Expansion Joint Tips/Tricks

[mayday0017]

Looking for some advice or Tips/Tricks to dealing with large expansion joints in driveways. I have been doing some research and the goal is to find something to fill the joints with that will last, look nice, and not break the bank!

Here are some things I have found....

Most common is using different types of Calk to fill in the seam, I have read everything from remove any board remaining and fill 100% or remove bored fill 50% sand 50% calk (calk on top) Have also read no need to remove old rotted bored just calk over the top (this sounds the worst)

Possible Idea I came up with is to remove all of the wood, get a piece of rubber hose that is slightly larger then crack and jam it down, then top with calk.

Example of Calk Filled joint

But in my quest I also came across another product which the company appears to be located here in houston and the main distribution center is less then 5 miles from my house. The finished joint looks very nice and I really like it but once I realized how many feet of this stuff I really need I had to remember that cost is a serious factor!

Here is an example of this product in black (Trim A Slab)

So what other methods/products/recommendations are out there? I'm really tired of cleaning weeds out of mine and have leaves, tools, or anything else that happens to fall on ground or roll out of garage stuck in mine....

 

[skamp]

This place is also in Houston. I have looked into both and they are a bit expensive.

http://www.slabgasket.com/

Steve

 

[BlindViper]

A tooled chaulk joint would be my choice. How large of a joint are you dealing with?

 

[mayday0017]

3/4" - 1" approx....

 

[pop pop]

There is a Urethane product that comes in a huge caulk tube, various colors. You only need a shallow depth of the product, so fill the crack first with foam- read directions. Should be available at most builders supply stores, especially if they cater to the concrete finish trade.

 

[BlindViper]

Ya I would use urethane and tool the joint.

 

[rlitman]

Ya I would use urethane and tool the joint.

No need to tool horizontal joints. Just get a self-leveling compound.

I've had luck with Sikaflex SL. It comes in the quart sized tubes.
Follow the manufacturer's recommendations on joint geometry/depth. If the joint is too deep, you can push in a foam backer rod.

Just be sure to stuff the ends of the joints with something, so the self-leveling compound doesn't flow out that way.

 

[Falcon67]

There is a Urethane product that comes in a huge caulk tube, various colors. You only need a shallow depth of the product, so fill the crack first with foam- read directions. Should be available at most builders supply stores, especially if they cater to the concrete finish trade.

What they used at the drag strip in the expansion joints. Don't recall the brand, but they used a LOT of tubes. Fill the crack with foam backer rod, lay in the urethane and it self levels. Comes in gray. It was a big tube thing. We made a big deal of it, then over time figured out that big or skinny tires hauling *** really don't care that much.

 

[bigbluthng]

sikaflex available at your local home depot works good. another product that works well is deco seal usually available at swimming pool supply type places. have had great seuccess with both. fill the joint with sand to about 1/4" - 3/8" from the top tape the edges for a clean line, apply and remove the tape when tacky. get the self leveling one to avoid headaches. done many courts and pool decks this way.

 

[cowboyjosh]

Sika is good stuff, I have a caulking contractor that caulked my garage, driveway, patio, and basement slab expansion joints with a product called Pecora Dynatrol II.

On new builds I like to caulk the garage, the transition between the garage floor and driveway, and the perimeter of the garage.

The only reason I caulk everything at my house, is because its "my" house and I like my **** caulked.

 

[Sureshot]

I filled some cracks, holes, and expansion joints with expanding foam. Went over it with a wirewheel after then painted it. Looks great.