What's the cheapest and easiest way to refill the expansion joints in my concrete driveway?
Question:I need to dig out the dirt and weeds/grass from the groove. This will leave the small trenches empty.
Answers:
First, clean them out really well, then use Sonneborn SL-1 (get it at a masonry/concrete supply house) to fill in the cracks. It is self-leveling, so all you have to do is squirt some in the cracks and let it dry. It will flex with the driveway panels and won't deteriorate fast like anything else you would use. Definitely the best product for the job.
go to Home Depot or Lowes, and ask them for some urethane type exterior sealant
Purchase water based acrylic caulk at home depot, you can select a color that closely matches your concrete. They may also have ''self leveling'' caulk which comes out nice because as the name implies, you apply it in the crack and it levels out nice and smooth. Be sure to pick a time when it won't be raining for a day or two.
Answer 1 is correct,
You want to use a flexible filler. If you use a hard on it will just crack and you'll have the same problem in a year. the expansion joints are there in an attempt to minimize cracking.
Use a product called Sonneborn SL1, it is a self leveling joint filling polyurethane. if the joint is deeper than 1/2" use backer-rod or sand to fill it to 1/4"-1/2" from the surface of the concrete. If you would like it not to look as rubbery toss some sand on top while it is still wet and it will look like a nice mortar joint.
If they are wide and deep get plastic backer rod. It is a pink foam squishable space filler that you poke down into the bottom of the joint. It is cheaper than anything else to fill most of the opening. You will be left with about a quarter inch deep joint showing.
Then get a caulking-style tube of driveway crack filler. Use the caulking gun to squirt it into the remainder of the joint to top it off. It will get good coverage since the joint is now shallow
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