Pretty cool to check a foam/caulk concrete crack maintenance video 6 years later. There were a few small cracks in the finished job and we decided to cut away the polyurethane caulk and inspect the foam 6 years later.
Sorry for the 7 minute video but we wanted to illustrate, in several areas, how well this procedure works and lasts.
As you can see the foam was almost 100% perfect in preventing water from leaking through the cracks causing damage that was easily averted by this procedure.
Leaking water causes damage to the basement and water below the concrete, dampening the soil, will expand raising and cracking it in areas that are exposed to frost.
Many followers complain about the thickness of the caulk, color and type. Who cares, the foam is the cure to waterproofing the cracks and the caulk is to color and protect the foam from sunlight.
1. Be sure not to touch the foam as you are applying it as it is hard to clean off of ‘anything’.
2. I prefer Minimal Expanding Foam as it is less messy to install because it doesn’t triple in volume as it cures.
3. The self leveling polyurethane caulk is like molasses and thin enough to easily spread over the foam.
Redo caulk sealing cement after 6 years to protect from water invasion.
Some concrete patches do not provide flexing, and cement caulk can shrink. For deep cracks, stuff in fillers – sand, stone, backer rod, dry foam tubes – then covering with a sealant will not stop the materials from moving because the sand underneath settles breaking the sealant water seal.
Silicone caulk will loosen as the cement absorbs water along the repair, in time the caulk will lose its bond and start peeling. And hydraulic cement, and other masonry products are not flexible and usually fail in the second year.
This is for repairs to concrete and cement cracks for your patio, driveway and sidewalk. Fill the deep cracks in cement and concrete with foam. Stop water and sun damage with top layer with sealant of self-leveling exterior caulk.
This will fix and protect your repair of the concrete and cement on the driveway and patio from water and sun UV rays.
Advantages of urethanes:
1. Polyurethane is flexible to deal with temperature change and seasonal movement
2. It expands to completely fill the crack, even large ones
3. It dries fast, so a second coat can be applied after a couple of hours
4. The foam forms a strong bond to the cement – in does not leak away
5. DIY Ed to illustrate how well homeowners find it easy to use
6. The cracks do not need structural strength