Denver Decorative Concrete & Custom MasonryThe name of the black filler in a concrete residential driveway is called what?
I’m prepping my house for sale. After a decade in the desert, the black filler that goes between the sections of residential concrete driveways is missing or in horrible shape. It’s there to prevent people from catching their feet or something they are dragging in the space that would be there otherwise. WHAT is this stuff? What do I buy to replace it? I am assuming Home Depot has the product. I also imagine more than 1 item can be used and would like what is expensive and easy to use.
== concrete expansion joint filler is a jute and tar like strip … best that you silicone it into place === it can be purchased at the local Home Depot or Lowe’s in a roll pack or long strips ……….
If you’re talking about the seems between concrete slabs – they’ve chinking that goes in. What I’ve seen is grey. They also sell a concrete crack filler (kind of like calking) that does the same thing. I’ve used the crack filler to fill in narrow gaps, big gaps would take too much of that stuff, but in the bigger joints I’ve used the chinking. I would describe it as styrofoam rope that you stuff into the crack. Regardless of what you call it you will also want to apply crack filler to complete the job. Otherwise that stuff CAN come back out.
Now: You mention Home Depot. I used to shop there a lot. However, because they damaged 2 special order tubs and put my project a month behind I was rather put off by them. When I complained – they seemed to not care so much. But after enough arguing they DID give me 20% off on my next big purchase. But even there they screwed up. They told me I needed 1 bag of self leveling concrete. I told them the dimensions of the room under construction (in the basement) and they did not tell me I did not have enough to do the job. They ALSO DIDN’T tell me I needed a primer BEFORE putting the stuff down. So that 20% off all went in the garbage. What I DID pour wasn’t enough to do the job AND it wasn’t going to stay down anyway. On top of THAT – the in-floor heating elements had to be ripped out and thrown away too. They refused to cover the costs and it cost me almost $200 in wasted materials by following their directions.
HAD THEY TOLD ME: to get the primer and TWO bags I would have a finished room by now. Fortunately I did not put down my expensive (VERY EXPENSIVE) tiles, otherwise I’d have been out almost $600. In my opinion, if you do not KNOW what you are doing – DON’T go to Home Depot.
I’ve been going to Lowe’s. The 2 tubs HD ruined? Cost me $850 – I got my money back. Lowe’s couldn’t match the price, but the nearest thing they had cost $1,300. They sold it to me at their cost, $870 and it was by far a superior tub. The flooring, they have given me deep discounts and have been working with me on all my special orders. They’ve bent over backwards to aid me in my remodeling.
Since that incident with HD I’ve spent over $3,000 at Lowe’s and am planning another big project that will likely cost me around $12,000. Having talked with the people at the Pro Desk they say they can likely get me a 25% discount. Funny, when I walked into HD – nobody had knowledge me. But at Lowe’s they all know me by name, smile and say hello. And I’m talking very little people all the way up to store managers. Lowe’s is by far superior to HD.
But if you prefer HD – that’s the beauty of being American, you can make all the mistakes you like.
G-day mate.
)
That black filler is the expansion joint fiber. Its used to prevent to concrete from cracking when the weather changes temperature. You can replace it with the same store baught product if your can get the old ones out of the joints. If not just go over the whole walkway of driveway with a brand new 2” coat of concrete to make it look brand new again.
Either Tar or the old name used to be Pitch
They both have the same effect.It has to be warmed to get it to run smoothly. That is why you see an insulated truck with heat coming from a stack above the truck as it’s about to spraying the tar onto the road prior to road tar sealing!
As far as i’m aware you used to be able to buy it in clump form & kids used to chew it before the invention of chewing gum.It was soft like & your teeth used to sink into it, but you could never bite off enough to actually swallow.
I’d be inclined to ask around at a road ing company, for they would be much more likely to know where you could obtain more.I can’t see staff at a Hardware store knowing much, let alone where to obtain a quantity of tar from!
The other thing is talk to the older person, as they’re much more full of knowledge than the younger generation of today!
I’m not being derogatory here. It’s a fact, whether the younger generation can accept it or not!
Cheers!!