12:07 that subtlety of the hand movement when you lifted and drew back a little to have the excess material fall back onto the surface without messing it up all over the place goes to show you're a smart smart person. great clean job.
You are the man for recording like this!! Thank you for such an excellent production for this video. Your skill and know-how help explain how to get the best results!!
Awesome content for many that want to do their own work that don't know how. Simple enough to make it happen on any home with willing people to do the work. Save money and DIY! 🤙
Great video Sir! I have nearly the exact larger gap half way up my driveway and all the wood in my expansion joints are long gone, since this home is a 100+ yr old home. The driveway isn't 100 yrs old, it was put in in roughly in the mid 80's.
You should check out using dymonic semi self levelling caulk for this. It doesn’t need and tooling. It can be applied on gentle slopes as apposed to their self leveling caulk which is only for dead level surfaces. Loved the sand trick
That looks damn good, brother. Nicely done. I'm about to seal new control joints on a freshly poured slab then after they cure, I'll seal the entire slab. Fortunately, the control joints are not as wide as the ones you did but a few are quite deep. I have some backer-rod to fill those deep spots before using a self-leveling control joint selant. Appreciate the video. Have a fine weekend. 👍🏽🤠 03/16/24
Before you forget the raised edge you will create when pulling up tape first before any sand is applied, Pull the tape first, run something down like a thumb with a rubber glove on, and press down raised caulk. You won't have a big mess smearing down the raised edge because you protected the cement with tape. The transition edge of the caulk will flatten out before sand is broadcast into the wet urethane caulk. Self-leveling pour down urethane is much more leveling and penetrating into the concrete for proper adhesion, especially if you prime the cement voids 2 sides for the urethane to blend with and create a superior waterproof bond that won't separate from the cement as most applications on job sites do. This is nothing new, just industry standard by the book. Most people skip the priming of the joint, what do you think primers are for. This is done on roofing plywood deck joints as well.
I use to use 2 types, one ,single stage Vulkem or Sika , it was clear and fast tacky , or Polycoat 2 component slower drying might have been 230 or 21,its been a while, just call them It was a clear blue (first part and amber for the second part. With all the changes in VOC, not sure what they can sell. Polycoat is based out of Texas. I was in Calif Call Surface FX inc in Santa Barbara CA talk to Louie or the owner Michael Rattapel owner tell them its for an adhesive primer for the joint seal for urethane caulk You must not apply caulk until primer is tacky like masking tape, not slimy.
Did you know why you really want the foam rod to fill the void ? To have the caulk grab the 2 sides of the joint not the bottom, why ? For expansion and contraction, you want only the 2 sides moving to be where it stretches. Your first mistake, the caulk will pull away from the sides eventually as is almost always seen on most projects over time. A thin viscosity clear primer(that gets tacky in about 20 min) should be brushed on the sides of the joint. Its thin viscosity over just heavy poor penetrating caulk will reach deep into the concrete and be soft enough to blend into the caulk for the proper seal and grip to the concrete. The watertight seal in and around that joint will prevent water from working its way to where the caulk alone cannot seal properly. If you dont use this primer, the stretching back and forth of that joint will pull the caulk away. If you don't believe me, just look at application spec sheets on Polycoat,General polymers ,Vulcrom products. We do this on pool decks. This has always been a no brainer to take this step that most people leave out. Another thing. using so many tubes of caulk and then smoothing it out, get self-leveling caulk, pour it in, watch it level so smooth. Bring your tape in closer to the edge of the caulk so its below and not overlapping on top. To expect the caulk to penetrate into the top layer of cement is not correct. /water soaking into those top layers of cement over and under it , will eventually cause the caulk to detach. You want the caulk snug and below countersunk to be protected, as I said so 2 sides stretch back and forth only.
It sounds like from your comment you have done this type of work before. You should also know that there are different techniques and products that will yield the same long term results. The product we use is Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant. You are more than welcome to look up the installation instructions where you will find it stated in the second paragraph of "Priming" "Primer is not required with concrete, masonry, most glass and most porous substrates." Like you I have been doing this for years and using this specific product for the last 6 years and have never had one call-back for product failure unlike when I used polyurethane based products like you mention. Try Dowsil and I bet you never use those other products again.
Very helpful, and the sand is a brilliant functional & appearance....added touch. Thanks ... If using conventional hand mixed cement crack filling, the sand added at the end might also help with blending the old & with the new concrete too.
Beautiful job! We have 222 lineal feet of control joints in a new driveway to seal and it sounds like it isn't cheap to have this done so this video will help me tackle it myself. Thanks!
for normal cracks or control joints that haven't widened backer rod is not necessary. The backer rod is primarily used to take up space in the crack so that you don't use an excessive amount of sealant.
I came across your video by chance.Iwill be helping my brother to repair his driveway hopefully before this winter.He needs to replace but doesn't have the funds at the moment. The driveway had water get under the slab causing it to lift an sink up to 6 inches. Hope to seal the cracks before any more damage happens. Thanks for the great advice.👍
I came up with the same process on my own about two and 1/2 years ago. However, I don’t use backer rod as a base, I use sand on bottom and on top. If not ever needed duct tape but I did consider using it. Also the grout spatula is a new idea. I use Sika sealant but I will look into the Dow brand also. It looks thicker and easier to work with a trowel lot spatula. Great video. I love UTAH. I lived in Farmiington for 13 years. Now I’m in Pasco, WA.
