[amodoko]

Hi, I have a few cracks in my cement patio and I can get 100% clear silicone for only $3 a cartridge. I know that they make caulks specially made for concrete and cement (I believe they are polyurethane) that are self-leveling and stuff.

But besides the fact that the special stuff is self-leveling and attempts to match the color of your concrete, what is the benefit to buying the special concrete caulk over regular 100% silicone?

Is 100% silicone fine to use to fill in the cracks in my patio?

 

[Maintenance 6]

Regular silicone gun grade caulk has some adhesion isues when it comes to masonry. Urethanes are your best bet. You can buy gun grade urethanes like Sikaflex and others.

 

[amodoko]

Okay, that makes sense to me, the polyurethanes just adhere better than silicone to masonry. Thanks for the information, I appreciate it

 

[stadry]

IF you were just talking cost of materials, silicone wins,,, we've used 1,000s of 55gal drums of 100% silicone sealing & resealing hgwy/airport jnts,,, the key is NOT material - it IS the prep for sealing the crack - proper preparation WILL allow sealants to perform properly - adhesion isn't an issue IF you CLEAN the crack sidewalls after diamond sawing the crack to the correct dimension :thumbsup: so material selection isn't a big deal for your work.

any loss of adhesion can be traced to improper prep OR an incorrect material selection for the desired use ( cohesion faults usually )

can we/i presume 6 refers to what is avail at the apron / vest store ? imho, IF you can't prep the crack properly, stuff anything into it - even caulk.

 

[Maintenance 6]

Big 10-4 on the joint prep. There are "next generation" silicones out there that are excellent for use with masonry. You won't find them in a cardboard tube at the box store for $3.00 though. No caulk is going to survive if you ignore the joint prep and design. In fact there are very few caulks out there that are bad. Just sloppy people putting them into bad joints or wrong applications.