How to Seal an Expansion Joint - 20 Tips and Tricks

In this video I will show you how to PROPERLY seal the cracks and expansion joints in your concrete with a self leveling sealant by Rapid Set. I will also give you 20 tips and tricks to make this project go much smoother. I will also try to take it "one step further" by testing it out as a mold making material.
******MICHAEL BUILDS MERCH******
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PRODUCTS AND TOOLS I USED:
-Rapid Set 28oz. Self Leveling Sealant (Grey)
-Rapid Set 10oz. non-sag sealant (Grey)
-Rapid Set 10oz. Flexible construction adhesive
-Rapid Set Anchoring adhesive
-3/4" Backer rod
-All purpose sand
-Pipe insulation
-Duct tape
FILMING EQUIPMENT I USE:
Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera
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Macro Lense Tamron 70-300mm
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Rode mic
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Camera iPhone 8
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iPhone Lens kit
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Editing software: Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Gimbal DJI Mobile 2
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Follow me;
Twitter: @buildsMichael
Instagram: @michaelbuilds313
FaceBook: Michael Builds
Email: [e-mail]
Michael Builds
P.O. Box 700391
Plymouth Mi. 48170

[@joewhite4038]

I learned more from this video than talking to a dozen "professionals". Just in time as I am about to fix some cracks in my driveway and between my carport and wall. All my questions have been answered by you. Thank you so much for creating and sharing this video. Tell your dad that I, as an older father, said a car is transient but a son is forever. Ride on dudes ride on!!

[@hp3078]

Agreed; great video, concise telling you what you need and why you need it

[@phototec]

Michael, this has got to be one of the BEST youTube videos I have ever watched on any subject, good job!

[@MichaelBuilds]

Wow! Thank you so much Jon!

[@punchymuffin6402]

I totally agree 👍 👌.

[@GrandpaGreybeard]

I can't believe that I just found and watched a video on expansion joints, just 2 weeks after buying a house that needs to have the expansion joints replaced. Thank you Michael!! Oh and I will be doing this project.

[@Smath1313]

Once again, the best straight forward, easy to follow instructional videos on KZbin. Not to mention. You just changed the game on mold making. Love the videos and your passion. Keep them coming.

[@MichaelBuilds]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! I want to do another video exploring more about using the sealant as a mold making material soon

[@Smath1313]

@@MichaelBuilds this is chris. Miss seeing you at Mad Hts HD what is the heat resistance of that stuff. Small aluminum pour?

[@MichaelBuilds]

@@Smath1313 hey Chris! There doesn’t seem to be any info about the heat resistance. I’ll have to poke around..

[@toecutter1015]

There’s a Game on mold making? You mean the completely unnecessary wood jij nonsense??? WTF? I worked real legit caulking companies for decades and thought I had seen it all but every single one of these caulking videos is absolutely horrible ridiculous flim flam wet tooling Dish soap??? Fin dish soap unbelievable at least this guy didn’t break out the dish soap water and finger tooling lick and stick

[@Kunfucious577]

Thank you. By far the best instructions on KZbin. All info with no life story about why they’re making a video on caulking.

[@MichaelBuilds]

Thank you!

[@benavila007]

Very well put together. Michael Builds - You made an awesome presentation, one of the best instructional videos I've come across. Thank You!

[@jimmytaylor2705]

I followed the above video and the product worked as described. It is awesome stuff. One later it looks the same, no cracks just a tight seal. Love it. Thanks Micheal, you da man!!

[@dr_920]

How is it right now? Mine was trashed after about 3 years.

[@spikeyded1]

This is the most perfect video i needed for my patio, i have ugly plastic expansion joints that need replacement and i have 3 cracks that i need to make disappear with that all purpose sand trick , thank you !!!

[@jeffreybutler2207]

Its funny how things work out. The expansion joints in my driveway need to be resealed. I have been looking for the correct way to do it, and then video came up in my youtube feed. Perfect timing. Home Depot has Rapid Set in stock, so I have my weekend project. Thanks for the information.

[@moechowdhury873]

You are not only good in your presentation and thoroughness but funny. Keep up the good work Michael.

[@scottschreiber6008]

Sooooooo useful!, Dude, I was just about to do this job because I finally de-weeded/de-ant the 1/2 acre driveway and was wonder what to use to fill the cracks with. Thanks again.

[@1995dresser]

I used the Sika brand sealer with painters tape and a putty knife with tape on the blade for easy clean up and tape on either side of the joint to do a neat job

[@deew3426]

You are the only person that makes sense for my project

[@kathypariso6102]

Wow, loved the sand tip for my application which is expansion joints in a patio of an older home. Loved your fun sense of humor and the creative mold idea as well. Thanks ever so much.