Just curious, does the Sika product you haven't specified actually allow for or recommend contact with damp, wet or wicking organic material and 3 point contact?
For erratic cracks that aren't in the control joints, I have used a grinding wheel called a 'crack chaser', it's a vee shaped diamond impregnated wheel 3/8ths or 1/2 inch wide if you prefer, cuts a groove as deep as you need .works great,cuts concrete like butta! It's around $100 for a good quality one. but take time taping to the EDGE as you have, caulk the cut FLAT,no slump, no self leveling caulk, then sand to a Flush finish.I have used play sand which is finer. Add that option into your quotes at $20 / ft ! time consuming but compared to replacing concrete pads,... customers will pay, at least in the East part of the USA ! 8 ft crack start to finish takes about an hour . ( just my 2cents)
Good video. You should have shown how you prep the sausage for the sausage gun. I remember the first time I did this type of caulking and I couldn’t figure out how to open it. I would cut the tip and the caulk would go everywhere. Then a more experienced fellow should me just to tap it hard on your steel toe twice and it pops right off. How do you guys do it? Thanks for the tips. I found the last part to be the most useful. Oh and I’d use general construction masking tape rather than duct tape. Less expensive and does the same job.
Freaking amazing work. I have pretty big expansion joints in my garage. I'm going to grind and acid stain the floor and plan to do exactly this with my control joints. Here's my question: should I do this BEFORE or AFTER staining? I'm not sure how the acid stain will react with the sealant and sand...
@@dscottgillett Thanks a lot for this. I'll definitely do the staining first then. I shouldn't have any problems putting a water based clear coat over the stain and joint sealant?
Question regarding the manual gun vs. Makita gun. I have a full 2 car drive with 2 lanes and the joint in front and along side the garage along the service walk . You mentioned in the video the gun was turned up to highest setting. Would it be possible to do the drive I have and joints along the side of the garage and service walk and between the garage door and driveway slabs with the manual gun. I would like to try this product instead of the Sika this time but just can't find it within my budget to spend ~$350 for gun with battery. TIA
Yes, you can do it with a manual sausage gun. your forearm may get tried but it is doable. We do so much of it, it just made sense to buy the Makita guns.
So glad to find this! I tried to twist 3 3/4 pieces to fill 2x5 inch joint gap replacing the rotten wood. All your suggestions would have avoided my install fail. Self leveling sika in 85 degree weather just made the back rod float making a mess. Any tips on an aggregate driveway which makes leveling choppy? Thank you!
Richard, we don't have driveways with exposed aggregate here because of all the snow we get, so I have no experience with sealing joints in them. I hope you find something that works for you.
I don't think it can be painted since its a silicone based sealant. Dowsil does make it in many different colors so you can probably find one that matches close enough or use a contrasting color.
Yes, I have tried Sika Self leveling and non sag. I had a bunch of problems with the non sag bubbling the self leveling is really messy. My material supplier suggested the Dowsil and I have never looked back after 7 years of using it. Thanks for the question and watching the video.
Great tutorial video! Too bad I didn't find your video last Saturday, August 07, 2021. Oh my God my forearms, my legs and and hands - every muscle in my body still aches today. I just did my first expansion joint between the garage door entrance and driveway using - I inserted forty feet-(40-ft) of backer rod folded in half to twenty feet-(20-ft), twisted and inserted into the joint, I applied five-(5) thirty ounce-(30 oz.) of the Sika Pro Select Sikaflex®+ Self-Leveling Sealant [Best Before December 2019]. I wish I had that power drill sausage gun adapter! Great idea with the duck tape, playground sand and burger flipper! I just wish our driveway wasn't in such bad shape - nearly 40 year old house.
you can do that but if there is movement (freeze/thaw cycles) in the adjoining sections the polymeric sand will crack out and not seal the joint or crack. You want to use a product that has elasticity properties.
Do you make sure sealant all the way to surface? I would image yes, but what if your 2 slabs are not level? Thanks. ( And great idea with the duct tape)
On these very wide joints in this video yes, the sealant was level with the slabs. If your adjoining sections of slabs do no match each other then have a concrete lifting company level them for you. That is our primary business, concrete lifting. We raised the slabs in this video to match before we sealed the joints.
I just had a new driveway put in and am looking into sealing and caulking myself. I like the idea of the tape for the expansion joint. Is it not necessary to use it for the control joints? Do I need any other forming tools beside the spatula? Also I plan on using ACT-ATS-22 for the sealer. Good video Thx
Jeff, we only use tape on joints that have opened up more than 1". We don't use tape on regular control joints. The caulking knives should be all you'll need.
