Don’t Make These Errors! Sealing Small Concrete Cracks Correctly
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ค. 2024
- All The Products Used (Sealant and Tools) - amzn.to/3WlnT8S
I will walk you through the complete process of sealing a small crack in your concrete driveway, sidewalk, or patio. There is a common mistake a lot of DIY homeowners make which I want to help you avoid ensuring you get the end results you are looking for that will hold up for years and years. I will provide a few options for sealants and also best practices throughout the video.
Chapter
0:00 Intro
0:30 Most Common DIY Homeowner Mistakes When Sealing Concrete
2:02 How To Prep Your Concrete Before Sealing
2:57 What Is Backer Rod And Why Do You Need It For Sealing Concrete
4:27 Different Types Of Concrete Sealant
6:23 Example Of How Tremco 45 SSL Hold Up After 2 Years
7:17 Applying Tremco 45 SSL To Small Concrete Crack
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
Hi Scott, I've been watching and re-watching your driveway garage to driveway and sidewalk crack fixes cuz I've never done it before and I want to be confident in what I'm doing. Are the products you recommend ok to use in buffalo ny because of the bad winters, etc? Also, when using the self leveling stuff over the pool noodles ( backer rod), do you fill the crack up to the top or just below? You said regular play sand ok but man at home depot said silica sand like for making stone walkways,etc. ( I'm going to wait to get your answer first before I get anything). I have many trouble spots to fix. Tia for answering me! I'm going to have to keep re-watching 😂 have a great day!
@@kellyr6274 Hey Kelly, I would fill the crack up to just below the surrounding concrete. My favorite sealant is the Tremco 45 SSL but the Sika Self-Leveling is good stuff as long as the crack has no slope. You can use pretty much any sand you want as you are just filling up the voids under the concrete. Just start on a crack that is less visible to get a little practice. Best of luck, you got this 👊
@@EverydayHomeRepairs thank you Scott so much for answering, I didn't have faith in anything the man at HD was saying 😂! I'm going to start by ordering through your list of supplies. But I'm still going to keep re-watching 😂 and will probably watch while I'm attempting this feat😂 thanks for the confidence and support, and your great step by step videos for this inexperienced DIY'er 😬🤞. You know I'm going to bother you again to tell you how it goes! Thanks again and have a wonderful day
I enjoy your content. Also going back to prior installs and modifications and upgrades and fixes. Really good stuff!
Good video. I do have some cracks in my concrete that I should fix but never really knew how to. This video helps. Thank you.
Well thought out and explained! Thanks! I'll be looking out for more videos from you.
I love the sand trick to make it blend much better 😊🛠️🛠️
👊
Have used the sika product, it works well.
Great intro and explanation of how to do this Scott. I did this on a number of client concrete patio / walkway / driveways in the early 2000's through 20-teens. The first ones from 20 years ago are still holding up! Like other forms of sealing - painting or other forms of calking, it is 80% prep. The most important thing is to follow the directions on whatever product you use!
I think the second or possibly most important part of this procedure is to know WHY the crack formed. Many times there is poor drainage so there is soil erosion and frost cycles.. Is this crack going to continue or new ones going to form? Easy to solve when there is a downspout next to / near the concrete - get that water further away, re-route the downspouts, install a french drain if needed to help lower the after-rain water table. Where I have done this the crack stopped widening, and the sealant has held up for in upwards of 20 years!
Tremco 45ssl is amazing. I can attest.
I usually run a grinder wheel the length of the crack. followed by a wire reel.
to make sure the sealant can get into it, and then I covered with sand for two reasons.
the first is the blend in
the second is the the sand provides protection for the polymer sealant
I've repaired cracks like this myself. I enlarge tiny cracks, blow out loose material, blast the crack with water hose or pump sprayer, let it dry using blower, fill crack with dry mortor,level it, then wet it with a pump sprayer, tool the surface to compact it. Works every time.
I'm a single, senior, female - can't afford to hire someone to repair driveway and sidewalk cracks - going to try your method - thank you!
I'm going to give you all a tip on product use. The Quikcrete product in the bottle will dry, hard and will pull away from even properly prepped concrete, when it moves seasonally. The other products do about the same and I've had failures at one or two years with all but the product I'm about to tell you about. Don't laugh though. Clean and prep your concrete , you can even carefully use a wire brush, or pressure wash the cracked area a couple days before the repair, make sure it's dry. Backer rod when used properly, needs to be down in the crack, not just below the surface, remember the concrete is cracked ALL the way through the thickness, so get some product in there to stabilize the crack, not just a dribble at the top.
