How To Seal A Gap Between Concrete Slabs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2024
- Tremco Vulkem 45 SSL: amzn.to/3kt0yOX
Proper sealing between concrete slaps in your driveway or sidewalk can help to reduce costly maintenance down the road. This video will specifically show you how to seal an expansion joint which is on a slope up to 6%. The Vulkem 45 SSL product is great and I was very happy with the results.
Supplies Used
Tremco Vulkem 45 SSL: amzn.to/3kt0yOX
1" Backer Rod (25'): amzn.to/3Dkez9j
3/4" Backer Rod (20'): amzn.to/3Hewssu
5/8" Backer Rod (20'): amzn.to/3F1AZMM
1/2 Backer Rod (20'): amzn.to/3klqCeX
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:42 How To Calculate Driveway Slope
3:55 Prep The Expansion Joint
5:33 Installing Backer Rod
8:35 Applying Vulkem 45 SSL Sealant
9:57 Placing a Top Coat of Sand
10:20 Wrap Up
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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. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Super helpful, thank you! I've been meaning to fix some gaps and sinking slates on my driveway/step without breaking the bank, even if it will only last 5-10 years. Having already bought the supplies, I'm looking forward to warm weather in 2024 to start this project!!! Thank you!
I did this 30 years ago. And it's still in place.
If you slightly pull or stretch on the backer rod during installation, my experience proves its dimension narrows enough to more easily fit the void without having to do all the poking. It’s a feel, but a slight twist along with gently stretching also narrows it, and one it is properly positioned, the rod relaxes holding right in place. For even larger gaps, usually where the slab meets the garage floor or the curb; I’ve used insulated pipe wrap for copper piping. It’s the same closed cell foam as the backer rod. Just be sure to fit it tight at junctions because it usually isn’t a continuous length. I’ve found rather than butting the end together, it’s better to force one end deeper in the crack and slightly overlay the next piece on top. The same is true for the regular backer rod wherever there may be a seam.
Your video was fantastic for us! My boyfriend and I watched it twice& applied the backer rods and Velkum to the gaps in his driveway and his patio. The suggestion to sprinkle sand over the fresh bead of Velkum is spot on! All the gaps now look like they were sealed with concrete! A true professional job! We used Velkum 45 in Limestone, backer rods from Amazon size 1. 1/2 inch, and very fine white play sand. Excellent overall video! We just want to say thank you very, very much!
Not 2 fantastic really I worked for Real Legit caulking companies for decades and would be fired immediately if I ever just pumped caulking in a joint and didn’t even knife it The finish knifing is the skill and Caulking is a trade not just a specialty skill but Endless “ experts “ all over utube are Flim Flamming Cob jobbing and worst of all Wet Tooling which could get Entire companies thrown off jobs Contracts Voided not just the wet tooling one The sand actually isn’t a bad idea on a hot sunny day and dark caulking or if you want the aggregate look but you have to tool it to seal it otherwise It’s NOT A SEAL WHICH IS THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF WHAT YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE DOING!! Also caulking sidewalks and concrete joints is mostly completely unnecessary and often times does more damage than good even if you are a real caulker
Great video. I did a similar project but I used something different than sand on top. I went to a local landscape supply place and found the aggregate that most looked like my exposed aggregate driveway. I took a bucket and swept up the dust from the bottom of the aggregate bin and put that over my sealer. It matched the driveway color very closely and gave it a nice blended look.
Clever!!
I like the precise instruction he gives with full sincerity and no nonsense type presentation
Great video, thanks! I have two slabs off my back door with a 1inch gap - I’ll be finding the thicker backer rods and following your steps accordingly
This was a great video. Love his no-nonsense approach, so easy to follow along. Thank you!
Applying the sand on top is very smart not only to blend but to protect the Polyurethane from UV exposure and extending the life of this expansion joint. Great job.
Your channel has started my new obsession, house and yard care projects
Welcome to the team 😂
Here’s a suggestion. If you have Company that sells concrete products, landscape blocks, etc, the one in my city has every size of backing rod either on spools or in sticks. It’s way less expensive. I bought 300 feet of backer rod for $10.
Why not use clean sand instead of backer rod to fill in the crack first? Seems like it would be faster, easier, and cheaper. Just thinking....
Whaaaa, can you give an example of a company that does this??
I've used Tremco's Vulkem products for years. Another tip is that if you don't want to apply sand and need the surface to skin up faster to prevent leaves from sticking you can mist the surface with water. Vulkem is moisture curing and that will allow the surface to skin over and keep things like leaves from sticking.