My driveway joint is 1'’ wide, but only about 1.5 inch deep because there is a strip of cracked, broken, eroded concrete running along the joint, but covering only 1/2 - 3/4 of the joint bottom width. It is still very intact, not impossible, but very hard to chisel it off. 1- Can I leave it the way it is and cut a pipe insulation foam tube in half to fit? I am concerned about cutting because someone said, “Don't make a hole in it’’ when he showed how to insert the backer rod. 2- You said, ‘’ The sealant has to be ¼’’ thick". Is it measured from the deeper sides of the inserted pipe insulation “backer rod" or from its higher round, middle top? 3- At some spots, the joint edges don't have the same level, up to 1/4- 1/2’’ difference in height. Should I apply the caulk to the same height level of the lower edge or up to the top edge of the higher side? 4- Should I cut the nozzle tip small or big enough to cover the whole 1'’ joint width with sealant in 1 stroke? I have a 10 oz caulking gun. I am a senior but have not fixed anything before. With your help, maybe I have enough confidence to do the first project. Thanks in advance.
I have search the web I’m trying to buy the same thing with that you were using. I can find similar dowsil Products but they are at least four dollars more than the price that you gave on your video ouch now I don’t know what to do
I live in Western NY, and the freeze and thaw of months of winter over the years has made a mess of the concrete slabs in our driveway. As much as I'd love to do this, the slabs are all uneven and trying this would look horrible. Funds make our awful driveway something we're stuck with, I feel.
Find a reputable concrete lifting company there and ask if they seal joints and cracks as part of their service. They can level up the slab sections and seal the joints for you adding years of life to your concrete.
Yes western new yorkwas brutal to exteriors.The reason i couldn’t afford it because the government found ways to get your money.i have moved away from these tax and spend policies to a more conservative state.
I have a couple of questions that I haven’t found in other comments. There is so much advice and everyone has a different way of doing this. Are you using self-leveling sealant? I’m not familiar with all the names of things. And then, why or why not? My second question is, why did you choose the foam backer instead of spray foam? I guess I have a third question. 🙂 is it okay in your opinion to use soapy water and your finger to smooth the top? Again, I just see so many techniques, it’s hard to know what is best. Thank you!
Thanks for watching. The sealant is a non sag sealant not self leveling. Backer rod is made for this application and you don't have to wait for the spray foam to cure. Yes, you could use soapy water and your finger its just not as efficient.
This 'Dowsil sealant is now $35.00 per tube for that 20oz. sausage in April 2024 Very pricey. Quadrupled in price in 3+ years....unless you get a much lower price from wholesale supplier. Nice job though, the Dowsil sealant looks like a very good product and relatively easy to work with, it seems to have a long work time before it starts to set up. I live right near you in Riverton. Have a daughter in Draper.
The price I pay is no where near $35 per sausage. If it was, none of my customers would buy this service from me because it would be too expensive. Thanks for watching.
I'm an older homeowner who has a driveway and sidewalks with some larger gaps (2-3") and a lot of narrower gaps. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to do this myself. Would I call a concrete company (like one that pours concrete for driveways) for something like this? If not, what type of company should I look for?
Hi Scott. I'm wondering if the driveway was recently poured or repaired and resurfaced. It also looks like the slabs were raised with foam prior as well. Those are some huge gaps you're starting with. Also, I'm surprised you didn't fill the gaps in with mortar and grind the necessary gap needed for expansion and contraction. Thanks for the demo. Cheers!
Hi Peter, this job was and RV Parking area on the side of the garage, was original and had not been previously repaired. It was also on the north side of the house so it never gets any sun especially in the winter months. The control joint cracked and then for years it would fill with water freeze and push the concrete sections apart from each other with each freeze/thaw cycle causing the 2 1/2" gap. Filling with mortar is never a good solution in an area with freeze/thaw cycles because you need to keep water from getting in the joints and freezing, which was the problem. Sealing the joint with Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant is the best way to prevent further water penetration and still allow for expansion and contraction throughout all 4 seasons. I have been back to this job to see how it held up after the first winter and it looked just like when we finished the job months before. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment.
Yes, there is some waste just like most projects. Polymeric sand will work well if you don't have freeze/thaw cycles where you live. If you live where you have 4 seasons then polymeric sand will open up a crack and let moisture in with the freeze/thaw cycles and eventually break out because it has no elasticity or bonding agents with the concrete.
Concrete is porous, filler is not. Therefore water gets between, especially above the crack. Get some latex paint to match the concrete and thin it until it drips out of a brush. Mask around the curve in the joint, and saturate everything beneath. Do not be stingy. The filler will stick to the paint-sealed concrete much better than raw. Water can not work itself between.
Your tool work nice. But why would you use ccs instead of horizontal sealant? Why not 888 or something traffic grade or made more specificity for s.o.g application?
I'm not sure what the acronyms stand for you are using in your comment(ccs, sog)? The reason we use it is because it works, we have never had a call back because of material failure.
Hi Scott, would you recommend pushing the backer rod to the ground and adding enough to fill the gap until how you have it in the vid? I was worried about a gap under the backer rod if I didn’t fill the expansion joint.
Hi Richard, No. Do Not Push the backer rod to the dirt. You only want the sealant to be at the most 3/8"-1/2" thick. The gap under the backer rod is not necessary to fill. If you want to fill it, pour some sand into it, but leave enough room for backer rod and sealant.
