Driveway Repair

You know, it's not too late in the season to patch those pesky cracks in either your concrete or blacktop driveway

Now, what I want to talk about first is concrete. Maybe you've got a small crack in a driveway or sidewalk or a patio, and it could be a big crack even

There's all types of different things to use, but I'll tell you what I prefer. I like the urethane caulks. Why do I like those

They're sticky, they are very elastic so that if the concrete moves, the caulk will move

with it in the future. How do you start the repair? If it's a small crack, maybe an eighth to a quarter inch wide, you can just shoot the

caulk right into it. But let's say it's a larger crack. Sometimes you'll need to buy the foam backer rods and you pack that down into the crack

so that you're only putting in about a half inch to maybe three-eighths inch depth of

caulking material. Go ahead and squeeze the caulk out of the gun, let it get into the crack, smooth it with

a stick if you have to, if it's a wide crack, or if you want to use your finger, go ahead

and do that, but sometimes put a little bit of paint thinner on it to get a real nice

smooth appearance Blacktop driveways are basically the same What you want to do first is make sure you pick the right patching material Now frequently you go out and you find these black top crack fillers Well there two different types One of the materials happens to have

a whole lot more rubber in it and that makes it more flexible and it'll stay longer in

the cracks. Now, those products typically cost more money. They can be up to about $13

a gallon. So try to find those. The more expensive they are, the better. Now, make sure that

you go ahead and follow the directions on the label. Frequently they say to clean the crack out

make sure it's dry, and then if the crack is deep you might have to get baccarat as well to put in

there or fill it partially with dry sand. Go ahead and trim the nozzle on the bottle, squeeze it in

and try not to get a lot of stuff beyond the crack. If it's really, really hot weather you may have to

put a little sand on it so you don't track it into your house and in almost all cases don't drive on

the repaired cracks for at least a day. I told you, sealant cracks really isn't that

hard. You just have to act soon. Winter's going to be here. I'm Tim Carter. If you want

to discover more home improvement tips, go to askthebuilder.com