[@dh2360]

Very cool 1969 Plymouth GTX, I have a 1968 clone and drive it every week. Great tips for cement joint sealing, I'll be trying this on a driveway.

[@bagpipes978]

OMG, I LOVE your sense of humor!! I laughed so hard at the beginning of this video! I also greatly appreciate your detailed instructions on how to use this amazing product! Who sells it? I'm hoping Home Depot does as I'm going there tomorrow. I need to seal some major expansion joints in my concrete patio. Thank you so much, Michael! You made this a lot of fun!! Love you!!

[@DCJNewsMedia]

Your attitude is most excellent. Your tips and tricks are magic.. Have a great life.

[@CTSRapidSet]

We always appreciate your shout-out to our products Michael Builds! Your enthusiasm and knowledge of the product is amazing! Keep it up!

[@CTSRapidSet]

Hello @@lorenperry3726, please email your contact information to [e-mail] and one of our technical representatives will contact you to discuss your situation. Have a nice weekend!

[@livenfree]

He didn't provide any links as to where to buy your product.

[@CTSRapidSet]

@@livenfreeyou can purchase this product at The Home Depot. Have a great week.

[@barkerp1]

If you guys are not his sponsor yet you need to start forking over some money lol

[@phs1994]

You are fast, efficient and right to the point. Others just KEEP TALKING FOREVER. Thank you.

[@Sarahranjit]

“Caulk something cool” 🤣🤣🤣 was my favorite, but all of the one liners were hilarious. Your videos make my day.... always a pleasure watching you!!! 🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸

[@CiprianiT17]

Thank you! This is an amazing step by step video for people like me. Really appreciate it.

[@Diego3Ke]

It took a while for this video to come out, because he was waiting for the sealant to set for so long. This is one of the very few channels I actually have notifications set for. Always a pleasure, even on mundane projects like this

[@MichaelBuilds]

That’s AWESOME!!! Thank you so much!

[@bonsaiman75]

I agree 100%!

[@rockdog2584]

That looks like some amazing stuff! Making a mold with it looks genius. I like the 'blooper' clip at the end. Nice touch.

[@jayescalade7657]

First time I saw your channel, and I am completely addicted. You make projects soooo much fun. Thanks.

[@MichaelBuilds]

THANK YOU! And welcome to the channel! ☺️

[@ggshandsomeboy5103]

Awesome content. My porch has actually cracked and shifted because of water in the expansion joint. I'm so happy about this video I'll fix my joints this week! Thx

[@michellehuynh8451]

Thank you so much for the helpful tips. I have never used a caulk gun before so thank you for being so thorough!

[@kathybricco1464]

Oh boy, I can hardly wait to get out in the driveway and fix all those expansion joints! Thanks for all your helpful tips and a simple, concise method to your explanations (needed for clutzy people like me!).

[@RoscoeC]

Dude! Great job on the video and I can't believe I watched it to the end. Now I'll start my repair in my driveway! Again, great job.

[@gregnorvell9730]

I knew that material was awesome. But the mold making made it super awesome.

[@arkw61352]

This video is great!!! I love how you move along quickly, something other DIY videos do not do. No time wasted watching this.

[@bonsaiman75]

I love your videos. Was excited to hear you know Jason Eller. We went to high school together. Another very talented man.

[@agm6095]

I need to do this around my pool, thanks for the instructions.

[@Cad1900]

Loved the video thank you!!! I’m just prepping to do my driveway and this helps me feel more confident.

[@MichaelBuilds]

Thank you SO MUCH! I really appreciate that! ☺️

[@brianb5779]

Came across this by chance and very glad I did,,,,now i know why i never had good luck w this before. Great info,,thanks...

[@MichaelBuilds]

Well I’m glad you found us Brian! And WELCOME TO THE CHANNEL!

[@bluzzjazz]

Well, the ole algorithm knew I was looking for tips to do this right the first time. Not only is the information good but the video/editing/presentation are all superb! I notice what appears to be guitar forms and I think an offset body on the wall. You build guitars too? I have it's very rewarding when you complete one.

[@mtros4805]

Great sense of humor. Good tips & visuals. Dad should be proud.

[@secondaryunit]

You my friend are the man. I love your tips on caulking a driveway. However the coolest part was making the mold. That is top notch. Thank you

[@kevinhutt5710]

Great video sir. I was looking at buying the rubber Trim-A-Slab expansion joints but a lot of the reviews said that they shrink over time, which would be unacceptable. This method seems like the superior way to go for me. The tip about using sand to camouflage some of the cracks was a bonus as I was going to hire someone to cut them out and replace.