My secret concrete crack filler product is... Grey Flex Seal ! Yep, the stuff from T.V. I have used a large hobby syringe to draw the liquid Flex Seal from the Pint, or Quart can and just let it flow into the crack. It will self level very well. The difference with using Flex Seal is, it is Liquid Rubber, so when the crack joint moves, and it will, the Flex Seal will flex, and not pull away like the other products do. Flex Seal sticks to the clean Concrete really well. And it Stays Flexible for years.
I repaired my first driveway that was full of cracks about 9 years ago, and it is still as good today as the day I finished. You can sprinkle some sand in the Flex Seal right when you put it in the crack, to help blend it in if you want too.
I installed a new sidewalk at our new home last year, and used the Flex Seal on the Sidewalk Expansion cuts, to keep water out, and it looks beautiful.
No, my name isn't Phil Swift, and I do not work for the Flex Seal Company in any way ...
That is what I was telling them NASA 🚀 guys to use, to stop the leaks on the launch pad ..Flex Seal 🤣🤣
would you recommend running your finger over the bead so it can get flattened out...great video. Thanks
I was just looking at your previous video because it was on my home page and I hadn't seen it before, despite full notifications ("All"). I scrolled back in my notifications to everything between "11 days ago" and "13 days ago", and it was missing. Clicked your channel, saw this video! No notification either... dammit TH-cam!
Yeah, YT can be a bit hard to understand. Thanks for the feedback!
Visually, and this could be the video, I think your other repairs have blended much better. Will this product become more mottled, and thus blend better, over time? I wonder what additional methods the sealant could accept. It's funny, the larger cracks seem easier to address. Your pool noodle trick was excellent by the way. Found yourself the super sized backer rod!
Scott thank you so much for sharing your insights and knowledge. You do such a great job at explaining to a novice like me. Look forward to further videos!
Happy to help and thanks for the support 👍
Outstanding video and presentation
Thanks!
Your videos are very informative and at the cheapest way to fix it. I love it.
Please upload any video on concrete wall leaks in basement and how to fix it. Thanks
Yes !! I second that. Basement floor and poured basement walls, please.
Good things first. Silkaflex is a great product, don’t use on any slopes. I have not used the Tremco, nice to know it will do a slight slope.
Bad part. The plastic bottle I have tried to use. The issues I had were, shaking it does nothing. There’s a lot that settles in the bottom that will never loosen with shaking. I have tried a spade drill with the point and corners ground off. This works well however there always seems to be lumps in it. It does not come out of the bottle very well when squeezing.
Good information on the video 👍
I shook my plastic bottle like crazy. Since I had never used the product before, I thought it was supposed to be that thin. Later on, when I tried to seal another crack, the bottle was obviously still pretty full but NOTHING came out. I cut the bottle open and used a putty knife to trowel the product into the crack. So far it’s been okay.
In the future I will use any other product.
I’ve used this method on my driveway. Asphalt. After a few years the cracks start to expand more and they open up.. leaving you with another crack next to your sealant. I believe one step id recommend to prevent this is to bind the sealant to each side of the crack, so smooth it out with a putty knife for example, so it isn’t just sitting in the crack but also is able to bind to each side. If you don’t then you’ll end up with my issue..
I don't see anywhere that states this product is formulated to work on asphalt. It's possible the petroleum in the blacktop could inhibit the cure of the sealant. Always best to use products specifically formulated for your substrate.
@@demonovationable it was actually a more superior product. Either way I’ve used this on concrete walkways and experienced similar results after a couple of years.
That's a bummer.
What you want to do (and he is doing it) is get the correct "shape factor." If you go too deep the adhesive capacity of the sealant can't hold on to the sides. It’s sort of like a rubber band if the shape is deep and narrow there is a lot of stress on the edges, while if its shallow and wide there is less adhesive adhesion stress. I just watched it fast to see if he would give the explanation of why you do this prep.
Terrific video! This is so helpful. Thank you! 👍🏼
Thanks for the support 🙌
Scott, could this method be used for a crack in a basement concrete floor?
I had the same issues, and your video would have made mine look better when I tried to repair it a few years back. I finally broke down and just replaced my concrete. You did a nice job with what you got!
Thanks!
would like to see a similar vid going over vertical cracks.
Thanks for the feedback, this seems to be a popular request 👍
Is this repair viable for cold winter climates? You carved out the crack and only put the backer rod in 1/4". Wouldn't it be possible to get water behind the backer rod, freeze and blow out the crack making a larger repair?
