I have a sidewalk that runs at at 90 degree angle to my driveway.
There was a felt expansion piece where they meet, but it has
deteriorated. I dug out the rotted stuff.

The gap between the sidewalk and driveway is about 3/4" wide. Too
narrow to use two 1/2" expansion strips, but too wide for one 1/2"
strip to fill the gap. I've been unable to find 1/4" strips.

A friend suggested using one strip and filling the reamining gap with
sand. Will this work? If so, does it matter what type of sand I use:
playground, leveling, paver locking sand?

wrote:
I have a sidewalk that runs at at 90 degree angle to my driveway.
There was a felt expansion piece where they meet, but it has
deteriorated. I dug out the rotted stuff.

The gap between the sidewalk and driveway is about 3/4" wide. Too
narrow to use two 1/2" expansion strips, but too wide for one 1/2"
strip to fill the gap. I've been unable to find 1/4" strips.

A friend suggested using one strip and filling the reamining gap with
sand. Will this work? If so, does it matter what type of sand I use:
playground, leveling, paver locking sand?

At his point, nothing is required to be in the joint. If you are
concerned about looks, you can fill it with most anything that pleases
you. They make a gray colored flexible caulk especially for sealing
expansion joints if you so desire.

Bob

"Bob S." wrote in message
oups.com...

wrote:
I have a sidewalk that runs at at 90 degree angle to my driveway.
There was a felt expansion piece where they meet, but it has
deteriorated. I dug out the rotted stuff.

The gap between the sidewalk and driveway is about 3/4" wide. Too
narrow to use two 1/2" expansion strips, but too wide for one 1/2"
strip to fill the gap. I've been unable to find 1/4" strips.

A friend suggested using one strip and filling the reamining gap with
sand. Will this work? If so, does it matter what type of sand I use:
playground, leveling, paver locking sand?

At his point, nothing is required to be in the joint. If you are
concerned about looks, you can fill it with most anything that pleases
you. They make a gray colored flexible caulk especially for sealing
expansion joints if you so desire.

I agree with Bob. Also, there are fibrous joint filling materials that one
can use and then finish off with caulk. (In those cases where caulk alone
would require too much material)

On 15 Oct 2006 15:00:55 -0700, "Bob S." wrote:


wrote:
I have a sidewalk that runs at at 90 degree angle to my driveway.
There was a felt expansion piece where they meet, but it has
deteriorated. I dug out the rotted stuff.

The gap between the sidewalk and driveway is about 3/4" wide. Too
narrow to use two 1/2" expansion strips, but too wide for one 1/2"
strip to fill the gap. I've been unable to find 1/4" strips.

A friend suggested using one strip and filling the reamining gap with
sand. Will this work? If so, does it matter what type of sand I use:
playground, leveling, paver locking sand?



At his point, nothing is required to be in the joint. If you are
concerned about looks, you can fill it with most anything that pleases
you. They make a gray colored flexible caulk especially for sealing
expansion joints if you so desire.

Bob

Bob, I was under the impression (apparently wrong) that if water gets
into the gap and under the sidewalk, winter freezing and thawing could
cause the gap to widen or cause the sidewalk to heave and end up
higher than the driveway instead of level with it. I thiought the
expansion joint was meant to prevent that. Is this incorrect?

The expansion joint was originally placed to allow space for the
concrete to expand and contract without breaking or pressuring
each other. You are correct that joints in pavement should be
sealed to prevent water/ice/subsoil saturation/etc. This can be
accomplished with backer rod and polyurethane caulk or tar sealant
(probably what you see the city crews use). It is amazing to me
how much concrete does just fine without much of anything. Yours
seems to have done fine as a fiber expansion joint does little to
seal the joint. True tar joints would not rot out.

______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




wrote in message
...
On 15 Oct 2006 15:00:55 -0700, "Bob S."
wrote:


wrote:
I have a sidewalk that runs at at 90 degree angle to my
driveway.
There was a felt expansion piece where they meet, but it has
deteriorated. I dug out the rotted stuff.

The gap between the sidewalk and driveway is about 3/4" wide.
Too
narrow to use two 1/2" expansion strips, but too wide for one
1/2"
strip to fill the gap. I've been unable to find 1/4" strips.

A friend suggested using one strip and filling the reamining
gap with
sand. Will this work? If so, does it matter what type of
sand I use:
playground, leveling, paver locking sand?



At his point, nothing is required to be in the joint. If you
are
concerned about looks, you can fill it with most anything that
pleases
you. They make a gray colored flexible caulk especially for
sealing
expansion joints if you so desire.

Bob

Bob, I was under the impression (apparently wrong) that if water
gets
into the gap and under the sidewalk, winter freezing and thawing
could
cause the gap to widen or cause the sidewalk to heave and end up
higher than the driveway instead of level with it. I thiought
the
expansion joint was meant to prevent that. Is this incorrect?

Thanks for the tip about backer rod and polyeurethane chaulk. I
didn't know what "backer rod" is so I Googled it and found good
instructions on using it along with the caulk to fill the gap. It
looks easy to do, so I will try it.

On Sun, 15 Oct 2006 17:56:02 -0500, "DanG" wrote:


The expansion joint was originally placed to allow space for the
concrete to expand and contract without breaking or pressuring
each other. You are correct that joints in pavement should be
sealed to prevent water/ice/subsoil saturation/etc. This can be
accomplished with backer rod and polyurethane caulk or tar sealant
(probably what you see the city crews use). It is amazing to me
how much concrete does just fine without much of anything. Yours
seems to have done fine as a fiber expansion joint does little to
seal the joint. True tar joints would not rot out.

______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




wrote in message
.. .
On 15 Oct 2006 15:00:55 -0700, "Bob S."
wrote:


wrote:
I have a sidewalk that runs at at 90 degree angle to my
driveway.
There was a felt expansion piece where they meet, but it has
deteriorated. I dug out the rotted stuff.

The gap between the sidewalk and driveway is about 3/4" wide.
Too
narrow to use two 1/2" expansion strips, but too wide for one
1/2"
strip to fill the gap. I've been unable to find 1/4" strips.

A friend suggested using one strip and filling the reamining
gap with
sand. Will this work? If so, does it matter what type of
sand I use:
playground, leveling, paver locking sand?



At his point, nothing is required to be in the joint. If you
are
concerned about looks, you can fill it with most anything that
pleases
you. They make a gray colored flexible caulk especially for
sealing
expansion joints if you so desire.

Bob

Bob, I was under the impression (apparently wrong) that if water
gets
into the gap and under the sidewalk, winter freezing and thawing
could
cause the gap to widen or cause the sidewalk to heave and end up
higher than the driveway instead of level with it. I thiought
the
expansion joint was meant to prevent that. Is this incorrect?

wrote in message
Bob, I was under the impression (apparently wrong) that if water gets
into the gap and under the sidewalk, winter freezing and thawing could
cause the gap to widen or cause the sidewalk to heave and end up
higher than the driveway instead of level with it. I thiought the
expansion joint was meant to prevent that. Is this incorrect?

I'm not Bob, but the water issue is a possibility. You'll never get a
perfect seal but ice can do strange things from the expansion. I'd fill the
gap at least as well as I could with something flexible and top it with the
caulk.

That felt material is actually made from sugar cane. It was stamped right
on the last batch that I bought.