[@R6429-g3c]

This video was just on time it just popped up on my feed and I needed to do this work so thank you I will be doing this 🙂

[@MichaelBuilds]

That’s what I’m here for! ☺️👍🏻

[@cris_miko]

I found you just in time! Love that the sand disguised the repair.

[@imdbtoo]

Sand over the crack filler! The most excellent tip EVER. Thank you.

[@backcountrybill]

Duuuuuuude-uh! I have been sealing and resealing my expansion joints for years! I hope this product is available in Canada. Now show us how to seal split concrete steps (split where the tread meets the riser), pleeeease!

[@davidmontalvo6560]

Absolutely great video. Very informative and detailed thank you

[@chrisj9008]

Great video!!! I actually watched an entire video on sealing an expansion joint....

[@mikevandehey7734]

RAPID SET Exactly what I was looking for. Thank You Man!

[@Napoff327]

So glad you're making vids again. This was a really good one too. I didn't know expansion joint repair could be so fun!

[@benscully4230]

This was funny and yes give him the keys to that beautiful car wow just love the old school vehicles great job man I love your videos I'm always waiting for that next video

[@MichaelBuilds]

Thank you so much Ben!

[@mattnelson1366]

Great video. The non-sag sealant is what I was looking for with a few of my remaining vertical spots that I can't use the self-leveling on.

[@bobo-wf1jv]

It's so nice to see a perfectionist at work .. and I say this as an ultimate complement. Cheers .....

[@inflewence]

A lot of value in this video. I got upset that google was reading my mind again. I fixed some cracks in my driveway today and saw my expansion joints looking busted. Thought how do I fix them. First video when I open KZbin. After watching it, I'm glad my mind was read. The bonus mold making at the end was great too. Your video style is great. You made a boring subject pretty awesome! I think you deserve to borrow the GTX!

[@augenmaugen]

Thank you for explaining why you can’t just fill the whole thing with caulk (aside from the expense). I had no idea!

[@MrChewy63]

Great tips....I’ve screwed up so many joints over the years. Thanks brother! Love that mold trick!

[@chenglo8999]

Awesome tips michael! Wish i watched this b4 doing my cracks last year. The sand dusting was a great tip!

[@dotcodan]

Very educational and you have a great personality that keeps the lesson from getting boring. 2 thumbs up! 👍👍

[@ellevando]

This so awesome. I loved the actual tutorial and then the mold at the end! I mean,... I’m sold.

[@lorieby2981]

Hey from Michigan. Getting a kick out of your videos! Going to tackle my front cement steps soon and laughing while learning. Great job!

[@MichaelBuilds]

☺️

[@MichaelBuilds]

I’m in Michigan too!

[@Tinyteacher1111]

I’m in Michigan, too! I thought that backyard looked like the ones around here!

[@Tinyteacher1111]

@@MichaelBuilds May I ask where in Mi you are? I’m in Rochester, but have lived from St. Clair Shores, to New Baltimore, to Lake Orion, and more. Put up your hand and point to where you are!

[@DGV_Tips]

Sprinkle a layer of polymeric sand over the top of the sealant. If any bugs crawl into it, just sweep them out after it sets. It also leaves a really nice looking finish coat. I did my whole driveway like that and it looks awesome.

[@TO-vw3sy]

Why polymeric sand, can you just use all purpose sand instead?

[@DGV_Tips]

@@TO-vw3sy Perhaps, that’s what I saw in another video, and the color was really nice too, a mix of black and gray.

[@mesutelma9984]

I like the mold making idea Very creative

[@starlightspringer]

Best video on crack filling out there. I wish I'd watched this one first. it would have saved me a lot of work.

[@Sloanmatthews]

OMG- love the idea for molds!!

[@johnmaldonado3909]

That was the BEST demo on expansion joint filling ever! Thank you

[@dsmn4102]

ㅓㅓㅊ

[@dembydish]

I appreciate you thorough exploration of this topic.

[@MikeJordanUnCamplicated]

DAYUM! I built an outdoor kitchen island counter top from your first video 2years?? ago. Never worked with concrete before, but copied you like a zerox. Right down to the compass and "vein" design. Still looks great today. My joint repair on the same patio looks horrible. Time to copy again

[@destinyreturns4885]

Thanks for the video. I need to re-do the expansion joints around my pool deck and thus came looking for advice.

[@paulkowalski5396]

Great video. Thanks to the magic of KZbin, this vid appeared in my feed days before me taking on a pool deck project with the exact same application. Thanks for the lesson, Michael!

[@dhildebrand641]

Super fun and instructive. I don't have any expansion joints to fill, but I'm gonna make some just so I can do this.

