I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

On 11/17/2014 09:10 PM, wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks




Just remove the old caulk and re-caulk

The only way to get the sidewalk back up to where it originally was
would be to mud-jack ...but it does not look low enough for that to be
necessary.

wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Hmmm,
Isn't it the job of condo board?

On 11/17/2014 09:10 PM, wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks



Just remove the old caulk and re-caulk

The only way to get the sidewalk back up to where it originally was
would be to mud-jack ...but it does not look low enough for that to be
necessary.

wrote in message
...
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the
best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some
type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

ARDEX?

On Monday, November 17, 2014 10:00:18 PM UTC-6, Pico Rico wrote:
wrote in message
...
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the
best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some
type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

ARDEX?

Can you be more specific or give an example ?

Do you want to raise up the sidewalk to its previous level, or just leave the current sidewalk alone and fill the gap between the sidewalk and the stairs? What is going to keep the sidewalk from moving even further away from the stairs? How long did it take for the current gap to develope, one year five years???

On Monday, November 17, 2014 10:30:54 PM UTC-5, Tony Hwang wrote:
wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Hmmm,
Isn't it the job of condo board?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. That indeed would seem to be the case.

I also agree with Phil, the best solution is to re-caulk it. There is
caulk that is made for concrete, concrete colored, etc. The underlying
problem is likely an insufficient stabilized base for the sidewalk that is
allowing it to settle. If any water makes it's way to that area, eg from
gutters, improper grading, etc, that could be a contributing factor.

On 11/18/2014 06:28 AM, trader_4 wrote:


snip
Isn't it the job of condo board?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. That indeed would seem to be the case.



snip


Good point. With a condo I don't think one can just go ahead and do any
repair work without some type of approval.

There is nothing in my yard that would get an approval!

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 7:19:56 AM UTC-6, philo* wrote:
On 11/18/2014 06:28 AM, trader_4 wrote:


snip
Isn't it the job of condo board?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. That indeed would seem to be the case.



snip


Good point. With a condo I don't think one can just go ahead and do any
repair work without some type of approval.

There is nothing in my yard that would get an approval!

Time: 20 years
The concrete moved away from the step, not sunken below.
My intention is to fill the gap, not raise or move the concrete. yes there is a water problem where the gutter just empties onto the sidewalk a few feet back. I think you are correct, there is probably not a proper base or footer under the walk.

Water problem: You can't see from the picture, but one corner of the step has already dropped about an inch. you can see where the brick has already started to buckle slightly on the front of the bldg.

If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

Thanks.

On 11/18/2014 8:52 AM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 7:19:56 AM UTC-6, philo wrote:
On 11/18/2014 06:28 AM, trader_4 wrote:


snip
Isn't it the job of condo board?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. That indeed would seem to be the case.



snip


Good point. With a condo I don't think one can just go ahead and do any
repair work without some type of approval.

There is nothing in my yard that would get an approval!

Time: 20 years
The concrete moved away from the step, not sunken below.
My intention is to fill the gap, not raise or move the concrete. yes there is a water problem where the gutter just empties onto the sidewalk a few feet back. I think you are correct, there is probably not a proper base or footer under the walk.

Water problem: You can't see from the picture, but one corner of the step has already dropped about an inch. you can see where the brick has already started to buckle slightly on the front of the bldg.

If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

Thanks.


The purpose of a condo association is to do all outside work. That's why
there are condo fees.
Maybe if you do something when it is their responsibility and something
goes wrong they could charge you.

On 11/18/2014 07:52 AM, wrote:

snip
Time: 20 years
The concrete moved away from the step, not sunken below.
My intention is to fill the gap, not raise or move the concrete. yes there is a water problem where the gutter just empties onto the sidewalk a few feet back. I think you are correct, there is probably not a proper base or footer under the walk.

Water problem: You can't see from the picture, but one corner of the step has already dropped about an inch. you can see where the brick has already started to buckle slightly on the front of the bldg.

If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

Thanks.




If the condo board is not really aware of the problem, you could
probably just fix it yourself and be done with it.

As long as you remove the old caulk and put in something waterproof and
flexible...with a reasonable color match you should be OK.


