Use a bigger torch, like a weed burner attached a 5 gallon propane tank. That is how I did mine years ago. Works great. Glad you took my suggestion on the Crack-Stix. It is a much easier process!
I used this very product on an expansion joint approx. 50 ft in length in late August 2021 using the black color. As with the narrator in this video, it was a sunny, breezy, and cool day (low 50s) during my application. Here are a few details of my experience: 1. It took approx. 5 hours to install and melt the 50 ft. of crack-stix into my expansion joint. It was painfully slow. 2. In addition to the crack-stix, it took approx. 15 canisters of propane, and the torch to complete the job. 3. For the beautiful expansion joints shown in this video, the crack-stix lays and fills well. However, for irregular or deep expansion joints, you may have to double or triple layer the material which increases the melt time even more. 4. I used sand to fill/back areas of my expansion joint. The excessive amount of heating to melt this crack-stix caused my sand to further settle (moisture evaporation?) which required more material to fill the joint, ie. more time. 5. Did I mention how painfully slow this material was to melt? Use caution, you can create burn marks on your driveway cement with the flame. While these marks can be cleaned and will disappear over a short period of time...it's another potential task that will need to be performed. 6. This product does not work well with smaller cracks. I guess you have to use another product, or wait till these expansion joints get larger before they are filled. Overall, in areas that have consistent and regular larger expansion joints (1/4"-1/2")...I'm happy with the end result. However, I would seek out another solution given the time this product takes to apply, and its inability to be used in small joints (less than 1/4")
Hey Jeff, thanks for the feedback. I had a hard time heating the crack-stix with a 20,000 btu torch fighting the 40F temp and wind. I think this product would be Much, Much easier to apply in the 60F+ but need to test it out to be sure.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Hi Scott - yeah, I agree...although I'm thinking a nice hot 80+ degree temperature would be best! Just as an FYI...I did switch to MAP gas with the torch about 2/3 the way through and got slightly better results...but it came at the expense of the torch. The higher burn temperatures began to melt the torch tip. By the end of the day, the torch tip was shortened by about an inch.
I had the exact same experience with my asphalt driveway repair using the black version. While it holds pretty great after two years, it’s a painful long time to apply and heat, and there’s no way to avoid the burn marks especially for the asphalt ones.
Used Crack Stix two years ago, melting it in with a large propane weed killer torch so I was able to melt it and get into the cracks. It worked for about a year then started separating basically letting water in again under pad. I ended up redoing it all with the first product you used from the 10 oz tube, it has worked so much better. Crack six IMO is a waste of time.
Appreciate the feedback Chris. Do you remember what the temp was outside when you first applied the Crack-Stix? I was very pleased thus for with the Sika and Tremco products although both still haven't aged much they seem like the real deal 👍
@@EverydayHomeRepairs I did it two times once when it was 80 + out and later on mid 40's both times pre heated crack after cleaning with wire brush and vacuuming. Inserting crack stix into 1/2 inch about expansion joint, going over with torch slowly not to burn it but melt into the crack. basically heated until it was a thick liquid. All of it has separated with the summer and winter during the year. I pushed it all down with a hammer and large punch then over the top used that same product you used in last video on same subject from 10oz tube that was months ago and its held up much better I am guessing due to the plasticity of the product.
Good stuff Chris, appreciate the details and feedback. Ultimately I will bring all these different product together in one article on our website so the feedback is much appreciated 👍👍
The product coming out was what I feared after watching this video. A tried some cheaper crack fillers about 13 years ago in a driveway crack, and they failed within a year. 12 years ago I tried the Silka product, and it's still in the driveway with zero failure 12 years later. It wasn't cheap, but it's performed very well on a driveway that goes through harsh winters, hot summers, and a lot of freeze/thaw cycles in the spring. There's a similar product that's also a polyurethane based crack filler I put in about 3 years ago that seems to behave similarly to the Silka.
I used Crack Stik 3 years ago. I do not recommend putting sand in the crack to bring up the level before applying the Crack Stik. That' what I did and the sand washed out and the Crack Stik slumped leaving another gap to be filled. I recommend that you should always use backer rod. FYI, I tried to remove the crack stik and found that it is impossible to take out because just under the surface it remains gooey, which is great to keep the crack sealed. Just what you want it to do.
I would call those expansion joints in the concrete to allow for settling or earthquakes. What a great product! I need this really badly in my driveway! Thank you so much for sharing this solution.
I mixed sand in with some old exterior house paint and poured that into concrete gaps where grass kept growing in. That was 5 years ago, still working. Looks like the product in the video requires a specific size gap. And holy crap more than $100??? Old paint and sand, pretty cheap, easy and fast.
