I plan on repeating this process again. Many THANKS for your video ! It was a huge help !
Great video. I use Sika always - it has lasted the longest. Other tips include, warm the tubes up to at least 70 degrees to save the forearm and I have topped the joint with a light coating of sand to prevent any accidental foot traffic from picking up the product - i generally do public areas when public is present. NIce job!
Good product and Easy to use. Home Depot sells 29oz large tube about $13.00. Painters tape along edges a very good tip. Also do not add more than 1/2 inch deep if product in joint. (Product says 1/4” min and 1/2” max = you’ll save more on amount of product you’ll use when keeping depth about 1/4”). You will definitely use much more than you think - buy extra, you can always return. Now the most important- product takes 3-5 days to fully cure and will stay “sticky” for many hours, that means unless you like a surface with bugs, leaves, dust, etc, cover joints with something to protect and keep clean while curing. I was “lucky” and only poured about 12’ before realizing and then “covered” the rest of all my patio joints.
Thank you so much. I love how REAL this tutorial is! I do all kinds of projects myself but thought that I needed to leave certain ones to the "pros".... annnnd I hate spending money on things I can do myself. Now! I'm ready to tackle more! :D
I appreciate learning from your mistakes on this one! I have a very small project (sealing an irregular crack in the joint of two concrete stairs), and your video is helping me a lot!
Great video. I just moved to Ohio this year from South Florida and the driveway and garage floor cracks seem to be much more of an issue because of the temperature variance. Your directions were spot on. Thanks.
If only I had watched this video yesterday... Still have more to go, though. And your tips will make it much easier with a better finished product. Thanks!
I have almost the identical situation, and I'm using EXACTLY the same products you demo here. My gap was larger, though, and I ended up using two 3/4" foam backer rods plus one 3/8". This AFTER I filled some of the gap with gravel and sand. I wedged the foam rod in there best as I could. I ended up with about a 3/8" gap to the top of the concrete.
10 minutes later, to my horror, the foam backer rod was floating to the top. Then I noticed I didn't have enough caulk, so now I'm hoping this first round of Sika will hold the backer foam in place, and I'll need to do another layer of Sika in a day or two.
One thing I found is that using a rotary grinder and a 60 grit grinding/sanding disc, I can easily remove crud on the edges of the concrete without damaging the concrete itself. So, if you have caulk spills that harden on the concrete, the disc should work well to remove them.
a quality caulk gun can make a huge difference as well, I did a few with a standard 29oz gun that got trashed beyond use. I got another with these features: "18:1 Thrust Ratio, Rotating Barrel, Sintered Steel Catch Plate, Brass Thrust Rod Bearing, Dripless" for my most recent work on small oddly shaped cracks in concrete and I could not have done any of that with the standard gun, especially the release that stops the flow. I have patches of sikaflex on my face from 4 days ago, it is STRONG stuff.
Pay attention to the size of tubes. Lowes sells the 10 0z. tubes for around $9.00 and the 29 0z. tubes for $13.00 so big savings on larger tubes. Home Depot was about a $1.00 a tube cheaper on the 29 0z. tubes.
Good video. Never be afraid to admit you made a mistake and you are showing others so they can learn. A+ Thanks.
Chris, this was a great walk through. Thanks for calling out the pitfalls. I was about to buy one backing rod and then ran into this video. I am buying another to make sure its squeezes and fits well.
I almost did the exact same thing! Noticed it was sandstone right before I was about to cut and had to go back to the store to buy the grey one lol
so easy to learn from mistakes, great video, thanks, and BTW that final run on the right looks beautiful, great job
Thank you
thank you for giving us to remind these mistakes
The Albert Maruggi
Nice job. Used this video before doing my driveway so I would have enough basic knowledge to do a reasonably good job. So, thanks for sharing.
Thank you Max, my mistakes and basic instructions were to be a help I hope for many years of sika service for you.
THANK YOU for the mistakes. Not sure about you, but I learn the most from mistakes.
