Concrete driveways may seem like an old-fashioned choice for your home, but the truth of the matter is concrete is still a viable choice for your driveway. Half of the driveways in the United States are concrete slab, and the material choice doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon. With a concrete driveway of your own, keeping those gaps filled is a crucial step to maintaining the maintenance of your car as well as ensuring the safety of your family.
Gap fillers come in many shapes and sizes, so let’s review a few of the choices you have.
Wood
The cheapest solution, wood is easy enough to come by. However, the low cost of the material doesn’t negate the fact that you need carpentry skills to fit the wood pieces into those gaps between the concrete slabs. If you don’t have the right tools handy, you’ll have to hire someone else to complete the job for you. Wood also won’t last forever, as it will rot over time and exposure to the elements.
Caulking
Driveway caulking may seem like an excellent expansion joint choice, and it can be. However, several factors must go into the application of the sealant. First, the sealant is rarely used on its own, instead coupled with a backer rod or sand to ensure the depth of the crack won’t require an abundance of caulk. Second, the sealant can flow downward on a sloped driveway, and the condition of the driveway must be precisely met; caulk usually takes up to 24 hours to completely dry, and requires another week or more until it can be exposed to water. Caulk can also shrink and warp over time, making another repair inevitable.
Expansion Joints
Expansion joints make a fantastic alternative to driveway caulking or wooden fillers. Rubber fillers come in a variety of sizes, and because of their flexibility, are the easiest to install, requiring the least amount of specialty tools and skills. The joint is also durable, more so than wood or a sealant, keeping your concrete driveway intact for years to come.