Nice, thanks for the tip Jeremy 👍
Jeremy you are absolutely right( most urethane sealants are moisture cured) but if the concrete gets wet before the sealant has cured it can affect the bond. I have installed miles of sealant on flat work and what I do is get a sheet of Masonite, rip it into approximately 4” wide strips for typical 3/4” joints, wider for wider joints, and tape it over the joint. If the sealant is installed properly the Masonite won’t touch the sealant.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Hi, please, , I need to cover the space between the wall panel and the patio floor concrete. There is a gap of 2 cm through which mice, cockroaches and frogs enter. I'm afraid of using putty between two different materials (the wall panel and the concrete) and breaking the wall panel when the product expands. What do you advise me ) Does this product accept to glue these two different materials or does it only glue concrete with concrete ?
Another Wet tooling flim flam man trick
Thank you for the tip!
I just did this and the day before I put down some adhesive material then put the backer rod down, then a day or two later I finished the job. So far so good. The backer rod did not move.
Great video I have to raise my sidewalk and this is cake and easy going in this weekend I already have everything I need Thanks
Excellent information and instructions! Thank you
Vulkem caulking is an excellent product and will last a long time. I use a liquid tool handle product to seal partially used tubes of caulking. Just dip the open end of your caulk tube into the liquid tool handle and it will keep the caulking just like new until the next time you need it.
Perfect video. I enjoyed watching. Now I need to search for your prep video thanks!
I use the self leveling sealant on my RV. It does not las long in South Texas. Good tips on cleaning up
the area before applying the sealant. Good information on the backer Rod.
I don't think that's the same kind of sealant.
Great video! Very helpful. I am trying to start my own business and pressure washing is one of the services.
Fantastic! Just the right info I was looking for. Thanks!
Thx Scott. Very helpful videos.
In plumbing section they sell those foam sleeves that insulate pipes. They kinda look like mini pool noodles. Can cut custom made backer rod :). Worked for me.
I love that. I wonder if it last for so many years. I am using the asphalt type like the one you took off before you started the project. It is a knuckle buster and lasts about four years looking sharp. Thank you for sharing. My next project for the spring
That looks great. I did mine last year with the sika, I did something wrong as I have some bubbles. I poked the bubbles while it was fresh and got the air out but still have quit a few bubbles. I wish mine looked like yours.. 😀😀😀 Thanks as your videos are very well presented.
You most likely used a closed cell backer rod rather than open cell. Closed cell releases gases if punctured which will cause bubbles
Excellent information, thank you!
Great video! Thank you for your hard work on this!
Just what I needed. Thank You Sir.
Excellent video, thank you for the information!
Excellent video and information....thank you
this video was very helpful thankyou
Thank you for wearing the knee pads.
Harbor freight has several pads to choose from.
I'd like to see you do a video on concrete staining for a driveway. Might renew the driveway to almost new looking condition. Great video!
Thanks Sam, definitely need to do a good cleaning at a minimum 👍
Great video. Can you do one on what to use to seal between concrete foundation and sidewalk. Had trouble finding a product that worked well for that of any videos on it.
Great sand tip. Thanks for the video!
You bet.
I had a rather large driveway with a lot of expansion joints. After pricing the sealant I decided to go a different way. Like in this video, I cleaned out all the rotted wood and filled in any deeper wash areas with sand, but instead of using the backer rod, I used a soaker hose. You can get the soaker hose in different sizes to fit standard width joints and once pressed into the joint it looked great. I had the home for about 5 years after the installation and it looked as good when I sold the house as it did the day I installed it. As for the cost, soaker hoses are super cheap compared to sealants and caulk.
I dunno- I just bought 100' of 5/8 backer rod for $24.00+ and soaker hose in 3/8" is twice that price at the Big Box stores
@@KickButtMarketing I probably was not clear in the description of what I did. Yes, backer rod is cheaper than soaker hose but it is not UV resistant so you will still need to buy the expensive caulk to put on top of it. WIth soaker hose, that is all you use.....just the hose. There is no need to caulk the top of it as it serves the purpose of looking good and keeping weeds out and will last for a long time.
I thought the point of the sealant was to keep water from going under the slab and, through freeze-thaw cycles creating voids & upheavals, cracking the slab.
Great idea but the joint won't be watertight right? Water can get under and undermine the base...?
For someone who has absolutely no caulking skills like this guy in the video that soaker hose or even just Replace the expansion material if you can and Do not caulk. I’ve seen concrete sidewalks and all kind of others completely fail and blow out maybe because like this guy, they didn’t even knife and tool it
Very informative video. Great job. Btw, your lawn also looks great. Any videos to share on maintaining your lawn?