I also found Crack Stix very slow until I got the hang of it. Waving the torch like you are spraying paint is wrong! Hold the torch steady and move along at a slow even pace. Adjust how high you are holding the torch until you get the 'sweet spot' where it melts but doesn't burn. Then you can walk along and melt the stuff right in. Propane usage is cut way down and you get the job done much faster. I would have to sometimes go back a few inches to touch up places that didn't level off well. I used 2 14oz propane tanks to do about 150ft.
You could speed things up a little by changing the direction of the torch head. When you're working from the side, 1/2 - 2/3s-ish of your heat is splashing out sideways, wasted. Point the torch parallel to the sealant and more parallel to the ground, between 45 and 60 degrees. That way there's very little flame lost backwards towards you and the rest of the flame preheats the next section.
How Strong is it? I want to use it to help with dragging the floor. Jack across the expansion joints and I'm always worried about chipping the concrete
Hey Scott, do you have a video or what info would you recommend for fixing small to medium cracks inside the garage, and keeping in mind I'd like the cracks to be extremely flat to eventually put an epoxy over the garage floor? Thanks so much and thanks for all your great videos!
No, hear me out.. because filling them with miscolored rubber will piss your wife off and make you wana drink way more every time you look at your handy work. You cannot "fix" concrete, you must breakout and repour. Just live with it. My grandpa always said, "all concrete cracks, the more cuts you make prematurely, the less cracks will show up later. Notice he isnt fixing a crack, hes filling a cut. Why? Because this is a float compound, not a bonding compound. It simply makes big liabilities become smaller liabilities. Thats the only use. To keep your mail man from suing your ass.
6:12 -- I'm not sold on the Crack Stick. I think you'd like the Sika much more if you had an electric caulking gun. It's much more enjoyable applying the Sika or any other caulking when your wrists are not exhausted.
OK I have just finished all three of the videos you've done on the different products. They seem to be just the ticket for various applications. My question is how do they hold up to power washing? I like to hit mine about once every year or two and would hate to mess up such a repair.
To be honest I think the Sika and Tremco products would be your best bet depending on the angle of the crack you are filling. Sika for level surfaces and Tremco for up to a 6% grade. I would make sure the temp is around 50F or above to apply the sealant. I nice tight fit of the backer rod is key for a successful job. I like the Crack-Stix but need to give it another go when it is 60F+ as opposed to the 40F when I did the video.
Yep, it will allow expansion. I am interested once the temps drops at or below freezing to compare the Sika, Tremco, and Crack-Stix to see if any/all turn brittle.
I have heard that you can but I would only attempt that on days where the temp is 70F+ with direct Sun. If the concrete is warm I think that would make a big difference in the amount of heat you need to add.
Any suggestions for a thinner, self leveling product to level out shallow depressions in an asphalt driveway that cause puddling and dangerous ice patches in winter?
My driveway has has the material between the crack but is slowly coming out. Do you recommend this material to be removed an use the product shown in the vid. Also on our entrance side walk there are expension groves without the material in between and I have noticed the concrete it self is beginning to crack. Should I use this product as well
Couldn't you use a heat gun? The melting temp is suppose to be roughly 200°F. Heat guns typically go from about 120°F- 1100°F. Maybe a bit less likely to burn it as well? Might be worth a try.
okay now do a video filling in the cracks on a 50+ year old concrete driveway where those expansion joint cracks have turned into deep and often grass filled V shaped canyons. I've got cracks as wide (or wider) than my hand and as deep as my fingers
Does it come in a wider product? To put in between say the actual garage floor and the outside cement pad that you first drive onto leaving the garage? I have an inch gap, the outside pad has moved.
I would never recommend doing this during colder weather. It’s best to wait until warmer weather, over 60 degrees, and preferably warmer. Some of the products recommend that as well. Professionals can do this during colder weather because of specialized equipment.
I've never heard of this stuff. I'm not sure if you said this, or not but both the Vulkem 45 and the Sika products are commercial lines. You can probably order them through your big box stores, but they likely won't have them in stock. More commercial building materials companies will have them. That said, do you know if the crack stix becomes soft enough for sand to adhere to it after melting? I like to tone down the color and texture contrast of the joints vs. the concrete by sanding them after with play sand, or something closer to the color.
