Concrete Driveway question

[bobg03]

I live in the warm south and like most of the population here my driveway and garage floor are concrete. The driveway is the standard style where the grooved lines make it look like large individual blocks.

It is 7 years old and it appears that I am now having some weeds appear on the lines and its appears that there are some open cracks where these weeds were growing before I murdered them.

I am assuming these below grade cracks are just the result of normal settling, but in 40 years of home ownership I have never had a concrete driveway. My wife has a Subaru and I have a shortbed 1/2 ton truck. The driveway doe not see a lot of traffic and the heaviest vehicle was the HVAC service van when it was here.

Are these cracks that I am seeing something that needs to be attended to? There are absolutely no cracks on the grade level surface.

 

[mike93lx]

The control joints are where the slab is supposed to crack.

Use your choice of weed killer and it will be fine.

Pictures would help confirm this

 

[grant00]

Cracks in the joints are normal. Weed killer to kill them and you can always fill the cracks and control joints with Sikaflex to cover them up and probably stop weeds from growing through.

 

[FMB4]

Sounds like you have a 'stamped' crete driveway (pics might confirm this). The driveway on our previous was stamped crete while our latest house has a traditional finish. In both cases we've had very good luck with 'Spectracide weed & grass Foaming Edger'. This easy to aim foam herbicide sprays out in a 1.5 - 2 inch line. Lasts ~ 6 months which get us through most, if not all, of the weed season (in our area).

 

[bobg03]

Ok, thanks for the quick responses

 

[GeeTeeOhh]

Cracks in the joints are normal. Weed killer to kill them and you can always fill the cracks and control joints with Sikaflex to cover them up and probably stop weeds from growing through.

Doing exactly this... I just had a new driveway poured, 16 x 40 with 3' wide stamped concrete aprons down each side. Hand troweled control joints, sectionas are 10' x 8'. Since I don't like them filling up with dirt and having to wash them out (OCD I guess), I plan to fill in with color matching Sikaflex 1a.

 

[grant00]

Doing exactly this... I just had a new driveway poured, 16 x 40 with 3' wide stamped concrete aprons down each side. Hand troweled control joints, sectionas are 10' x 8'. Since I don't like them filling up with dirt and having to wash them out (OCD I guess), I plan to fill in with color matching Sikaflex 1a.

Take a look at the 1c SL. Self leveling for the ground, specifically joints, as opposed to the 1a.

 

[WindyHill]

Individual blocks sounds as if result of control joints/cuts. You can probably still get Roundup in South Carolina
and the road salt isn't a concern as up here in NY!

 

[GeeTeeOhh]

Take a look at the 1c SL. Self leveling for the ground, specifically joints, as opposed to the 1a.

I am using a self leveling sikapro product for the horizontal joint between the driveway and garage floor slab. the driveway slopes down away from the garage. I was wondering how much of a slope the self leveling material can tolerate before it all wants to run downhill and spill out of the joints that run perpendicular to the garage slab, down from the garage to the street. any idea on this?

 

[grant00]

I am using a self leveling sikapro product for the horizontal joint between the driveway and garage floor slab. the driveway slopes down away from the garage. I was wondering how much of a slope the self leveling material can tolerate before it all wants to run downhill and spill out of the joints that run perpendicular to the garage slab, down from the garage to the street. any idea on this?

Not sure about that. How sloped is it? You could always try a small area that of the most sloped and see what happens.

 

[CombatNinja]

The self-leveling stuff will not tolerate any slope. It, uh, self-levels.

 

[grant00]

Right, but unless it's extremely runny it won't totally run out of the joint. Hardly any concrete is perfectly flat. Up to you if it's worth the try or not!

 

[chipdog4]

I put Sika-Flex in all my outdoor concrete joints this summer. Some were very narrow 3/16" saw cuts but most were 1/4"-5/16". Hot temps (90+) definitely make it flow better, but even then, Sika-Flex in the 3/16" cuts wouldn't even flow to the bottom of the cut. It stuck to the sides and didn't flow down the slope at all.
I first tried using it in May when it was in the 70s, no flow at all.
Even the larger 1/4 - 5/16" gaps didn't flow downhill very much if at all. When there was a chip missing on the surface and the width was now 1/2 or larger is where I can tell it leveled out some.

You could always put foam in the perpendicular joints to prevent flow, but I doubt you'll see much. Some, yes

I did all that and then put Ghostshield on back in August.