I'm adding this link just as an example of what product to use


https://www.dap.com/product_details....=31&SubcatID=6

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 9:04:39 AM UTC-5, Frank wrote:
On 11/18/2014 8:52 AM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 7:19:56 AM UTC-6, philo wrote:
On 11/18/2014 06:28 AM, trader_4 wrote:


snip
Isn't it the job of condo board?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. That indeed would seem to be the case.



snip


Good point. With a condo I don't think one can just go ahead and do any
repair work without some type of approval.

There is nothing in my yard that would get an approval!

Time: 20 years
The concrete moved away from the step, not sunken below.
My intention is to fill the gap, not raise or move the concrete. yes there is a water problem where the gutter just empties onto the sidewalk a few feet back. I think you are correct, there is probably not a proper base or footer under the walk.

Water problem: You can't see from the picture, but one corner of the step has already dropped about an inch. you can see where the brick has already started to buckle slightly on the front of the bldg.

If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

Thanks.


The purpose of a condo association is to do all outside work. That's why
there are condo fees.
Maybe if you do something when it is their responsibility and something
goes wrong they could charge you.

Agree. The question is who told him that and based on what? The condo
documents would spell out who's responsible for what, but it would be unusual
for a unit owner to be responsible for the sidewalk.

This kind of small thing, no one is probably going to care if he just
fixes it himself. On the other hand, when you have 200 units and everyone
starts doing that, most of them not knowing what they are doing, you can
imagine the problems that result.

I was president of a condo association years ago. While most folks were
reasonable, some were idiots. We had a couple that decided to find and
re-plant a bunch of crap, wild, volunteer trees into the lawn in front of
their unit. You can imagine what that would look like when the rest of the
place has a uniform landscape scheme. I had management
send them a letter, not telling them to remove them, just not to continue
planting more. They went ballistic.

On Mon, 17 Nov 2014 20:45:30 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Monday, November 17, 2014 10:00:18 PM UTC-6, Pico Rico wrote:
wrote in message
...
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the
best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some
type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

ARDEX?

Can you be more specific or give an example ?

DAGS!

On 11/18/2014 8:52 AM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 7:19:56 AM UTC-6, philo wrote:
On 11/18/2014 06:28 AM, trader_4 wrote:


snip
Isn't it the job of condo board?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. That indeed would seem to be the case.



snip


Good point. With a condo I don't think one can just go ahead and do any
repair work without some type of approval.

There is nothing in my yard that would get an approval!

Time: 20 years
The concrete moved away from the step, not sunken below.
My intention is to fill the gap, not raise or move the concrete. yes there is a water problem where the gutter just empties onto the sidewalk a few feet back. I think you are correct, there is probably not a proper base or footer under the walk.

Water problem: You can't see from the picture, but one corner of the step has already dropped about an inch. you can see where the brick has already started to buckle slightly on the front of the bldg.

If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

Thanks.


What state do you live in? You must have condo documents, bylaws, etc.
which spell out precisely what you are responsible for maintaining and
what the condo assn. is.....our condo in Florida was ours up to the
inside unfinished drywall and patios. All else was the assn.'s. That
said, the assn. doesn't necessarily maintain all that they are supposed
to, and might easily pass a special assessment for non-routine stuff if
they don't have the money in reserves. SO GLAD I no longer live there!!

On 11/17/2014 10:10 PM, wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks


Is this a condo as in part of a condo association? Don't they take care
of outside stuff?

Anyway, it looks like more than just a gap. The walk is settling and
probably needs major work to rectify. I see a couple of inches gap t
hat can be filled with a mortar mix, but it also seems to be an inch or
so lower. That is a trip hazard.

Filling is probably a temporary fix as the walk settles more or as the
seasons pass. It probably should be torn out and replaced ona good
solid base.

In ,
typed:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know
the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had
used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to
almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg


Good photos. Thanks. It looks to me like it is really a vertical gap
only -- meaning that the sidewalk dropped down over time and that caused the
gap.

Given what you wrote, if it were me I would just buy a small bag of
concrete, scrape out the old caulk, dig out a little behind the sidewalk
below the sidewalk surface level, mix up the concrete, and use it to fill in
the gap. When you smooth it off, trowel it so it forms a continuation
downward of the vertical front side of the concrete porch. And, if needed,
trowel along the surface of the sidewalk so the new concrete looks correct.
It should be pretty quick and easy to do.