I want to challenge the fundamental premise of this product and video. In a properly constructed driveway or sidewalk, rain water passing through expansion joints does no damage at all. In many urban areas (including mine), building codes are being changed to encourage or force the use of water-permeable tiles and coverings on driveways, patios, and walkways to encourage rain water to soak into the ground. In coastal regions of the US, climate change is already causing stronger and more frequent rainstorms. Urban areas must either increase the absorption of this rainwater into the ground or handle ever-worsening flooding and flash flooding. This product worsens, rather than helps, address the issue of managing street flooding.
@@danielbreig9298 : The freeze-thaw cycle is why the expansion joints are there. The ground moves up and down as it freezes, the concrete panels move with it. More or less water going through the joints doesn't make a difference to that cycle.
@@thomasstambaugh5181 water in the Crack when it freezes will spill the concrete. Sometimes the ground is frozen and will not let the water drain. Think water from melting snow in the day and refreeze at night. It is only a matter of cycles till the concrete spalls
![CRACK STIX permanent expansion joint filler [FULL HOW-TO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y4t0gfsSFmY/mqdefault.jpg)
Use a bigger torch, like a weed burner attached a 5 gallon propane tank. That is how I did mine years ago. Works great. Glad you took my suggestion on the Crack-Stix. It is a much easier process!
I am learning a lot of diy’s project from your videos
I used this very product on an expansion joint approx. 50 ft in length in late August 2021 using the black color. As with the narrator in this video, it was a sunny, breezy, and cool day (low 50s) during my application. Here are a few details of my experience:
1. It took approx. 5 hours to install and melt the 50 ft. of crack-stix into my expansion joint. It was painfully slow.
2. In addition to the crack-stix, it took approx. 15 canisters of propane, and the torch to complete the job.
3. For the beautiful expansion joints shown in this video, the crack-stix lays and fills well. However, for irregular or deep expansion joints, you may have to double or triple layer the material which increases the melt time even more.
4. I used sand to fill/back areas of my expansion joint. The excessive amount of heating to melt this crack-stix caused my sand to further settle (moisture evaporation?) which required more material to fill the joint, ie. more time.
5. Did I mention how painfully slow this material was to melt? Use caution, you can create burn marks on your driveway cement with the flame. While these marks can be cleaned and will disappear over a short period of time...it's another potential task that will need to be performed.
6. This product does not work well with smaller cracks. I guess you have to use another product, or wait till these expansion joints get larger before they are filled.
Overall, in areas that have consistent and regular larger expansion joints (1/4"-1/2")...I'm happy with the end result. However, I would seek out another solution given the time this product takes to apply, and its inability to be used in small joints (less than 1/4")
Hey Jeff, thanks for the feedback. I had a hard time heating the crack-stix with a 20,000 btu torch fighting the 40F temp and wind. I think this product would be Much, Much easier to apply in the 60F+ but need to test it out to be sure.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Hi Scott - yeah, I agree...although I'm thinking a nice hot 80+ degree temperature would be best! Just as an FYI...I did switch to MAP gas with the torch about 2/3 the way through and got slightly better results...but it came at the expense of the torch. The higher burn temperatures began to melt the torch tip. By the end of the day, the torch tip was shortened by about an inch.
@@jeffw8057 you do know that you need a torch specified for Mapp? It will also work with other gasses, but not acetylene.
@@melgross lol... For sure I knew that. But after the too much time it was taking with regular propane I decided to take the risk with the MAP gas!
I had the exact same experience with my asphalt driveway repair using the black version. While it holds pretty great after two years, it’s a painful long time to apply and heat, and there’s no way to avoid the burn marks especially for the asphalt ones.
That's what I need for my crazy sloping mountain driveway. Thanks for showing us.
You bet!
Used Crack Stix two years ago, melting it in with a large propane weed killer torch so I was able to melt it and get into the cracks.
It worked for about a year then started separating basically letting water in again under pad. I ended up redoing it all with the first product you used from the 10 oz tube, it has worked so much better. Crack six IMO is a waste of time.
Appreciate the feedback Chris. Do you remember what the temp was outside when you first applied the Crack-Stix? I was very pleased thus for with the Sika and Tremco products although both still haven't aged much they seem like the real deal 👍
@@EverydayHomeRepairs I did it two times once when it was 80 + out and later on mid 40's both times pre heated crack after cleaning with wire brush and vacuuming. Inserting crack stix into 1/2 inch about expansion joint, going over with torch slowly not to burn it but melt into the crack. basically heated until it was a thick liquid. All of it has separated with the summer and winter during the year. I pushed it all down with a hammer and large punch then over the top used that same product you used in last video on same subject from 10oz tube that was months ago and its held up much better I am guessing due to the plasticity of the product.
