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+-- Thread: How to fill this crack? (/showthread.php?tid=7341898)
How to fill this crack? - Randy C - 08-22-2018
[attachment=12441]The fiberous material that the concrete guys put in place between my brick head wall and driveway has begun to rot away leaving a space that fills with dirt and allows weeds/moss to grow in the space.
What should I fill this crack with? I have seen commercial buildings where they have a grey rubber caulk to fill cracks but it appears that this might take some special caulk gun because the cracks are about 3/4" wide. Anyone know what I should do to repair this?
Thanks
RE: How to fill this crack? - lift mechanic - 08-22-2018
Use foam backer rod to fill the large gap then use a rubber caulk.
RE: How to fill this crack? - Eric Commarato - 08-22-2018
The sealant you are looking for is Sonneborn NP-1. It is a self leveling sealant made for sidewalk and conditions just like this. You need to prep the joint with a wire brush, get it as clean as you can. Push foam backer rod so it is recessed about 1/2" below the surface of the walk. Dam up the ends or the NP-1 will flow out the end. Make sure you don't touch the joint for 24 hours. Sonneborn can be found a most construction supply houses. It comes in about 8 different colors and isn't overly expensive. If you have a large tube caulking gun it comes in the large tubes and goes further before you have to replace a tube.
RE: How to fill this crack? - Snipe Hunter - 08-22-2018
(08-22-2018, 11:00 AM)Eric Commarato Wrote: The sealant you are looking for is Sonneborn NP-1.
Amazon has it.
RE: How to fill this crack? - Cooler - 08-22-2018
We used tar at work and the weeds defeated that. It is easy to kill the plants when there are leaves around, but much harder when there are none. It is clear to me that the ground has to be sterile before sealing it with anything or the weeds will defeat the seal.
RE: How to fill this crack? - Admiral - 08-22-2018
(08-22-2018, 10:14 AM)lift mechanic Wrote: Use foam backer rod to fill the large gap then use a rubber caulk.
Funny, I have the same issue (except the prior rubber caulk had failed) and after consulting with my mason friends, they told me to do exactly this. The caulk is self leveling, so as was pointed out, block off the ends. You can get the backer and caulk at any good mason's supply. I cleaned out the old failed caulk last night, but we were expecting rain (and got 1") with more to come today, so I'll install the caulk tomorrow.
RE: How to fill this crack? - Cooler - 08-22-2018
I would still make an effort to sterilize the soil and kill off the dormant seedlings. I've read that a black plastic sheet over the area in the summer will generate enough heat to accomplish this. A Google search for "sterilizing soil" will show instructions.
We used to do this by saturating the soil with gasoline and lighting a fire, but I think that would not be recommended in 2018.
RE: How to fill this crack? - MstrCarpenter - 08-22-2018
(08-22-2018, 03:25 PM)Cooler Wrote: I would still make an effort to sterilize the soil and kill off the dormant seedlings. I've read that a black plastic sheet over the area in the summer will generate enough heat to accomplish this. A Google search for "sterilizing soil" will show instructions.
We used to do this by saturating the soil with gasoline and lighting a fire, but I think that would not be recommended in 2018.
No need to light it; gas alone will kill most everything. It certainly killed the grass beside my lawnmower! However it's still 2018 and I drink from my well.
RE: How to fill this crack? - Cooler - 08-23-2018
(08-22-2018, 10:58 PM)MstrCarpenter Wrote: No need to light it; gas alone will kill most everything. It certainly killed the grass beside my lawnmower! However it's still 2018 and I drink from my well.
Gasoline is probably safer than RoundUp.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/10/health/monsanto-johnson-trial-verdict/index.html