Concrete joint sealing and crack repair
The cheapest way to protect a slab is to keep water out from under it in the first place.
Every concrete driveway, walk and patio has joints: the saw cuts or tooled lines that control where it cracks, and the gaps between separate slabs and along the foundation. Open joints let snowmelt and rain soak the base. Through a Minnesota winter, that water freezes and thaws over and over, loosening and washing out the soil that holds the slab up.
Where does sealing help most?
- The joint between a patio, stoop or driveway and the house
- Control joints across driveways and walks
- The seam where the driveway meets the garage floor
- Cracks that opened after a slab moved
- The drill holes and joints right after a lifting job
What does the job involve?
- Cleaning old sealant, dirt and weeds out of the joint
- Placing a foam backer rod in deep joints so the sealant sits at the right depth
- Filling with a flexible sealant made for concrete that moves with the seasons
- Tooling the surface so water sheds off instead of pooling
What sealing can't do
Sealant won't raise a slab that has already dropped, and it won't stop surface scaling from deicers. Think of it as maintenance that makes a lift, or new concrete, last longer.
How often should it be checked?
Sun, traffic and seasonal movement wear sealant out. Walk your concrete after the snow melts each spring and look for sealant that has cracked, pulled away from one side, or gone missing. Reseal those spots during dry weather.
Pricing comes from the contractor after an on-site look, because the size of the void and the reason the slab dropped drive the cost. We don't quote prices, and a phone estimate is only a rough guess until someone has measured the concrete.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can I seal concrete joints myself?
Small joints, yes, with a self-leveling concrete sealant from a hardware store. Long runs, wide joints and work after a lifting job are often worth hiring out.
When is the best time to seal joints in Mankato?
On dry days in mild weather, when the concrete is clean and the joint is dry. That's usually late spring through early fall.
Related services
- Polyurethane foam lifting
- Mudjacking (slabjacking)
- Driveway and garage floor lifting
- Sidewalks, steps and patios
More background: Mankato concrete lifting guide.
Slab dropped, tipped or pulling away from the house?
Call and a Mankato-area lifting contractor will come look and give you a quote.