Good stuff Chris, appreciate the details and feedback. Ultimately I will bring all these different product together in one article on our website so the feedback is much appreciated 👍👍
The product coming out was what I feared after watching this video. A tried some cheaper crack fillers about 13 years ago in a driveway crack, and they failed within a year. 12 years ago I tried the Silka product, and it's still in the driveway with zero failure 12 years later. It wasn't cheap, but it's performed very well on a driveway that goes through harsh winters, hot summers, and a lot of freeze/thaw cycles in the spring.
There's a similar product that's also a polyurethane based crack filler I put in about 3 years ago that seems to behave similarly to the Silka.
I used Crack Stik 3 years ago. I do not recommend putting sand in the crack to bring up the level before applying the Crack Stik. That' what I did and the sand washed out and the Crack Stik slumped leaving another gap to be filled. I recommend that you should always use backer rod. FYI, I tried to remove the crack stik and found that it is impossible to take out because just under the surface it remains gooey, which is great to keep the crack sealed. Just what you want it to do.
Can you apply heat again to melt it further into the hole?
I would call those expansion joints in the concrete to allow for settling or earthquakes. What a great product! I need this really badly in my driveway! Thank you so much for sharing this solution.
You bet!
I mixed sand in with some old exterior house paint and poured that into concrete gaps where grass kept growing in. That was 5 years ago, still working. Looks like the product in the video requires a specific size gap. And holy crap more than $100??? Old paint and sand, pretty cheap, easy and fast.
I just came across your channel and thought you did a great job on the tutorial 👏
I plan to follow and watch more of your videos
Welcome to the team 👍
I’ve used the ply stick n did great they actually do iron street maintenance it’s so good.
WOW, what a beautiful job. Thank you very much and happy Thanksgiving.
Thx, have a great Thanksgiving as well 👍
Thank you for using our product Scott! GREAT video!
I also found Crack Stix very slow until I got the hang of it. Waving the torch like you are spraying paint is wrong! Hold the torch steady and move along at a slow even pace. Adjust how high you are holding the torch until you get the 'sweet spot' where it melts but doesn't burn. Then you can walk along and melt the stuff right in. Propane usage is cut way down and you get the job done much faster. I would have to sometimes go back a few inches to touch up places that didn't level off well. I used 2 14oz propane tanks to do about 150ft.
awesome stuff! Love the crackstix
You could speed things up a little by changing the direction of the torch head. When you're working from the side, 1/2 - 2/3s-ish of your heat is splashing out sideways, wasted. Point the torch parallel to the sealant and more parallel to the ground, between 45 and 60 degrees. That way there's very little flame lost backwards towards you and the rest of the flame preheats the next section.
What do you recommend for a big crack where large weeds broke up the concrete?
How Strong is it? I want to use it to help with dragging the floor. Jack across the expansion joints and I'm always worried about chipping the concrete
Hey Scott, do you have a video or what info would you recommend for fixing small to medium cracks inside the garage, and keeping in mind I'd like the cracks to be extremely flat to eventually put an epoxy over the garage floor? Thanks so much and thanks for all your great videos!
No, hear me out..
because filling them with miscolored rubber will piss your wife off and make you wana drink way more every time you look at your handy work.
You cannot "fix" concrete, you must breakout and repour. Just live with it. My grandpa always said, "all concrete cracks, the more cuts you make prematurely, the less cracks will show up later. Notice he isnt fixing a crack, hes filling a cut. Why? Because this is a float compound, not a bonding compound. It simply makes big liabilities become smaller liabilities. Thats the only use. To keep your mail man from suing your ass.
Interesting product. Does it come in different shades?
I have only seen the gray as shown for concrete and black for asphalt.
6:12 -- I'm not sold on the Crack Stick.
I think you'd like the Sika much more if you had an electric caulking gun. It's much more enjoyable applying the Sika or any other caulking when your wrists are not exhausted.
OK I have just finished all three of the videos you've done on the different products. They seem to be just the ticket for various applications. My question is how do they hold up to power washing? I like to hit mine about once every year or two and would hate to mess up such a repair.
To be honest I think the Sika and Tremco products would be your best bet depending on the angle of the crack you are filling. Sika for level surfaces and Tremco for up to a 6% grade. I would make sure the temp is around 50F or above to apply the sealant. I nice tight fit of the backer rod is key for a successful job. I like the Crack-Stix but need to give it another go when it is 60F+ as opposed to the 40F when I did the video.
while sealant has not set. sprinkle with fine sand. It will protect and look good
So now you don’t have an expansion joint or will this expand and contract?