The sand was to help blend the sealant to the concrete color wise. We don't always use sand topping but to help color match we will. I hope this helps.
This is great! Do you use playground sand on new concrete or is there a lighter silica type sand you'd recommend? I know eventually the concrete with oxidize and weather, but with penetrating sealers and such it could take some time and I am curious how the play sand would look on that light grey/white surface of new concrete? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
The price of that Dowsil in Seattle is $16 bucks for the 20oz sausage and not available in state. I wonder if Dowsil’s replacing that one for Dowsil Weatherproof Sealant? I am going to call them. Up here the pros message is to prime and use a poly blend for the hardest cure. I will just test it out and give the customer a warranty :-)
If a silicon based material is used, what can be done to enable painting? Someone used a silicone caulking in cracks and paint does not adhere to silicone. I saw a video where shellac primer was used. Do you have any experience with that?
@@lindaweidner5124 Usually painting of the floor is done first then seal joints and cracks. Dowsil makes several stock colors and will also do custom colors upon request.
@@lindaweidner5124 I don't have any experience trying to paint over the silicone based sealant. My limited knowledge is that paint on silicone doesn't stick. maybe try the shellac process an let me know if it works. Thanks for watching.
That's not something I have ever tried before. If you try it, you will want to make sure the older product is clean to allow for good adhesion with the skim layer in order to sprinkle the sand on it.
12:07 that subtlety of the hand movement when you lifted and drew back a little to have the excess material fall back onto the surface without messing it up all over the place goes to show you're a smart smart person. great clean job.
Been scouring for weeks. There are very few, like maybe this may be the only video, that covers filling a gap over 1”. Thanks.
You are the man for recording like this!! Thank you for such an excellent production for this video. Your skill and know-how help explain how to get the best results!!
Awesome content for many that want to do their own work that don't know how. Simple enough to make it happen on any home with willing people to do the work. Save money and DIY! 🤙
thanks so much for watching and the kind words.
Great video Sir! I have nearly the exact larger gap half way up my driveway and all the wood in my expansion joints are long gone, since this home is a 100+ yr old home. The driveway isn't 100 yrs old, it was put in in roughly in the mid 80's.
Best video by far on how to create the smooth finish when you can’t use the self leveling product. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic job!! Come to Dallas you do my driveway and many others!
You should check out using dymonic semi self levelling caulk for this. It doesn’t need and tooling. It can be applied on gentle slopes as apposed to their self leveling caulk which is only for dead level surfaces. Loved the sand trick
Great job! I have done this type of work before, but never thought of using tape or sand. Thanks for sharing!
I'm glad you found a tip you could put to use.
@𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓘𝓷𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓖𝓾𝔂 ♥ I'm not a tile setter but I would imagine you need to re-grout it. You might need to dig out the old grout first.
That looks damn good, brother. Nicely done. I'm about to seal new control joints on a freshly poured slab then after they cure, I'll seal the entire slab. Fortunately, the control joints are not as wide as the ones you did but a few are quite deep. I have some backer-rod to fill those deep spots before using a self-leveling control joint selant. Appreciate the video. Have a fine weekend. 👍🏽🤠 03/16/24
That is quality work, thanks for such a great how-to video.
Great work! Excellent attention to detail.
Thank you very much!
Great job! Which Dowsil # are you using?
Dowsil-Contractors Concrete Sealant
Before you forget the raised edge you will create when pulling up tape first before any sand is applied,
Pull the tape first, run something down like a thumb with a rubber glove on, and press down raised caulk. You won't have a big mess smearing down the raised edge because you protected the cement with tape. The transition edge of the caulk will flatten out before sand is broadcast into the wet urethane caulk. Self-leveling pour down urethane is much more leveling and penetrating into the concrete for proper adhesion, especially if you prime the cement voids 2 sides for the urethane to blend with and create a superior waterproof bond that won't separate from the cement as most applications on job sites do. This is nothing new, just industry standard by the book. Most people skip the priming of the joint, what do you think primers are for. This is done on roofing plywood deck joints as well.
May I ask, what kind of Cement Primer you would suggest??
I use to use 2 types, one ,single stage Vulkem or Sika , it was clear and fast tacky , or Polycoat 2 component slower drying might have been 230 or 21,its been a while, just call them It was a clear blue (first part and amber for the second part. With all the changes in VOC, not sure what they can sell. Polycoat is based out of Texas. I was in Calif
Call Surface FX inc in Santa Barbara CA talk to Louie or the owner Michael Rattapel owner tell them its for an adhesive primer for the joint seal for urethane caulk
You must not apply caulk until primer is tacky like masking tape, not slimy.
