# sealant for masonary and concreat



## silverado4 (Nov 9, 2004)

During the hot days of summer, the space between my house and the driveway gets larger, and is getting some water entering it.
I had to use a hydraulic cement to fill in the holes where the rods go to form my basement walls. This worked great, but I want to make sure this doesn't happen again. The space at the bottom of my house foundation and the driveway spreads out during the summer and leave a gap next to my house. In the winter it shrinks, but there still is a little gap for when the snow melts, that it could have water seeping in. 

What is a good sealant to use that will be flexible and will not crack.

Thanks

Give me a brand name if you have one that I can get at a local home depot or lowes.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

a good sealant i have used is 
http://www.ct1ltd.com/ct1.html
comes in clear, black, white - I have used on gutters and also between a wood leanto and house 
also used unibond ft 101


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## wowzer (Dec 28, 2009)

With no offense intended...

Probably nothing.

How much movement is there?

You need to get to, and deal with, the root of the problem. ie: ground movement, good drainage.

loads of variables you don't mention... grade problems for drainage, foundation sealing ,to name just a few.

The main problem you'll have is adhesion to the two surfaces. Most anything you choose that's of high quality such as the one etaf suggested or 3Ms 5200 marine sealant, won't crack but in a constantly moveing/flexing joint will lose it's "bite" to one surfsce or the other.

In reality the two need to be mechanicaly fastened together to prevent the movement.


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

As said above - how much movement, is the crucial question.
And how big are the gaps - do they run for the whole width, length of the house?
You mention a basement and rods, do they connect the house wall to the driveway?
What does the basement contain - storage, living accommodation??

For how long did the hydraulic cement, do the job?
Drainage is mentioned above - what drainage is there, is it running away from the
house, or to it?
Does that need to be corrected?

As you know any water will freeze during the winter months and just increase the size
of the gaps.
Some more information will be helpful.


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## wowzer (Dec 28, 2009)

blues_harp28 said:


> You mention a basement and rods, do they connect the house wall to the driveway?





> I had to use a hydraulic cement to fill in the holes where the *rods go to form my basement walls.*


I would guess he is talking about the tie rods used in concrete forms that are snapped off.
A good indication of no proper foundation sealing.

Were the holes filled from the inside or out?


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

wowzer said:


> I would guess he is talking about the tie rods used in concrete forms that are snapped off.
> A good indication of no proper foundation sealing.


Indeed - the driveway should be a stand alone structure, with no connection to the house.


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## silverado4 (Nov 9, 2004)

Sorry, my isp was down for a while. There isn't much movement, but I'm just trying to be
over causious and prevent any little water at all from getting to the basement wall. I have good
drainage, because I had cement poured about 5 years ago on 3 sides of 4 with patio, or driveway.
The space is very little, and it was the rods in the basement wall that leaked. The house is over 30
years old, and these rods are known to leak. When I drilled into these holes, there was nothing
in there, and there was a spot around each hold before I did it. The hydraulic cement works fine.
I packed and pushed the hydraulic cement to the outside of the basement wall from the inside of the
house, about 24" or so. I kept packing, and pushing with a dowl about 1/2" until it because solid. This
way I made sure the hydraulic cement was all the way to the outside of the basement wall. They have
been very dry, and it's been about 6 years now that they have been packed. I'm just looking for a good
sealant to "over protect" my basement so water could get in the space about 1/2 to 1" at the foundation
of the house and driveway and patio.
Thanks for all your responses, I'm checking out the sealant above to see if this will do the job.
Silverado


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## wowzer (Dec 28, 2009)

Again how much movement?

If the space closes in one season and then opens in the opposing season to "1/2 to 1" at the foundation"... Don't waste your time or money.



> I packed and pushed the hydraulic cement to the outside of the basement wall from the inside of the
> house, about 24" or so.


 pretty thick foundation.


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

If it has been 6 years since you last had to fill this gap - that is a result.
You could keep on using the hydraulic cement.

But if I was doing this for a customer [40 years in the building trade]
I would use a concrete mix

A mixture of cement - sand -gravel and water.
http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/mixing_concrete.htm

Or try a good sealant - mentioned by etaf in post #2


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