Excellent video. I would like to suggest another alternative to backer rod. I used foam interlocking mats. The kind you find in gyms. I happened to have some left over from my laundry room remodel. They are inexpensive and you can cut them to the exact width for your joint. My Sikaflex joint came out beautifully and has held up for fives years. This is in Pittsburgh where we have freeze thaw cycles. Great job you did on yours.
Thats not a bad idea.
Better to learn from your mistakes ... then learn from mine. Very helpful video and should make my project go smoother. Thanks!
Really good information. Now I know what to do with those joints.
Thank you Chris for All the tricks. I'm doing this rrpair today.
Did it work?
Great video man.. this kind is my best to watch :)
I did see a person use a weather proof caulking to secure the becker rod in the joint then fill with the filler.. then neatly applied on top of the sealing a color play sand to blend into the concrete
Excellent video. Very clear and very useful. Thanks a lot
Thank you. I was going to use wood until i saw your video. You saved me a lot of work. Jim
Thank you for sharing your mistakes. Very helpful. I'm sure I'll make new ones of my own!
Cut your nozzle to a similar width to the joint. Apply masking tape either side to the joint and use an appropriate tool to finish to desired profile. Use Mineral turps to clean off your tools and hands. If you have a larger joint to fill than the backing rod you have, you can twist the backing rod along its length so it is like a spiral and place that into the joint. Best to try and match the backing rod diameter to the joint width and go slightly larger so it holds itself in place. Use a solution of washing up soap and water to dip your finger in to then shape the joint with, test the strength of the mix until satisfied. Joints should be half round/concave to allow for movement. If the joint is finished flat they will not accommodate movement and in time tear/shear from the concrete. Never heard of self levelling Sika Flex Pro, would suggest you use the alternative to self levelling if available there. Cheers
Sand also works well to fill joints. I use a pressure washer to clean all joints a couple days before filling.
have u ever tried a battery caulk gun its awesome
Love the comment about mixing up colors! hahaha
Thanks for the post
It was a shock, to be honest I didnt even think about the color UNTIL it happened!
Thanks for contributing your knowledge to the world of CZcams!
I did this between my concrete porch and my foundation about 3 years ago. Water was seeping in at that spot and going into my garage. It worked great until recently. The self leveling silicone shrunk and was letting water back into my garage. Guess I will have to come up with another solution.
Most likely your sealant didn't shrink...your concrete probably moved.
i've used the product and have found it works well.
a suggestion on the squeeze-out effort issue.
try puncturing a sample tube with a larger diameter point.
i started out with the fold back small wire on my caulking guns and found that the
tubes were really difficult to eject.
a larger diameter puncture helped.
( with Sika tan color)
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Super helpful! Very useful information. Thanks for taking the time and making this video Chris!
Great tips especially about the gloves! Off to Home Depot I go!
I hope for a successful expirience!
Ha ha. Stretch Armstrong. Reminds me of the NEW Walter Mitty movie with Ben Stiller. Thanks for the video
Thank you so much for your mistakes and your successes! All very helpful!
Great video! Thanks for all your help.
Thanks for the tips. I am going to try this method this weekend.
+Hardcase19691 I suggest that you cut the tip small at first to get used to the flow and then make it larger! Beware this stuff is sticky after it gets a chance to dry; so clean any mistakes you have as well as you can.
You mention using a flat head screwdriver to help you install the backer rod....."WRONG", most (if not all) backer rod material sold in chain stores is what is called "open cell"......that means that its like a hot dog casing.......if you damage or puncture the outer casing on the backer rod, then apply sealant over it, the air trapped inside the backer rod during MFG will "out-gas"......that air has to go somewhere......it can and will cause your sealant to develop "blisters" all over the place......destroying what you just did. I sometimes takes days for this to show up......only use a smooth roller type wheel that is designed to install backer rod.......or better yet, only use "closed cell" type backer rod and you won't have to worry about "out gassing".
Terry your right but I didnt have that problem I guess with luck. ITs nice to know that issue though.