Did you know why you really want the foam rod to fill the void ? To have the caulk grab the 2 sides
of the joint not the bottom, why ? For expansion and contraction, you want only the 2 sides moving to be where it stretches. Your first mistake, the caulk will pull away from the sides eventually as is almost always seen on most projects over time. A thin viscosity clear primer(that gets tacky in about 20 min) should be brushed on the sides of the joint. Its thin viscosity over just heavy poor penetrating caulk
will reach deep into the concrete and be soft enough to blend into the caulk for the proper seal and grip to the concrete. The watertight seal in and around that joint will prevent water from working its way to where the caulk alone cannot seal properly. If you dont use this primer, the stretching back and forth of that joint will pull the caulk away. If you don't believe me, just look at application spec sheets on Polycoat,General polymers ,Vulcrom products. We do this on pool decks. This has always been a no brainer to take this step that most people leave out. Another thing. using so many tubes of caulk and then smoothing it out, get self-leveling caulk, pour it in, watch it level so smooth. Bring your tape in closer to the edge of the caulk so its below and not overlapping on top. To expect the caulk to penetrate
into the top layer of cement is not correct. /water soaking into those top layers of cement over and under it , will eventually cause the caulk to detach. You want the caulk snug and below countersunk
to be protected, as I said so 2 sides stretch back and forth only.
It sounds like from your comment you have done this type of work before. You should also know that there are different techniques and products that will yield the same long term results. The product we use is Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant. You are more than welcome to look up the installation instructions where you will find it stated in the second paragraph of "Priming" "Primer is not required with concrete, masonry, most glass and most porous substrates." Like you I have been doing this for years and using this specific product for the last 6 years and have never had one call-back for product failure unlike when I used polyurethane based products like you mention. Try Dowsil and I bet you never use those other products again.
if that joint is 2 inchs its junk already aci or icri spec explain all this
Can beach sand be used instead of playground sand?
Yes
@@dscottgillett Thanks.
Very helpful, and the sand is a brilliant functional & appearance....added touch. Thanks ...
If using conventional hand mixed cement crack filling, the sand added at the end might also help with blending the old & with the new concrete too.
The sand sprinkled on top of a concrete type patch probably won't do anything for you. But give it try and let me know how it works.
Hey. Good job brother. Dont mind the haters
Thank you.
Beautiful job! We have 222 lineal feet of control joints in a new driveway to seal and it sounds like it isn't cheap to have this done so this video will help me tackle it myself. Thanks!
Good luck!
Does the seal without backer rod hold up as well as those with backer rod? I heard its crucial to use backer rod to ensure the seal doesn't fail...
for normal cracks or control joints that haven't widened backer rod is not necessary. The backer rod is primarily used to take up space in the crack so that you don't use an excessive amount of sealant.
I came across your video by chance.Iwill be helping my brother to repair his driveway hopefully before this winter.He needs to replace but doesn't have the funds at the moment. The driveway had water get under the slab causing it to lift an sink up to 6 inches. Hope to seal the cracks before any more damage happens. Thanks for the great advice.👍
The Cake Boss would be proud of you!
Just kidding, nice work! I need to do this around my driveway entrance gaps to sidewalk.
Go for it!
Excellent Brother Great video Thank's for Sharing Very much. God Bless.U.
Glad you enjoyed it
How to take out old calk? Thank you
I came up with the same process on my own about two and 1/2 years ago. However, I don’t use backer rod as a base, I use sand on bottom and on top. If not ever needed duct tape but I did consider using it. Also the grout spatula is a new idea. I use Sika sealant but I will look into the Dow brand also. It looks thicker and easier to work with a trowel lot spatula. Great video. I love UTAH. I lived in Farmiington for 13 years. Now I’m in Pasco, WA.
I've bee to Pasco, Wa. Spent a few days at an RV park there this spring. I really like central WA.
Just curious, does the Sika product you haven't specified actually allow for or recommend contact with damp, wet or wicking organic material and 3 point contact?
Why sand instead of backer rod
Nice Video. Why dont you use self leveling sealant for the big one?
For erratic cracks that aren't in the control joints, I have used a grinding wheel called a 'crack chaser', it's a vee shaped diamond impregnated wheel 3/8ths or 1/2 inch wide if you prefer, cuts a groove as deep as you need .works great,cuts concrete like butta! It's around $100 for a good quality one. but take time taping to the EDGE as you have, caulk the cut FLAT,no slump, no self leveling caulk, then sand to a Flush finish.I have used play sand which is finer. Add that option into your quotes at $20 / ft ! time consuming but compared to replacing concrete pads,... customers will pay, at least in the East part of the USA ! 8 ft crack start to finish takes about an hour . ( just my 2cents)
We use crack chasers for fissure cracks, just didn't show that is this video. Thanks for watching!
Good video. You should have shown how you prep the sausage for the sausage gun. I remember the first time I did this type of caulking and I couldn’t figure out how to open it. I would cut the tip and the caulk would go everywhere. Then a more experienced fellow should me just to tap it hard on your steel toe twice and it pops right off. How do you guys do it? Thanks for the tips. I found the last part to be the most useful. Oh and I’d use general construction masking tape rather than duct tape. Less expensive and does the same job.
I just drop the sausage in the tube and cut across the end of it. Thank for watching.
Brilliant idea thank you 👏👏👏🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻
Ok. It’s been 2 years since you did the caulking job. How does it look in 2024?
I was at this home again last fall to lift their concrete driveway approach and the joint sealing was holding up wonderfully.
Great vid! Using this technique on my driveway!
thank you!!
