Filling cracks in concrete with epoxy
I think I’ve heard somewhere about using epoxy to fill cracks in concrete but I thought it’d be best to ask someone on here. Basically what I have is one of those 1/16″> cracks running vertically down the side of the big concrete step/bridge that leads up to my front door. It’s getting cold up here in eastern Canada and I want to seal this crack somehow before it starts to freeze.
Anyways, I’d like to know #1. Can epoxy be used to seal such a crack outdoors? #2. Will any epoxy work or is there one specifically designed for outdoors?
I have one of those epoxy tubes whereby you push a plastic “lever” and out of two tubes comes the two parts that is mixed together to make epoxy. This is the commonly found stuff in all hardware stores. Can this stuff be used outdoors on concrete?
Thanks kindly
Paul
Replies
The epoxy repair is structural in nature. The basic procedure involves drilling a series of small holes along the crack, and injecting epoxy into them.
The hardware store 'injector' you speak of is not the right thing. The injected epoxy must be pre-mixed, then put into a syringe.
For more information, check out:
http://www.abatron.com/home006.htm
or you can 'mix your own' using
http://www.westsystem.com/
BTW, if you are just looking to air and water seal the crack (as opposed to a structural repair), you can use a polyurethane sealant instead. Much easier! PL masonry crack sealant worked well in a comparison test I did, and it is easy to obtain.
epoxy is super dooper strong (thats really strong) but does not deal with UV light well and breaks down quickly if you do not blend in some type of additives to protect it. The guys at
http://www.westsystem.com/
are fantastic when it comes to epoxy advice. They didnt even laugh when I inquired about the best way to epoxy an eye bolt into a bowling ball.
Jeff
I won't laugh, but why DID you epoxy an eyebolt into a bowling ball?
were you making some kind of mini wrecking ball?
Gate closer?
I am a 7th grade science teacher by day, and I have too much fun with my job, in addition to the bowling ball with the eyebolt, I went ahead and put a beefy anchor (4800lb test) around an I beam above my drop ceiling in the classroom.....
So, I have an awesome pendulum, you can actually feel the air move as it wizzes past. You can also do the touch the bowling ball (as a pendulum) to your nose, let it fly and then watch terrified as it comes almost all the way back and comes within 4 inches of your nose... pretty scary and a great demo for conservation of energy...
its also a great weight for pulley activities,
and terrifies parents and administrators
It also helps keep up my crazy science teacher rep
Can you also do the Foucault thing and let it swing all day long, demonstrating the motion of the earth?
-- J.S.
I have done the foucalt, but it would work a lot better if I had an anchor that was a swivel instead of a knot....
Like cnsow said, unless you're intending a structural repair, caulk will be better be/c it will have some flex. Use backer rod if the crack is large enough to justify it. And make verify if the structure is stable enough for this sort of repair. If the thing is still settling or moving, direct your attention to that, rather than the cosmetic repair.
I concur on the caulk. I've been happy with the results I've gotten with DAP Titanium Concrete & Masonry Silicone (though have to confess I haven't had to put it to the freeze/thaw cycle test). The titanium thing may be hype, but it has adheared better and lasted longer than anything else I've tried, including Quikrete contrete patching materials.