Concrete joint sealing and crack repair
Most slab settling starts with water getting underneath. Sealing the gaps is the cheapest way to slow it down.
Driveways, walks and patios are cut into sections with control joints, and every slab has an edge where it meets the house, the garage or the next slab. Each of those gaps is an open path for rain and snowmelt. With Waterloo's freeze season running from about October into late April, water that gets under the concrete has months to freeze, thaw and carry soil away.
Where sealing pays off
- The joint where a patio, stoop or driveway meets the house
- Control joints in driveways and garage aprons
- Cracks that opened up after a slab moved
- Drill holes and joints right after a lifting job
- Sidewalk joints along the public walk
What sealing can't do
Sealant won't raise a slab that has already dropped, and it won't stop surface scaling from deicing salt. It's maintenance that helps a lift, or a new pour, last longer.
What does a contractor do differently?
Good sealing starts with clean, dry joints. Contractors usually cut or grind out old sealant and debris, add a backer rod in deeper joints so the sealant flexes properly, and use a flexible sealant made for concrete. A hardware-store tube can work on a few small cracks, but a whole driveway or a just-lifted set of slabs is usually worth having done.
How often should joints be checked?
Every spring after the frost leaves the ground. Look for sealant that has split, pulled away from the edge, or gone missing, and reseal before summer storms.
What drives the price?
- Total length of joints and cracks
- How much old material has to be removed
- Joint width and depth
Every slab is priced on site, after the contractor measures the drop and figures out what washed out or settled underneath. We don't publish or quote prices, and a figure given over the phone before anyone has seen the concrete is only a ballpark.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can I seal joints myself?
Small cracks, yes, with a flexible concrete sealant. Wide joints, long runs and joints after a lifting job often turn out better when a contractor cleans them out and uses backer rod.
When is the best time to seal joints in Waterloo?
On dry days with mild temperatures, when the concrete is clean and dry, which usually means late spring through early fall.
Related services
- Polyurethane foam concrete leveling
- Mudjacking (slabjacking)
- Sidewalk leveling and city notices
- Driveways, garage floors, steps and patios
More background: Waterloo, Iowa concrete leveling guide.
Sidewalk flagged in the city's zone inspection, or a garage slab that keeps dropping?
Call the number above and an independent Waterloo-area concrete lifter can come measure it and quote the fix.