Freaking amazing work. I have pretty big expansion joints in my garage. I'm going to grind and acid stain the floor and plan to do exactly this with my control joints. Here's my question: should I do this BEFORE or AFTER staining? I'm not sure how the acid stain will react with the sealant and sand...
Do it after staining. You shouldn't need to sand over the top in your garage.
@@dscottgillett Thanks a lot for this. I'll definitely do the staining first then. I shouldn't have any problems putting a water based clear coat over the stain and joint sealant?
@@poshko41 Do the joint sealant last, the clear coat may not bond to the sealant.
@@dscottgillett I am REALLY glad I asked these questions and that you were kind enough to answer. Thank you.
@@dscottgillett One more question... Would Sika no sag sealant perform similarly to the product you used here? Thanks.
Magnificent work.
Nice work Scott!
Glad you enjoyed it
Mate ... very nice. Clever too.
Thanks 👍
Question regarding the manual gun vs. Makita gun. I have a full 2 car drive with 2 lanes and the joint in front and along side the garage along the service walk . You mentioned in the video the gun was turned up to highest setting. Would it be possible to do the drive I have and joints along the side of the garage and service walk and between the garage door and driveway slabs with the manual gun. I would like to try this product instead of the Sika this time but just can't find it within my budget to spend ~$350 for gun with battery.
TIA
Yes, you can do it with a manual sausage gun. your forearm may get tried but it is doable. We do so much of it, it just made sense to buy the Makita guns.
@@dscottgillett Understand the difference of doing it 8 hours a day in commercial applications vs DIYer. Thanks again for the reply.
So glad to find this! I tried to twist 3 3/4 pieces to fill 2x5 inch joint gap replacing the rotten wood.
All your suggestions would have avoided my install fail.
Self leveling sika in 85 degree weather just made the back rod float making a mess.
Any tips on an aggregate driveway which makes leveling choppy?
Thank you!
Richard, we don't have driveways with exposed aggregate here because of all the snow we get, so I have no experience with sealing joints in them. I hope you find something that works for you.
@@dscottgillett thanks Scott for the quick reply. Your tips lead me to a distributor near me that sell Dowsil. (Seattle- Atlas inc)
Cheers!
Nice work.
Impressive concrete tools your using there.
Thank you.
Nice job and a nice presentation 👍🏽
Great demo and info, however, my concrete to painted - can this product be painted and sealed after?
I don't think it can be painted since its a silicone based sealant. Dowsil does make it in many different colors so you can probably find one that matches close enough or use a contrasting color.
roughly how many of those sausages did it take to do the area in this video? thanks!
Kevin, I don't remember how many it took, sorry. Thanks for watching.
Exelente video como se llama el producto que le puso bendiciones
Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant
@@dscottgillett gracias saludos desde Silverton Oregon bendiciones
What brand of concrete caulking compound are you using? That would be nice to know. Readers - suggestions? Thanks.
Please re-watch the first 30 seconds of the video where I tell you the material we use.
Great👌🏻… Tks for sharing, just subscribed 🙏🏻💪🏻🙏🏻
I have had success with Sika and regular sand. Should I fill the space between garage door and driveway. Thanks.
absolutely. That cold joint is very susceptible to water penetration which can led to the concrete sinking in that area.
Awesome job. Have you tried the Sika self leveling product? If so do you prefer this product over the Sika self leveling product? Thanks
Yes, I have tried Sika Self leveling and non sag. I had a bunch of problems with the non sag bubbling the self leveling is really messy. My material supplier suggested the Dowsil and I have never looked back after 7 years of using it. Thanks for the question and watching the video.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Thanks. Superior presentation.
Why did you only use sand for the thin cracks but not on the expansion joints?
Nice work, nice video. Thanks!
Thanks for the visit
Thank you.
Great tutorial video! Too bad I didn't find your video last Saturday, August 07, 2021. Oh my God my forearms, my legs and and hands - every muscle in my body still aches today. I just did my first expansion joint between the garage door entrance and driveway using - I inserted forty feet-(40-ft) of backer rod folded in half to twenty feet-(20-ft), twisted and inserted into the joint, I applied five-(5) thirty ounce-(30 oz.) of the Sika Pro Select Sikaflex®+ Self-Leveling Sealant [Best Before December 2019]. I wish I had that power drill sausage gun adapter! Great idea with the duck tape, playground sand and burger flipper! I just wish our driveway wasn't in such bad shape - nearly 40 year old house.
It definitely has a learning curve but once you get it its not bad. Thank for watching.
very nice. can we use polymering sand instead of dowseal and just use water to harden. thank you. no mess. thx
you can do that but if there is movement (freeze/thaw cycles) in the adjoining sections the polymeric sand will crack out and not seal the joint or crack. You want to use a product that has elasticity properties.
What is the shrinkage rate of the product you are using? All caulking shrinks. Love the sand trick.
Do you make sure sealant all the way to surface? I would image yes, but what if your 2 slabs are not level? Thanks. ( And great idea with the duct tape)
On these very wide joints in this video yes, the sealant was level with the slabs. If your adjoining sections of slabs do no match each other then have a concrete lifting company level them for you. That is our primary business, concrete lifting. We raised the slabs in this video to match before we sealed the joints.