Great video.
As for knee protection, my son and I have been using $15 yoga mats from Aldis. Great when working on cars.
I just don’t bother to use backing rod just pack some fine sand in the joints really tight leave half inch low and use self leveling sikaflex
Freaking Genius! I should have thought of that!
Sand is uncompressible and any expansion can cause it to shift.
Very informative, well explained, thank you
dont puncture the backer rod or the caulking will bubble
Nice job thanks for the tips.. Easy to screw up on the mistakes you made. No job big or small goes completely without problems...right? Thanks.
I first tried using backing rod and found it to be either too big or too small. If it bulged up too far the sealant ran over onto the driveway. If there was any space between the backing rod and the concrete, the sealant ran down into the space. I then eliminated the backing rod all together and tried filling the space with sand. I then used a stiff broom to sweep out the excess sand to get the proper level. It worked fine! Time will tell if this holds up.
It should, Sika adheres and hardens quickly. I think the backing rod was a better choice for me and remember you can always cut the rod to size to help your needs.
Great video! You've saved me a lot of money. Thanks!
Thanks for all the detail!
Great video and good information! Question: Is there some "structural" reason for doing this or is it just for cosmetic reasons?
what is the point of filling these expansion joints ?
Chris, how hard will it be to scrape off the sika that leaked out of the crack once it dries 100%? - i applied it about 10 hrs ago and its still sticky.
The backer rod needs to be 1.5 times the size of the joint. You were using .75" backer rod in a 1" joint, that was your problem and why you had to double it up.
Yes but the other problem was getting different sizes, at the time if ask for backing rod at the box store.......crickets from the employees.....so i wasnt even aware that they made different rod until ONE DAY I passed an area that was suited to whole situation. LOL
I am using POOL NOODLES from DOLLAR TREE. Saving lots since I've got the 2x4 size I have to really fill up the joint.
You forgot to tell them how to stop the flow on each end of the expansion joint. It will drain away the expensive Sika if you don't put something there. I put tape but that was a mistake.
Great video! Any updates? Have you had to patch or top up? I've a south facing garage ...lots of sun!
Great video! Do you know about how many linear feet each tube lasted? Was it at least 8 feet per tube?
My gap between the driveway and garage is pretty deep. Do you think that I have to clean out all the old "rubber felt" or can I leave the bottomstuff in their and just clean the top to make enough room for the backerrod
In the end as long as the sika is on TOP of the material your fine. The backing rod you use is to make sure it doesnt spill into a void that will basically drain the material away. At times I didnt need the backing rod because in the smaller channels of expansion joints the concrete was still there. I cleaned the concrete and then applied the sika above that crevice
Great job. You did it
What is the exact name of the product? It would be great if you could put it in the written/comment section. This is new to me. Thanks.
usa.sika.com/en/solutions_products/Construction-Products-Services/construction-sealing-bonding/construction-sealing-bonding-products/02a025/02a008/02a008sa53.html
I tried but they keep moving the link. lol This one is for 10/2018 look for SIKAFLEX that is the product I am using specifically.
Would it work to do this prior to applying an epoxy/flake floor? The expansion joints I'm trying to fill are similar to the size in the video. I'm worried that the self leveling polyurethane will be TOO flexible under the epoxy. Thoughts?
Duct tape makes this job much easier and way cleaner looking. 1/16" from the edges, pull once the skin starts. You will think it's too late, but it will level the stuff that rolls up and over from the tape back into itself. Second, it's self leveling yes, but you can and still should work it. Wait about 10 min and then you can level out low spots, or high areas, use a putty knife or something. Backer rod is great, or use sand, you can double up or even triple up backer rod until it wedges tight, I've even braided it before to make it fit. Sanding after it's skin starts will help it cure, give it texture to match concrete. Cross joints are good for self leveling, joints crossing grade though should use crack flex
Good info, thanks for posting.
Is the Sika self leveling ?? Or did you have to smooth it out with something??
