Wondering if anyone had any ideas on what I can use to fill the gaps in my patio. I posted some pics that I took of the patio to give you a better understanding of what I am talking about.

http://www.ipga.com/patio_slab.asp

The patio was there when I bought the house 5 years ago and they had used strips of wood, guessing 2x2's because the depth and width of the gaps are both 1.5". Of course the wood looked bad and was warped, so I took it out, not that anything was holding it in anyway. I kept tripped over it.

Would love to hear suggestions on what I can do to remedy this. Thanks!

 

Anything...anyone???

 

About the only thing that will stay in place is a good quality caulk, but applied that thickly, it may never set up properly. The only other suggestion I have, and possibly the easiest, is to get more 2x2's (treated, cedar, or redwood) and after cleaing the holes THOROUGHLY, put them back in. Then you'll have to use tapcons to screw them down so they won't pop back out. The concrete under them should be about 1.5 -2 inches thick if it's a standard 4 inch pour. Good luck.

 

If go to the paint dept in a home building store they have products that you can use to bond wood and conrete together.
Just follow the directions!

 

The important thing to remember is that you are constructing a specific type of engineered joint, not just pouring goop into a slot.

The design parameters are specific and demanding, and if done correctly you will have a joint that will last for 5-10 years. Done via the pour-the-goop-into-the-joint, it will probably not last a year.

Here it is in a nutshell:

Remove the existing expansion joint material which you have done.

Clean the joint like you would clean your kitchen table, using mechanical means, then water, then air.

For a pool area, prime the joint with the recommended primer.

Insert the proper sized backer rod to a depth of one half the width of the joint. For your 1-1/2x1-1/2 joint, you would be best off by using 2" round backer, and cutting it in half.

Fill the joint with the sealant, and tool to provide a concave profile on the surface that will match the underside profile formed by the backer rod.

Your design goal is to have 100% adhesion on the sides with an hourglass shaped slug of sealant, that has NO adhesion to the backer rod and proportions of 2x width to depth in the center.

This is the only way that the sealant can perform to design specifications. Preparation is the most important thing, and a lack of proper preparation is the cause of 99% of joint failures.

Good luck!

 

Thanks all for the responses...all good ideas.

I guess the easiest method is the one that Pecos suggested...getting 2x2's and using tapcons to secure them in place. Of course I would have to countersink to fill with wood filler so it looks nice. That's one play..to me still looks tacky but what can you do.

Tscarborough, very detailed post. I appreciate it. The area is not a pool area. Just a small patio as show in the pictures surrounded by bricks. The rest of your post...well I would need some more explanation as I have never done concrete work. I'm very handy and have done many projects...just not concrete. Sealant you were refering to?

Thanks again!

 

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