Where can you buy the rubber for the joints?
I just had a new driveway put in and am looking into sealing and caulking myself.
I like the idea of the tape for the expansion joint. Is it not necessary to use it for the control joints?
Do I need any other forming tools beside the spatula?
Also I plan on using ACT-ATS-22 for the sealer.
Good video Thx
Jeff, we only use tape on joints that have opened up more than 1". We don't use tape on regular control joints. The caulking knives should be all you'll need.
Very efficient indeed.
Thank you
Great work. I didn't know about the sand, do you recommend it in the windows/doors/garage door? And is there just that color of sand?
Looks real nice 👍
Thank you
Thank you so much for your video.🤗👍
My pleasure 😊
great job!
Thanks!
My driveway joint is 1'’ wide, but only about 1.5 inch deep because there is a strip of cracked, broken, eroded concrete running along the joint, but covering only 1/2 - 3/4 of the joint bottom width. It is still very intact, not impossible, but very hard to chisel it off.
1- Can I leave it the way it is and cut a pipe insulation foam tube in half to fit? I am concerned about cutting because someone said, “Don't make a hole in it’’ when he showed how to insert the backer rod.
2- You said, ‘’ The sealant has to be ¼’’ thick". Is it measured from the deeper sides of the inserted pipe insulation “backer rod" or from its higher round, middle top?
3- At some spots, the joint edges don't have the same level, up to 1/4- 1/2’’ difference in height. Should I apply the caulk to the same height level of the lower edge or up to the top edge of the higher side?
4- Should I cut the nozzle tip small or big enough to cover the whole 1'’ joint width with sealant
in 1 stroke? I have a 10 oz caulking gun.
I am a senior but have not fixed anything before. With your help, maybe I have enough confidence to do the first project. Thanks in advance.
What materials did you use?
I have search the web I’m trying to buy the same thing with that you were using. I can find similar dowsil Products but they are at least four dollars more than the price that you gave on your video ouch now I don’t know what to do
Check out "Smalley and Company" for the "Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant" we used in the video.
Very nice work. Thank you for sharing
Thank you very much!
I live in Western NY, and the freeze and thaw of months of winter over the years has made a mess of the concrete slabs in our driveway. As much as I'd love to do this, the slabs are all uneven and trying this would look horrible.
Funds make our awful driveway something we're stuck with, I feel.
Find a reputable concrete lifting company there and ask if they seal joints and cracks as part of their service. They can level up the slab sections and seal the joints for you adding years of life to your concrete.
Yes western new yorkwas brutal to exteriors.The reason i couldn’t afford it because the government found ways to get your money.i have moved away from these tax and spend policies to a more conservative state.
Great presentation!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for watching!
Gorgeous. ❤
How much do you charge per foot to do the wide joints vs the narrower joints?
looks great !!!
Thank you.
You missed the calling as a cake maker, LOL. Those are some nasty expansion joints. Expand they did. Thanks for sharing the techniques.
These joints were on the north side of the home so during the winter the snow an ice pushed the slabs apart from each other. Thanks for watching.
K. Buen. Trabajoooo !!!👍
Gracias
I have a couple of questions that I haven’t found in other comments. There is so much advice and everyone has a different way of doing this.
Are you using self-leveling sealant? I’m not familiar with all the names of things. And then, why or why not?
My second question is, why did you choose the foam backer instead of spray foam?
I guess I have a third question. 🙂 is it okay in your opinion to use soapy water and your finger to smooth the top? Again, I just see so many techniques, it’s hard to know what is best.
Thank you!
Thanks for watching. The sealant is a non sag sealant not self leveling. Backer rod is made for this application and you don't have to wait for the spray foam to cure. Yes, you could use soapy water and your finger its just not as efficient.
good job man
This 'Dowsil sealant is now $35.00 per tube for that 20oz. sausage in April 2024 Very pricey. Quadrupled in price in 3+ years....unless you get a much lower price from wholesale supplier.
Nice job though, the Dowsil sealant looks like a very good product and relatively easy to work with, it seems to have a long work time before it starts to set up. I live right near you in Riverton. Have a daughter in Draper.
The price I pay is no where near $35 per sausage. If it was, none of my customers would buy this service from me because it would be too expensive. Thanks for watching.
Great work. Thanks for the video.
Our pleasure!
would it no be better off to make a tip out of pvc pipe to the size of joint you are fill so it has no air pockets.
Awesome 👍
Thanks 🤗
Genius with the sand! how long does it need to dry before you blow the remaining sand away?
a couple hours is plenty of time
Perfect.
I'm an older homeowner who has a driveway and sidewalks with some larger gaps (2-3") and a lot of narrower gaps. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to do this myself. Would I call a concrete company (like one that pours concrete for driveways) for something like this? If not, what type of company should I look for?
You can call the construction. For less money you can call the landscaping guys. They would do that! Good luck!
@@tranghoang6248 Thank you!
I've got a spec calling for Dowsil 790.. Is that what you happen to be using in this video...??