Great video. Cleanup/rag?? What solvent etc is needed for smoothing/cleanup?
lol sandstone and gray, i did the same thing, what did you do after it drys? I've seen some people use sand any other ideas?
Excellent video
what about when the caulking has to be done on a slopped gap?
How long it takes to cure the caulk?
Can somebody explain why the same Sika product that I used on my driveway joint separated or cracked within the product itself?
Thank you, it worked very well and looks professional. My question is how to remove excess Sika SL sealer that flowed over the joint ? Is their a cleaner or a way to clean up the messy parts I made from a drippy caulking gun ?????
Mineral Spirits were suggested as a good cleaner... I cant claim that is it or isnt.
hi. thanks for the video. have any advice on sloped driveways and filling the expansions cracks there?
Color.....I did the exact same thing. Also did it now.... In the fall.... Leaves have stuck to it like a nice glitter-glue project. Is it an issue if I used spray foam instead of backing rod?
I have a bunch of cracks on the driveway. I grind them with a saw, but now I have to fill them. Why you any one care to fill expansion joints. These are straight edges. I wish that was my problem. Great video and lots of good info though.
I have a concrete driveway what color would look better gray or sand color?
if u would have used a larger diameter foam you would not need to use so much or a double amount . I use the foam in all diameters and u can purchase in the stores.
You know that is true...BUT my HD of my local area didnt have those sizes in store. They claim it was because they were a smaller store or something stupid like that...I could order and wait.....or just double up on the current backing rod that was there. The point of the video is to find the way to use what you got and still have an effective use of the material
I had asked once at Home Depot about filling in that crack between the driveway and the garage and they told me not to - that you needed to let some rain, etc. run down there. So, I never worried about it, but now I see that I should have as my driveway is now lowering slightly. Should I also fill the joint running down the center of a two car driveway? and the joints crossing it?
yes!
Does it attract dirt and dust as silicon does?
Hey chris. Thanks for the video. I made a mistake and used the rod with a bottle of crack filler in a deep joint. I did double up the rod. My question is should I try to remove it all and start over or can I finish up the job by using the sika to finish filling up the top? Your advice is greatly appreciated
Dtoon I mistakenly used one entire bottle of Sika on half of the expansion joint of my driveway until I realized I got the wrong color. SO to fix my mistake I topped over the wrong color with the right one, sika dosent care on what you have on the bottom to prevent it from flowing down. I just let the other color dry after 48hrs and just went to town and filled over it.
Silly question - I have paving slabs in my garden, and have weeds growing through. Would this be a good method to fill all the gaps between the slabs?
I was wondering about hitting the gap with foam in a can 1st then topping it of with Sika any thoughts on that?
you could use acetone to clean your hand
great video just need to know what to do if it gets on the concrete where you don't want it. do we use acetone?
Mineral Spirits was suggested
I used this stuff and it looked good for a few years but then it deteriorated due to the UV rays from the sun so unless you want to go to the expense of replacing it every few years I would suggest something else.
Lee I have not had that expirience yet, I could see how that direct sunlight could be a issue. I have the luck of not to much sun hitting my drive way.
Can this be used for the small expansion gap when laying 4×8×5/8 OSB on a sun deck? I just don't like nooks and crannies for bugs and spiders.
great video
Nice video! Thanks!
Will this work for joints that are not level?
will this work under epoxy in the saw cuts?
How many linear ft can one large tube of sika caulk cover using your method?
That is an awesome question, that number is controlled by the size of the gap and how much of the material you use to cover the expansion joint;...but with that said I was able to get 20 feet out of a bottle..... I ADMIT it, I used more than I should because I wanted a nice thick application.
Great video.
VERRY nice video
Can u please share the name of the sealant
thanks man. keep them vids coming
Dude, how did you get it so smooth?
Good information, thank you.
Thanks, I will get right to work on that.
Thank you for help us
Dont waste your time if you live in the freeze belt I done this it didnt last for even 2 years slab raised in the frezze tore it apart first winter does not work