I jsut did my 75' drive. Most home owners don't know about this easy maintenance process...I use a crushed granite rock (blue tint) that has som sand since I has exposed aggregate. I kinda press tha small pieces into the sealant.
Definitely the sand is a good tip. The sand also helps keep things from sticking to the fresh vulkem
Great video. Thanks.
We had a patio poured years ago and it has cracked badly over the years. Would this be a way to fill cracks that formed in our concrete patio? If not, any suggestions?
Very helpful video - thanks. The gap I need to fill is just over an inch. Do you think I could use the foam pipe wrap insulation for 1/2" copper pipe?
I think that in pressure washing the seams / surfaces where the expansion joint goes would give you a cleaner surface for the joint compound to adhere to. Your end result looks great!!
And while he has the pressure washer fired up, do the entire driveway.
He didn’t even knife or tool it it isn’t even sealed which is the entire purpose. It’s nothing more than a backer rod and caulking pumped into a big concrete joint and sand thrown on top
I've been through this this laborious process. I did fill the void left by the removed EJ material with sand as recommended before installing the backer rod and sealant. The treatment did not look last long Started failing within 3 years. Even with wire brushing the concrete, the sealant did not adhere very long, water got in, washed out the sand, and then weeds took over as before. I was removing unsightly sealant before long. I'd try soaker hose next time. Note: concrete shrinks as it cures and unretrained slabs shift with freeze thaw so once that happens the joints may get too wide for soaker hose. Not found a low maintenance option. Perhaps a self adhering self expanding full depth joint filler?
This is a really helpful video. Can you recommend the type of sand that I should use to fill the gap between the concrete driveway and the brick house before putting in the backer rod? The gap is 4 inches in depth. Thanks.
I have sidewalk cracks. Your video provides understandable step by step directions. I plan to fix one crack first using your method, products and tips. If it works, I’ll do the others. I’m wondering if living in Hawaii with its humidity requires special consideration on the choice of caulking? I am an older female and perhaps best to contact the manufacturer for advice or a referral to a reputable contractor.
Great Video!
Thank you for the education
Love your videos, i have a question on slabs. i have 4 slabs that were poored and they left the 2x4 as an expansion joint. theses have since rotted out and there is a 1 1/4 gap between the slabs. one has shifted as well and i need to level it with the other next to it. can i just use concrete leveler to fill the gap and then level out the remaining. maybe prefill some of the gap between with sand so it does not take as much concrete? thank you again.
I have a 44' x 3/4" x 4" deep expansion joint on a basketball court. The 2 slabs are not even for that distance. I want to use portland/sand and fill then feather in to even out the height difference, will this work?
Awesome video
This was a great video with easy to follow step. However, if I hired someone to complete the job for me, what is a reasonable fee less products, I would supply the products. Thanks
Great job. Looks very nice.
Thanks!
BRILLIANT..............................................A VERY GOOD VIDEO
Very informative, thanks!
You bet!
I probably have. 30 degree slope driveway. Added an additional drive 2 years ago. Looking to fill horizontal gaps of old drive.
Don’t forget ACE Hardware!! We have all that stuff too. Thanks!! Always great advice!
I am an ACE fan 👍
Any tips for a severely sloped driveway. I need to do this for my parents driveway, but it’s AT LEAST 10%-15%
I have a concrete pad garage and on the side of the garage a concrete driveway was poured. The people that did the driveway used 2x4's and 3/4" nailed into the garage pad and used that as a form. They left the forms and over the years (20+) it has just rotted away. I had a small termite issue because that wood was always wet and most of it was covered by the siding and J channel. I have since ripped out all the rotted wood and I have a 3" - 3.25" wide by 4"-5" deep "trench up against the garage. I was wondering if this type of material would work for that and what would I use to fill the channel before the Vulkem. stone? Is there backer rod 3.5" thick? Can I even use that much Vulkem? I think thats the same material they use around pool coping and I have seen that 2" wide. Any help would be appreciated.
Great video what if you had a greater slope?
Very nice!
THIS GUY IS THE BEST!
Thanks!
Thanks Scott
I have a driveway that has both slope (much less than 6%) and horizontal applications for the sealant. Besides cost is there a downside to using the Vulkem45 SSL in all applications or what % of slope is acceptable for Sika Sealant. The specs look the same for gap movement between Sika Self Leveling and Vulkem SSL so it just come down to slope.
Do you have a video for doing a cement porch that has cracked
5:26 - "I'm going back home, weeeeee!!" 😂
Is the process any different for southern states where temperature gets very hot during summer?
What would be the best method and what is the best product to fill a gap between the concrete apron of my garage and the asphalt driveway...???