[@MiniLuv-1984]

Hey Pop, don't let Michael touch your car! (Excellent video by the way)

[@mahamrampage7239]

Thank you so much! I start doing this tomorrow and you have given me all the knowledge that I'll be needing. Not all heros wear capes lol

[@jmer3536]

I actually enjoyed the how to put caulk in a crack information

[@foofstarr4856]

Extra thumbs up for that mold feature in the end. This is the only channel im actually subscribed to, good job once again

[@nalinykh]

Thanks for this great video. I recently had my dad try to help me do some crack filling and we did ok but wish I saw this beforehand. You made it fun and thanks for the laughs at the end.

[@ko5235]

Wow you just helped me solve 2 problems at once ...thanks

[@SelfSufficient08]

You seriously make some great content. Appreciate you taking the time to put what you have together.

[@toecutter1015]

This guy is clueless

[@carlwheeler3403]

Great video, nice car !! I need to seal my driveway...again. Great tip on hiding small cracks with sand. Thanks

[@ninetomorrows42]

Great video - but the end made it that much better - time to make some molds!

[@e.w.wright2452]

great video ...your dad should let you drive GTX.... I used to have GTO and wish I still could drive it!! Best ED

[@violet2048]

I've been wanting to do something with the patio as it has cracks all over it. This just might be the ticket.

[@punchymuffin6402]

That sand tip is so genius!

[@tomb375]

Dude!!! Amazing Video!!!!!! So glad I watched till the end, The Concrete mold pour blew me away, Amazing Job! Dad he Gets the GTX for a day! But he has to buy new Rear Tires afterward. Thank you for an amazing Video.

[@lindaarmstrong8808]

Damn! Great video! I feel like I can do this project now, but I forwarded it to DH anyway😊

[@j1238066]

Great video, my driveway has expansion joint where it meets the garage floor and needs this done your instructions are perfect 👍 thanks

[@vickimcdonald4471]

SO helpful. Best video for a newbie amateur like me. Thank you!!!!

[@funtimeventure0812]

Finally found the video to fix my concrete good job 👏🏼

[@maxmanx1294]

The BEST most informative video on this topic!

[@elmono3939]

Just ready to do it today when I ran into this video. Cool tips ! Thank you !

[@jonwood431]

Great sense of humor! Thank you for a great learning experience.

[@MrsHermitHillKy]

Ok, so I just watched a number of your videos! Can you show us how to properly build block walls? Single mom here and I need to figure out how to build a small storm shelter. (Bonus points for roof ideas for it!) Very interesting videos, hope to see more soon!

[@shernettfowler4069]

Thank you, you just save me a lot of money. Very helpful. Keep up the good work.

[@vincemiracle103]

Great Video !!! I have some cracks that I now how to easily fix !!! Thanks

[@ghotiemama]

love you last mold making, I will use that trick to make stepping stones for the garden

[@jamesortolano3983]

Holy sh_t,that was great at the end.. Did flat work for years, only 1 kind of expansion product held up. Bi- tuminus Asphalt pp. ( different names of it across the country).. Gonna try this ,1 thing I would like to add. When applying any product with a sequential pump presure tool . ( calk gun ),cant make this up . From school books I got when going through my union mason apprentice ship. As printed: always apply sealant,grout, or polymer in foward motion from tip . Yeah didn't do that Until this huge job at the college. Once you become comfortable shooting foward,what a difference your end product becomes. Thanx so much for the info. Enjoyed it. Brought back memories. Keep up the great work. Btw loved the car!!

[@ernestomoseley8843]

Pretty good, and you are a natural entertainer!

[@jasonjackson5696]

Great video! Your intro was really funny.

[@MichaelBuilds]

Lol 😂 thank you so much!

[@foxvader1]

Great Video - you have a special skill at making really good video’s! Keep them coming

[@gmfigueroa7]

watched the whole video. Thanks for the info.

[@robert_costello]

At first, I was going to turn off your video. Surprisingly, it was very informative and well put together. Thank you, kind sir.

[@allenjackson5919]

Michael, thank you very much, this is the video I am looking for a long time.

[@omardejesus2940]

Michael, great tips and tricks and great enthusiasm, you make the videos fun and entertaining at the same time. Look forward for more videos. Thanks

[@michaelschneider-]

+1. .. This sealant is similar to a swimming pool trade product, Deck O Seal. . The essential 1" expansion joint btw the pool coping and the concrete deck/walk of the pool area. . Deck O Seal ain't cheap in any of its many colors. . Works like a champ though even in weather extremes. . I'll be sure to look for this self-leveling sealant... P.S. My Dads fun car was a red '65 Alpine convertible. ..think the beginning of the TV show Get Smart .. The family station wagon had a Dodge 383 CID V8 ... Too funny.

[@TheAggressers]

😅Just now found this but your intro made me interested. An important problem at my Homefront!