I have a pool deck. I'd like to do this to. my question is, am i able to paint this to blend in with the patio so it's u seen?
Scott. Thanks for the videos. I have a Concrete backyard in New Orleans La, I have repaired several cracks with the Sika product,, Gray Formula. The Concrete was stained a mid to light green and has faded where the area closet to my house was covered by an aluminum cover. The rest of the concrete, whir a majority of the cracks were fixed, was exposed to weather for the last 15 plus years. I have repainted the house with a light tan paint and have beechwood brown roof and am contemplating restraining the concrete with some shade of blight brown or tan. First, I want to make the area where the cracks were respired less visible before possibly applying some form of covering paint across the entire concrete area before appoint any brown stain or paint. Can you provide any ideas?tips on making the entire area uniform in appearance before the final steps of my project? Thanks, Greg W
Butyl Rubber Caulk works good
Hi Scott. detailed steps as usual. Will this work for small cracks in a poured concrete floor (2016 basement floor).? Thanks for your videos
Yeah, it would work for just sealing. If you wanted to do flooring over the concrete in the future I would use epoxy like in this video th-cam.com/video/bXDYgxM-PTc/w-d-xo.html 👍
Use paving flags simple or block drive
I use silicon grout. Comes in a tube. Add a little sand on top & becomes almost invisible
I wonder, you showed that really wide crack which you filled with Tremco 45 two years ago.... What was the reason to fill it with Tremco, and not with concrete? I totally get it, filling a thin crack with concrete can be challenging, but a gap that wide should not be difficult?
Would a wire
ylon hand brush not be better as it could get deeper into the crack 🤔
I’d really like to to see this particular sealing job after it dries. It seems like you’re way too full in the cracks, creating a raised hump that will be a problem or look unsightly.
I remember that old job you did and the one year mark looks terrible. It's totally sunken in and not leveled.
Is there a different method for much thinner cracks? I prefer not to grind them wider if possible. Thank you.
I don’t own a grinder and don’t intend to buy one just for this.
Go little bug 🐞 go!!
😂
I have many cracks like this where the sidewalks or driveway meet. There is partial black material that appears to be used to fill the gap but is old and doesn’t completely seal the crack. Can I use this method in place of that old black material?
Yep, the old material is just the expansion joint and you can remove all the old pieces and then do this exact process.
My 12 yr old drive has some kind of 1/2” solid composite backer strips - what is this stuff? It’s been lifting over the last few years in several places to the point where its causing issues with my snowblower (hitting the lifting edges). I’ve used a Japanese counter top saw to cut-level it where its lifting. I live in Michigan where snow and ice are common each winter. What should I do?😊
I imagine it is 4" deep expansion joint www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-1-2-in-x-4-in-x-5-ft-2-lb-Expansion-Joint-691703/100318479 I would pull it out and then do a similar process as this to put down sealant.
He said, "Measure your crack"😂 3:31
Does this work on asphalt for driveway?
Sika has a similar product for asphalt amzn.to/3xRLeoC
It cracked there because the expansion joint didn’t. You should cut through the expansion joint and make it deeper and a little wider
The older repair, why isn't it flush ?
Looks like it shrunk quite a bit.
I have never had the concrete sealer work very well..I found that the sealing that's similar to caulking last much better
My method might be overkill but I would grab a bag of Cemetall (very inexpensive) and put it into the crack - just the dry powder, no water. Fill the crack with it but leave about an inch from the top of the crack. Then, mix a batch of Cementall with water to make a watery slurry. Pour that into the crack above the dry powder but again, don't fill the crack all the way. Leave yourself about 1/2" to 1/4" from the top of the crack. Let that dry for 24-48hrs. Finally, use the Sika or Tremco to finish it off.
If it isn’t flexible, any expansion might crack that product. This is why expansion joints are needed to prevent buckling.
@@akbychoice The crack appeared away from the control joint in this particular video. This tells me the base (below the concrete pad) failed or eroded away. The CementAll is not meant to provide flexibility but to give strength to the base. The Sika or Tremco is the flexible component of this repair. Once a crack appears, it's not IF it will fail again but WHEN it will fail again.
Can I use it on my garage concrete ? It’s says post tension etc..
You could, if you want to prep the floor for an epoxy coating you would need to do something more like this th-cam.com/video/bXDYgxM-PTc/w-d-xo.html
Why is the patch you did in the older job so much lower than the original cement? Why, if intentional? Did things move around? Aesthetically, doesn't look good or complete. Do you like the look?
I actually usually leave the sealant lower than the surrounding concrete. In the small crack instance since the gap was so small the sealant stayed high compared to surrounding concrete. I like the look but you could put the backer rod higher and leave a 1/4” for the sealant.
