I did exactly that (with the painter's tape and brush) to creat a small ramp between my walkway and driveway. The height difference was about 3\4". It has gone through 3 Canadians winters now. The feathered edge (and the rest of the ramp) still look like the day I finished it. I LOVE this stuff! I just wish there was asphalt repair that would hold as well as this one.
@@SakreteOfficial Naaa, even less complicated. I can't seem to find a crack filler that last more than 1 winter here in Canada. I prep like crazy, and follow the directions to a T (I do it when there's no rain in the forecast for 3 days, and apply it in the very early morning when it's about 65⁰f).
Tough conditions up there for sure. Maybe groove the joint out a little wider and try a cementitious fix? Our friends over at RapidSet introduced an Asphalt Repair Mix somewhat recently - basically a tinted, polymer-modified concrete mix - that might be worth a try.
Should you allow some time for the filled-in crack to harden and dry before putting on the top coat? Also according to the Top'n Bond instructions, it's not supposed to be more than 1/2" in thickness on each application, and it seems it is more like 1" thick at the high end in your demo. In that case, should there be 2 separate applications?
Give that first layer a couple of minutes to reach an initial set, but you don't need to wait for long. The application depth is probably a LITTLE high in this example, but Top 'N Bond still did a nice job. By the book, it would probably be best to do this pour in two lifts.
I followed you here (thanks!) and this is what I've been looking for since March '23. Sidewalk isn't cracked, a root pushes the slap from about 2" high down to an even point. I'll use Top N Bond but I'm confused about the "SSD". Painters' tape is pretty common to see around here, so I'm convinced it'll work. But then do I need to use another product? I get that the cement needs to adhere to the sidewalk. I can handle hydraulic cement but this is new for me.
Right on! This should work perfectly for you. "SSD" is simple - just getting the surface wet before you apply the patch. The simplest form of surface conditioning, as opposed to using a primer. The acronym is "saturated surface dry" and basically means that the concrete is at a neutral moisture content that neither adds moisture to the mix nor pulls moisture out of the mix. You know you're at SSD when the concrete LOOKS wet, but is dry to the touch.
Top 'N Bond is a pretty natural concrete gray. Probably a touch darker than the concrete you're repairing, but not glaringly obvious like some other repair materials. Good note though - we'll look into updating this project guide!
Used Quikrete?? Well, there's your problem! In all seriousness, it's tough for a thin patch to maintain bond under aggressive cleaning like that - not much for the material to bond to. The best advice for minimizing chipping would be roughening up the surface to be repaired and using a bonding agent. That said, even better would be to do a bit of light demolition work so you're laying down a minimum of ~1/8" of material rather than going all the way down to feather edge. No foolproof solution other than re-pouring, but those ideas will give you a fighting chance.
Long story short, Pro-Mix is Sakrete on steroids. Whereas Top 'N Bond is ready for foot traffic in 24 hours, Pro-Mix reaches structural strength (meaning you can drive on it!) in just one hour. The "upgrade" to Top 'N Bond would actually be Pro-Mix All Purpose Cement Mix (aka "red stripe") - that'll take you from 0" to 4" in one mix!
While the TECHNIQUE would work, we wouldn't recommend trying to correct a level change at the expansion joint - you're almost certainly in for more movement which would effectively ruin the repair.
I'm missing something. If the painter's tape remains until the cement cures, then the tape cannot be removed without breaking the cement slope. And you cannot leave the tape in place because it prevents bonding of the new slope to the old floor.
Good clarification here! The intent is that by the time you hit the tape mark, you've already reached a feather edge finish, meaning that the tape shouldn't interfere with the bond. The small amount of material you'll be pulling up with the tape is superficial. That said, removing the tape immediately is also completely viable, as is not using the tape in the first place - just a nice aesthetic element.
Thanks for sharing! Can I drill this after it sets up? I have to fix some spots on the edge of my barn slab that will be just like you did here but I have to put anchors through it to hold down the wall that will sit on top of it.
I just bought some Top N Bond to use to skim coat my basement walls to fill surface imperfections left by an incompetent contractor. There are two things that the bag of Top N Bond instructs me to do but I don't see on this video: 1.) priming the surface with a slurry of Top N Bond. 2.) keeping the surface moist while it cures for 24 hours. I would prefer to not have to include these steps. Are they necessary?
Let's break it down: 1. The priming is helpful for increasing bond strength. New concrete doesn't like to bond to old concrete, believe it or not...so by giving the new skim coat some "fresh" concrete to grab on to, you're going to guarantee that it locks in place. 2. Curing is the most critical piece of any concrete job - lose moisture too fast and you can see shrinkage cracks. Wet curing is the easiest way to ensure the cement has all of the water it needs to complete its chemical reaction at the right speed, so you get a picture-perfect finish. To be fair, not MANDATORY, but definitely highly recommended!
Meaning the height difference is 1.5" from the low end to the high end? Suppose so...but that's going to be a LOT of grinding, and potentially leave you with some really thin areas. Probably better to patch / overlay. You might have a heaving situation down there!
@@golfshoe9321 Bingo - that's the exact process! You could also look at using a mix like Pro-Mix All-Purpose Cement that would allow you to do that entire pour in a single lift. If your local Lowe's carries Sakrete, they'll have it!
@@golfshoe9321I'm curious if you did it? And how it turned out? I have a 2inch drop and my slabs are about 10ft long. Concrete leveling companies want 5,000$ to lift it. I might try this
Nice demo but why didn't you come back after the 24 hours you stated to "leave it alone and then remove the painter's tape" and show us the tape coming off, and the nice (hardened) result? I feel like the video was unfinished.
That's the issue - almost impossible to say in advance! It all has to do with how "active" the movement is. Like Dirk said in the video, this patch might last years (if there's not much movement) or just a few months (if it's still very active). The only guarantee for longevity is tearing it up and re-pouring...but a good repair is definitely the place to start!
Good question! We're just referring to using a separate liquid bonding agent (or primer) to ensure bond strength. Because Top 'N Bond is a polymerized mix, you actually will ONLY want to prime using water to bring the slab to SSD. Other mixes (like Fast Setting Cement Patcher) would benefit from using a liquid primer like Bonder & Fortifier.
If our 1978 concrete patio has cracks and random (up to 2” wide / 1/2” deep) rough chipped divets, would you recommend having the patio sand-blasted or commercial rotary sander to remove 12 years of heavily weathered (Seattle rain) concrete paint, then repair surface chips and cracks with this Sakrete primer? Once surface is repaired what decorative restorative treatment would you recommend in our moist Pacific NW climate? Thank you!
A form is essentially a frame or "mold" that you would build around the repair area to hold material in place. Dirk is demonstrating how to "freehand" this repair, which is pretty advanced stuff - using a form would make it a heck of a lot simpler for non-experts.
Looks like concrete, baby! Seriously though, patches are generally slightly darker than existing concrete, but will lighten as they age. Also a good point - we'll make a note to show the final cured product in the future!
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