I’ve heard some people silicon each side of the backer rod after it’s installed to ensure no sealant flows around the rod.
Anyone have any ideas what sealant to use for top-to-bottom cracks in very steep driveways? This product seems only good up to 6 degree slopes. I'm guessing mine could be up to a 25 degree slope.
I cant find any semi-self leveling sealant at my local hardware store. Can i use non-sag sealant instead?
How about using a power washer to clean out the cracks. Clean surfaces for bonding
FANTASTIC VIDEO!! You just showed me how to fill in the gaps in the concrete of my back yard!! thank you very much Scott!!
Easy way to measure the slope of the driveway is to use wood scraps or something (old magazines) to shim up a 4 foot level and measure the drop. The 48 inch long level is roughly half of 100 inches so a 3 inch drop would be approx. 6% gradient. 3 inches or less would be acceptable for that leveling caulk product.
What should I use if my driveway slope is 7%
@@randomdude3066 7% is pretty close to the recommended 6% limit so if you can't find a better product try it on a cool, cloudy day and it might not be too runny.
With high slope, use a non sag product
Will the Vulkem 45 SSL work to fill between a driveway and flagstone where the grout always seems to fail?
Can you use this product in colder temps closer to 35 degrees Fahrenheit? I didn't get a chance to fix one of the larger cracks in my sidewalk with a slope and am worried when the snow/ice starts in the northeast, it may be dangerous.
Do you have a video for doing this on a sidewalk, if it takes several days to dry?
Such a great video! Liked and subbed! I made the mistake of using a backer rod that was slightly smaller in diameter as you warned. Sorry I watched this video after my project was complete. The backer rod did rise in four spots out of the 20 foot job. I waited the next day and slightly sanded the sealer (sika) and the 3/4” backer rod. I then cleaned the area and reapplied the sika and made sure its level and had a clean finish. I hope this will fix the problem and not give me problems in the future. I don’t think it will but fingered crossed. Thanks again and if you have any advice for me please don’t hesitate to let me know. Much appreciated for all your help and great work.
Welcome to the channel. Yeah, the first time I did something similar and even "braided"the backer rod in the larger gaps which didn't work that great.
@@EverydayHomeRepairsyou’re awesome!
What product I should use to seal the gap of about 1/2" between the driveway & exterior wall? Currently, I am getting leakage in the basement probably due to this gap all along the entire wall.
Would the sealant be appropriate for cracks also, or just the gaps you used it on?
Your vids are so helpful. I ordered the Tremco Vulkem 45 SSL for filling some driveway cracks just like you did. I got some from Amazon and others from our local Home Depot (9 total). Unfortunately the ones I got are much thicker than yours and lay down very thick and require smoothing out which does not work. Why is this? Your looks so much more liquid. I even left them sit in the sun to warm up for an hour which helped a smidge but not much. Help!
For asphalt cracks always put dry sand in to fill any cavities and also establish a 1/2 reveal for crack filler. Dry sand on top of cracks so not stick to shoes and tires etc.
Dry sand sticks better and binds in in time from traffic.
Nice idea with using sand .
Can you use the Tremco product between slates and concrete around a pool? Or does it work only between concrete slabs?
if your expansion joints are 1/2 inch deep, do you still need backer rod?
Can I simply just caulk right over top of the wood in between my driveway seams???
For a professional look with the sealant, use a fine sand like Quikrete Playground sand. Mix it half and half with a concrete resurfacer. Spread it on right after you lay down the sealant. This will blend in with just about any concrete surface. It works great.
I have not heard about the concrete resurfacer before, being mixed with the sand. Gonna try it. Does the sand adhere better this way?
I would like to know is you can sand the overfill on the crack?
any options if your driveway grade is above 6%?
Great video. I am trying to purchase this sealant or similar in Italy but I can't seem to find anything even remotely similar, are there any other similar brands that I can try to search for ?? Thanks in advance - Jen =)
How do these joints hold up if you decided to power wash the drive?
if you fill in gap with pea gravel will that float to the top?
Is there a caulk gun you’d recommend for use with the SSL? I just used some Sika SL and it dripped a lot.
Amazing
I have a deep(5-6 inches)gap in one of my joints. What kind of sand should I use to fill it ?
I have a area like this around my pool. Thanks
I think I need to do a pool install video 🤔
can i use that for asphalt gaps?
So what do I do if I have a greater than 6 degree driveway? Polymeric sand?
Thanks!
Thanks so much for the support 🙌
How well would this stand up to a pressure wash?
It seem impossible to find Tremco Vulkem 45 SSL One-Part Semi-Self Leveling! Can you recommend any brand?