Why You Should Seal Your Concrete Joints

Homeowners often don’t think about maintaining the concrete around their home until they’ve already started noticing cracking or sinking. The soil under your concrete driveway, sidewalk, stoop, patio, pool deck, or garage slab can soften or erode as surface water runs through open cracks and joints – or straight-line cuts made in the concrete during installation. Weak soils and voids allow concrete to shift and settle, resulting in cracked, uneven surfaces.

The good news is that preventing this issue is possible. APS offers a concrete crack repair solution called NexusPro® that allows homeowners to be proactive about preserving their concrete and helps to seal the joints from water intrusion.

There are several reasons why NexusPro works so well:

• It’s made of a highly-flexible, silicone-based material.
• It stands up to any weather conditions.
• The UV-resistance prevents it from drying, cracking, bubbling, or yellowing over time.
• The product is quick to apply and dry, so you can use your concrete sooner.
• Our professional installation process ensures a clean, high-quality look to your concrete.
• NexusPro is proven to last more than 20 years. This is more than twice as long as traditional sealants.

If your joints are already caulked, get them checked anyway.

Homeowners who currently have caulking in their cracks or joints might think they are in the clear. Unfortunately, if the product wasn’t properly installed – or has started to fail – moisture can still seep beneath your driveway, which can cause the underlying soil to soften or even wash away completely.

Caulking joints by yourself could cause more problems.

A very common caulking solution at big box stores is polyurethane-based. While it can be less expensive to caulk yourself, polyurethane-based caulking products have several disadvantages. The main problem is polyurethane breaks down under UV light, causing it to bubble and dry out. Not only is this unsightly, but it can also make the caulking ineffective in the first place.

If you’re concrete driveway, sidewalk, or patio is cracked or needs to be caulked and sealed, contact us for a free concrete evaluation and estimate.