Hi Mykro, we use Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant it is very similar to the 790 but a little less cost.
Hi Scott. I'm wondering if the driveway was recently poured or repaired and resurfaced. It also looks like the slabs were raised with foam prior as well. Those are some huge gaps you're starting with. Also, I'm surprised you didn't fill the gaps in with mortar and grind the necessary gap needed for expansion and contraction. Thanks for the demo. Cheers!
Hi Peter, this job was and RV Parking area on the side of the garage, was original and had not been previously repaired. It was also on the north side of the house so it never gets any sun especially in the winter months. The control joint cracked and then for years it would fill with water freeze and push the concrete sections apart from each other with each freeze/thaw cycle causing the 2 1/2" gap. Filling with mortar is never a good solution in an area with freeze/thaw cycles because you need to keep water from getting in the joints and freezing, which was the problem. Sealing the joint with Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant is the best way to prevent further water penetration and still allow for expansion and contraction throughout all 4 seasons. I have been back to this job to see how it held up after the first winter and it looked just like when we finished the job months before. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment.
@@dscottgillett No, thank you for the reply. Good luck!
Dang, there was about a whole tube of caulk in that waste box.
Question, is this merhod preferable to using Polymeric sand? Tx
Yes, there is some waste just like most projects. Polymeric sand will work well if you don't have freeze/thaw cycles where you live. If you live where you have 4 seasons then polymeric sand will open up a crack and let moisture in with the freeze/thaw cycles and eventually break out because it has no elasticity or bonding agents with the concrete.
good job
Thanks
Concrete is porous, filler is not. Therefore water gets between, especially above the crack.
Get some latex paint to match the concrete and thin it until it drips out of a brush. Mask around the curve in the joint, and saturate everything beneath. Do not be stingy.
The filler will stick to the paint-sealed concrete much better than raw. Water can not work itself between.
You have some nice caulk!
How much do you charge a linear foot for that repair?
Thanks for posting this helpful video, really helpful!!
Glad it was helpful!
Your tool work nice. But why would you use ccs instead of horizontal sealant? Why not 888 or something traffic grade or made more specificity for s.o.g application?
I'm not sure what the acronyms stand for you are using in your comment(ccs, sog)? The reason we use it is because it works, we have never had a call back because of material failure.
How long before driving your vehicle on the slab.
this one our recommendation was 24 hrs because of the extremely wide joints.
Hi Scott, would you recommend pushing the backer rod to the ground and adding enough to fill the gap until how you have it in the vid?
I was worried about a gap under the backer rod if I didn’t fill the expansion joint.
Hi Richard, No. Do Not Push the backer rod to the dirt. You only want the sealant to be at the most 3/8"-1/2" thick. The gap under the backer rod is not necessary to fill. If you want to fill it, pour some sand into it, but leave enough room for backer rod and sealant.
Great stuff! Thanks!!
Glad you liked it!
Can you further explain the purpose of the sand you put on top? I’ve never seen anyone else do that so I was curious…
The sand was to help blend the sealant to the concrete color wise. We don't always use sand topping but to help color match we will. I hope this helps.
I do not have a problem with joints but the cracks have crab grass growing out of them. I will use Flex Seal to seal the cracks.
put a wire wheel on a grinder and clean out the cracks from weeds and other debris then seal and the weeds wont grow back through.
Great video, thanks 😊
Thanks for watching!
This is great! Do you use playground sand on new concrete or is there a lighter silica type sand you'd recommend? I know eventually the concrete with oxidize and weather, but with penetrating sealers and such it could take some time and I am curious how the play sand would look on that light grey/white surface of new concrete? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
With new concrete we don't use any sand or silca. It looks awesome with out.
The price of that Dowsil in Seattle is $16 bucks for the 20oz sausage and not available in state.
I wonder if Dowsil’s replacing that one for Dowsil Weatherproof Sealant? I am going to call them.
Up here the pros message is to prime and use a poly blend for the hardest cure.
I will just test it out and give the customer a warranty :-)
That price is too high. The weatherproof sealant is a little more money than the CCS. Try getting it from Smalley and Company out of Denver, CO.
Is the caulking material you use polyurethane? Thanks for the video!!!
No, Its Dowsil Contractors Concrete Sealant silicone based.
If a silicon based material is used, what can be done to enable painting? Someone used a silicone caulking in cracks and paint does not adhere to silicone. I saw a video where shellac primer was used. Do you have any experience with that?
@@lindaweidner5124 Usually painting of the floor is done first then seal joints and cracks. Dowsil makes several stock colors and will also do custom colors upon request.
@@lindaweidner5124 I don't have any experience trying to paint over the silicone based sealant. My limited knowledge is that paint on silicone doesn't stick. maybe try the shellac process an let me know if it works. Thanks for watching.
Can I reapply a little bit so that I can add some sand to get the top to match nicely like that?
That's not something I have ever tried before. If you try it, you will want to make sure the older product is clean to allow for good adhesion with the skim layer in order to sprinkle the sand on it.
@@dscottgillett i reapplied sand stick good
I forgot to add sand to the top. I’m wondering if applying some spray adhesive then sand will work