Yep, it will allow expansion. I am interested once the temps drops at or below freezing to compare the Sika, Tremco, and Crack-Stix to see if any/all turn brittle.
Thank you, again.
You bet 👍
Could you install this product using a high powered (non flame) heat gun ?
I have heard that you can but I would only attempt that on days where the temp is 70F+ with direct Sun. If the concrete is warm I think that would make a big difference in the amount of heat you need to add.
Any suggestions for a thinner, self leveling product to level out shallow depressions in an asphalt driveway that cause puddling and dangerous ice patches in winter?
Hi
What do you recommend for block fence ( vertical cracks)
Thank you
pretty neat Scott
My driveway has has the material between the crack but is slowly coming out. Do you recommend this material to be removed an use the product shown in the vid.
Also on our entrance side walk there are expension groves without the material in between and I have noticed the concrete it self is beginning to crack. Should I use this product as well
Could you use a heat gun and an extension cord to melt the materials, instead of using the flame?
How hard does it cure?
Can you seal coat over crack stix?
"Aight, who been burnin' my crack stix again? Need that shit to last the week bruh" lmao
The title might bring in a bit more diverse crowd 😂
Couldn't you use a heat gun? The melting temp is suppose to be roughly 200°F. Heat guns typically go from about 120°F- 1100°F. Maybe a bit less likely to burn it as well? Might be worth a try.
At least for the conditions I was facing (windy and 40F) the heat gun was a no go. If it was sunny and 80F+ the heat gun would probably work.
Will this work on pea gravel concrete driveways?
okay now do a video filling in the cracks on a 50+ year old concrete driveway where those expansion joint cracks have turned into deep and often grass filled V shaped canyons. I've got cracks as wide (or wider) than my hand and as deep as my fingers
Could I use a heat gun? 🔥
Possibly but only if the outside temp was 70F or higher.
Does it come in a wider product? To put in between say the actual garage floor and the outside cement pad that you first drive onto leaving the garage? I have an inch gap, the outside pad has moved.
great video
Thanks!
3:43 -- The crack stick has a clear plastic cover around it to make it easy to handle. Does that plastic have to be removed prior to heating?
No!
What about preheating the concrete?
great video !!!
Thanks Terry.
Did you leave the plastic on?
Yep, it is designed to melt off during the heating process.
This guy is a true lefty because he wears his watch on the right arm >
only a left-handed person would recognize this fact > lefties rule !
I would never recommend doing this during colder weather. It’s best to wait until warmer weather, over 60 degrees, and preferably warmer. Some of the products recommend that as well. Professionals can do this during colder weather because of specialized equipment.
I've never heard of this stuff. I'm not sure if you said this, or not but both the Vulkem 45 and the Sika products are commercial lines. You can probably order them through your big box stores, but they likely won't have them in stock. More commercial building materials companies will have them. That said, do you know if the crack stix becomes soft enough for sand to adhere to it after melting? I like to tone down the color and texture contrast of the joints vs. the concrete by sanding them after with play sand, or something closer to the color.
Why not use a heat gun?
Wow, that's a good deal compared to SL1
Did you say exspecially?
Crack Stix. Brought to you by Tyrone Biggums
👍👍😊
👍🏻
Never seen a crack stick that looked like that .....
I love how the crack you "fixed" was a precut, well intentioned, stress reliefe saw cut put in professionally....
Try "fixing" a real "crack"...
I want to challenge the fundamental premise of this product and video. In a properly constructed driveway or sidewalk, rain water passing through expansion joints does no damage at all. In many urban areas (including mine), building codes are being changed to encourage or force the use of water-permeable tiles and coverings on driveways, patios, and walkways to encourage rain water to soak into the ground.
In coastal regions of the US, climate change is already causing stronger and more frequent rainstorms. Urban areas must either increase the absorption of this rainwater into the ground or handle ever-worsening flooding and flash flooding.
This product worsens, rather than helps, address the issue of managing street flooding.
“Climate change” hoax.
You must not be in an area with freezing
@@danielbreig9298 : The freeze-thaw cycle is why the expansion joints are there. The ground moves up and down as it freezes, the concrete panels move with it. More or less water going through the joints doesn't make a difference to that cycle.
@@HBSuccess : Right. Whatever you say, champ.
@@thomasstambaugh5181 water in the Crack when it freezes will spill the concrete. Sometimes the ground is frozen and will not let the water drain. Think water from melting snow in the day and refreeze at night. It is only a matter of cycles till the concrete spalls
Those aren't cracks. They are expansion joints that are too wide. Bad title!
😎✌🖖👌👍😁
Crap stick
gay......
What about adhesion - pull out?