LESLIE: Heading over to California where Frankie needs some help with a garage floor. Welcome, Frankie.
FRANKIE: Enjoy your show.
LESLIE: Thank you. What can we do for you today?
FRANKIE: Well, I have a crack in my garage floor that started probably about seven years ago; very small, right at the entrance to the door, about halfway – I have a two car garage – right where the driveway meets the floor.
TOM: OK.
FRANKIE: And it has gradually worked its way all the way to the back to the pillar where the hot water heater sits.
TOM: Alright. And how wide is this crack, Frankie?
FRANKIE: It’s probably about a ¼-inch.
TOM: Well, have you tried to fill it with anything?
FRANKIE: I had a fellow come out – three years ago, I had a new driveway put in.
TOM: Yes.
FRANKIE: And they ground down the crack and put like a sealer thing in it but it didn’t seem to do much good.
TOM: OK. Well, what you want to use is something called an epoxy patching compound and that’s something that’s going to be somewhat flexible and it will expand and contract with the driveway. And that should at least stop water from getting in there. You know, you could be getting water in there that’s freezing and expanding and causing it to move.
The thing about the garage slab is that it’s not structural. Even though we all think it is, you know, it’s really just a covering on the dirt; it’s not really what’s holding up the house. It’s really only holding up itself and, unfortunately, many times they’re put in improperly, they’re not reinforced correctly and, as a result, you get these shrinkage cracks or expansion cracks that form. So, I’m not concerned structurally but at least to try to seal it, I would use an epoxy patching compound or I would use a flowable urethane compound.
FRANKIE: OK. Alright. Thank you very much.
TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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