I made mine level to the cement on the driveway and my tires always makes black marks on them
@@EverydayHomeRepairs ok, any comment on my questions related to the bigger crack?
@@ychongy maybe that's a function of the cement you used?
Alright, seems like you'll ignoring my question. I'll take that as you agreed it doesn't look good. Part of good repairs is the aesthetic.
Clay Sand? Sooo many kinds of sand out there...Can Quikrete Medium Grade Sand be used? Or Play Sand? thank you!
Regular play sand
Why not pack sand into the crack, instead of using backer rod?
Some plant seeds will grow in sand.
@@tinalantz4665 Fair enough, but I meant before they put the crack filler in. That way the plant seeds never reach the sand. Probably. :)
come on now whip out your pressure washer - turbo tip and surface washer and clean the driveway before doing the crack repair
I like to leave original as it is. It's less obvious
Still need to remove that tree and plant something with smaller root system (bushes, blackberries on a trellis)
As a professional pressure washer and also offering this service as well.. it was hard for me to watch seeing the condition of the concrete cleanliness and lines left from a surface cleaner not used right....
Would you say you could remove the dirty stripes in the concrete?
@@hexchad765 we don't leave stripes ever... There's a correct way for pre and post treating that avoids that situation all together
Just fill it with hydraulic grout. It's not going to shrink.
@2:37 Little guy there dodged a bullet!
😂
Shouldn't you be asking yourself why this particular part of the concrete cracked?looks to me like the foundation between the part of the sidewalk and all that area where the rocks and the tree are,has already got the foundation sinking......I've dumped the 1st stuff you showed down into the expansion joints that cracked where they were supposed to in my driveway and as another poster said it shrinks over time and in my case just disintegrated away...I might have to try the final stuff you used and see how long that holds up.
For that very large crack 2 years ago I don't know why you didn't just use concrete or mortar to fill it, would have looked better I think
You forgot to do one step: push it into the crack with a spoon or similar tool. Then add a little sand.
He said measure your crack before you fill your crack.
Quickrete is garbage. Cracked everywhere I used it. Sika works well. Has lasted years with almost no cracking
yeah and that giant bead sticking out above level looks like you laid some rope down. looks sloppy at the end.
I follow KISS. Not worth it to me. I’ll take the re-work.
Looks like the sealant is sitting a little proud maybe once it cures you can take a razor blade scraper to it
Nylon brush to clean out the crack, leaf blower to blow the stuff right back into the crack....perfect!
lol ,good one
Brush isn’t to clean. It is to loosen dirt. The blower then blows all the dust and loose debris away.
Looks like too much material, it protrudes above the existing concrete. The old fix looks like it's low, not flush.
A lot of crack
Just use sand, it never looks good with sealant
Hate to say so but this is not a very good looking job. Especially the previous larger one shown. Much better ways of finishing to have a better blend in job.
What would you use for bluestone
I can't stop staring at that dandelion in the grass behind you.
😂, I have been waging war on those things. Not sure who is winning.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs i've been planting dandelions on purpose in my garden beds. They were originally brought to America by Europeans as a salad green.
You just need $2000 in tools to fill this crack, no problem
You can buy a grinder for $45 from Lowes. $12 nylon drill attachment. I’m sure you own a drill. $100 for leaf blower. His screwdriver might have cost $1800.
The error is watching the jack of all trades master of none showing you how to do something. Gives bad electrical advice, plumbing advise and even how to plug a tire! Next he will be showing you how to sew on a button (the wrong way)
Dude…as an electrician and HVAC installer, this channel has provided much helpful and practical advise to beginners and professionals alike! Get a life!
Thanks so much for your helpful and practical advise! Always insightful!
@@bell4289 If you think so then you know nothing.
@@bell4289 DUDE, You cant be much of a contractor if this guys videos enlighten you. For your information this stupid clickbait repair (like everything else he does) wont last 3 months. After his repair fails, do it right (get a life)
You are an excellent instructor! You explain everything so well and in depth. Providing a link to products used is a bonus. Even if one doesn't buy from Amazon or use the exact brand it is so helpful to know.
It wont last 3 mnoths
Shave your head dude
From one bald guy to another... Just shave it off. You'll look great
Looks like shit though
8:30 minutes too long. Ain't got time for this. Thumbs down. Do Better!
😂 I will try 🤷♂️
🥢 Chopsticks work too
Oh, nice!
Sikaflex lasted for about 3 years
Thanks for the feedback!