Do I need to caulk relief cuts.
- Thread starter Ran58
- Start date
stevied916
Well-known member
It's not necessary for longevity and you could just sweep out the dirt. If you want to seal it; you can use something like NP1. Be forewarned that it is very sticky and not as easy as caulking you would use for baseboards, etc. To get a clean line you may want to tape off the joint before applying the product. It is very elastic and if you prep the joints correctly it will last a very long time.
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Jwallace1
Well-known member
i used a Sikaflex product on mine so they didn't get filled with dirt and other debris. i had been working in the shop for a while before i did it so i vacuumed out the joints and i put a foam backer rod in it so it was about a 1/2" below the surface and filled it up, i didn't use the self leveling kind because i read if you have any slope in the floor it will just run out, i filled it up so it just had a little bit of a dome on it and then ran back through once it dried with a razor blade and sliced off what ever was above flush and it worked great.
racecougar
Well-known member
It comes down to personal preference really. I haven't done anything with mine, and I'm sure they're full of dirt, but they're thin, straight lines that don't look bad at all, IMO.
Leaflessshadetree
Well-known member
Not necessary but does have some advantages (eg. easier sweeping or not loosing dropped nuts or washers in the joint).
I filled mine with sikaflex. I taped off both sides and slightly overfilled then trimmed it flush with a wide razorblade scraper.
IMO taping was probably a waste of time and effort since I have a smooth finish floor. The razorblade cut it free from the concrete in a few places where I dripped on the floor.
I filled mine with sikaflex. I taped off both sides and slightly overfilled then trimmed it flush with a wide razorblade scraper.
IMO taping was probably a waste of time and effort since I have a smooth finish floor. The razorblade cut it free from the concrete in a few places where I dripped on the floor.
nadogail
Well-known member
If the uncaulked joints are a problem you can caulk them. If they are not a problem, they don’t need to be caulked.
Itsjustdirt
Well-known member
I used sikaflex self level. My slab was fairly level, worked well.
Probably a dumb question but certainly related...
Do you east coast guys worry about water filling the crack, freezing, and cracking?
Probably a dumb question but certainly related...
Do you east coast guys worry about water filling the crack, freezing, and cracking?
Water will settle in the cracks. You will notice your control joints (relief cuts) will start to curl up a little on the edge and raise up. Caulk such as Sika or Pecora Dynaflex will help slow this down but not alleviate it.
Basically no real advantage to caulking except to keep dirt out.
Also remember a proper caulk joint has a depth to width ratio you must achieve.
Basically no real advantage to caulking except to keep dirt out.
Also remember a proper caulk joint has a depth to width ratio you must achieve.
Can you explain what a proper depth to width ratio means?
Sure.. Their is usually a ratio called out on spec sheets. Typically 2 to 1 width to depth. See the attached for Sika 1a. The goal is that you don’t caulk a joint that is 2” wide and only 1/8” deep. The sealant would fail rapidly.
That being said if you don’t mind future maintenance (at a more frequent interval than the manufacture claims) you can use it with pretty good success at a 1 to 1 Ratio Or less than the 1/2 min on horizontal traffic surfaces noted on the spec sheet.
Attachments
ConCretin
Well-known member
I wouldn't get too concerned about sealant depth vs width. Doubled33's information applies to larger joints that experience a lot of movement. Your saw cuts are done moving at this point and are likely less than 1/4" wide. it's just not practical to achieve sealant depths to tiny factions of an inch.
If the joints haven't opened up much, you can probably just clean the joints and fill them as best you can. if the joints are a wider and you are using a self leveling sealant, you might need some backer rod to keep the material from running out the bottom of the joint.
If the joints haven't opened up much, you can probably just clean the joints and fill them as best you can. if the joints are a wider and you are using a self leveling sealant, you might need some backer rod to keep the material from running out the bottom of the joint.
ltusler
Well-known member
My process:
Scraped out with a 16p nail on the end of a broom stick.
Vacuumed well.
Backer rod 1/2" down.
Masked both sides.
Gray Sikaflex a bit proud of the top.
Dried overnight.
Angled razor under the tape while lifting, cut off nicely.
One caveat, the Sikaflex seemed to bleed 1/4" into the edges, looks kind of like its damp.
Sweeping is much easier now.
Scraped out with a 16p nail on the end of a broom stick.
Vacuumed well.
Backer rod 1/2" down.
Masked both sides.
Gray Sikaflex a bit proud of the top.
Dried overnight.
Angled razor under the tape while lifting, cut off nicely.
One caveat, the Sikaflex seemed to bleed 1/4" into the edges, looks kind of like its damp.
Sweeping is much easier now.
wssix99
Well-known member
Cracks are serious stuff.
like2wheel
Well-known member
Haha I did.
My new floor was done in the fall, & the 1st super cold night that thought occurred to me. I had some RV antifreeze, so I put some in a catsup bottle & squirted in any of the relief cuts that had water. Then I asked your question on this fourm.
Turns out its a non-issue...
I wish I knew what they used at work. Big warehouse, relief joints filled with some sort of gray caulk. It stays somewhat pliable (can push your fingernail into it a little), but handles many years worth of pallets sliding across them, forklifts, pallet jacks, product spills, and a floor scrubber. 3 shifts, 6 days a week.