You could also probably use mortar mix instead of concrete if you wanted to
do that. The gap size is such that either would probably work fine for what
you want to achieve. Look and see what they have at Home Depot or Lowes
etc. and pick one. You probably won't need much, and personally I don't
like lugging around big bags of concrete or mortar. So, even though it
would cost more, you could always buy a couple of small 10-pound bags of the
stuff. One bag may do it and you can return the second bag if it is
unopened and you don't need it.

I think any of the regular concrete or mortar mixes will fairly closely
match the color of what is there now. I would avoid any of those special
concrete crack repair mixes etc. because they are often a darker gray color
that won't look right, plus you don't need that.

Good luck.

Let us know how it turns out.

P.S. Since the job is so easy, I am with you and I would just skip even
contacting the condo association. I would just do the fix and forget about
it.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 09:04:20 -0500, Frank
wrote:



If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

Repairing it seems like a good idea to me. Is this a situation where
you should put in a foam "snake", cylinder (I forget the real name), so
that you'll only need some caulk and it won't fill up some hole under
the cement?

I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

You should find out more about this, starting with the documents and
then with neighbors you have a good relationship with. Have you read
your documents? Mine are Articles of Incorporation, and Bylaws. Yours
may be named something else. They should cover this, and probably lots
of other things you'll find woth knowing. .

Thanks.


The purpose of a condo association is to do all outside work.

I don't think that's "the purpose". Furthermore, I don't think a condo
association has to be arranged that way. It might be, if the builders
think it will make the properties sell better, but it's not required.
People are free to contract in any way they want that's not illegal.
If the formers of his condo association decided it would only take care
of common areas, they could do that. And the members could amend the
rules later.

The way to know is to read the documents. If someone doesn't have a
copy of the documents, he should be able to get a copy from a neighbor,
possibly from the association, and for a dollar a page maybe, from the
County Clerk or whoever keeps property records. (Maybe these days he
can download them for free.)

The difference between a condo and a co-op is that a condo is real
property and a co-op is a share in a corporation that a) owns the whole
property and b) includes the right to live in one of the units.
Various things, including local and state laws, contribute to the
decision whether to set up houses or apartments as condos or co-ops.

That's why
there are condo fees.
Maybe if you do something when it is their responsibility and something
goes wrong they could charge you.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 11:15:17 AM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/17/2014 10:10 PM, wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks


Is this a condo as in part of a condo association? Don't they take care
of outside stuff?

Anyway, it looks like more than just a gap. The walk is settling and
probably needs major work to rectify. I see a couple of inches gap t
hat can be filled with a mortar mix, but it also seems to be an inch or
so lower. That is a trip hazard.

Filling is probably a temporary fix as the walk settles more or as the
seasons pass. It probably should be torn out and replaced ona good
solid base.

When I first looked at the pics, especially the first one, that's what
I thought too. But from his description and looking closer, I think what
you have is a landing and a sidewalk that meets it. They are not supposed
to be at the same level. At first, I thought they were only an inch or two
different in height. But I think they are actually a good and safe distance
apart, ie normal. I think he's problem is just a ~1/2" gap horizontally
where they meet.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 12:54:11 PM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
In ,
typed:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know
the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had
used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to
almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg


Good photos. Thanks. It looks to me like it is really a vertical gap
only -- meaning that the sidewalk dropped down over time and that caused the
gap.

Given what you wrote, if it were me I would just buy a small bag of
concrete, scrape out the old caulk, dig out a little behind the sidewalk
below the sidewalk surface level, mix up the concrete, and use it to fill in
the gap. When you smooth it off, trowel it so it forms a continuation
downward of the vertical front side of the concrete porch. And, if needed,
trowel along the surface of the sidewalk so the new concrete looks correct.
It should be pretty quick and easy to do.

You could also probably use mortar mix instead of concrete if you wanted to
do that. The gap size is such that either would probably work fine for what
you want to achieve. Look and see what they have at Home Depot or Lowes
etc. and pick one. You probably won't need much, and personally I don't
like lugging around big bags of concrete or mortar. So, even though it
would cost more, you could always buy a couple of small 10-pound bags of the
stuff. One bag may do it and you can return the second bag if it is
unopened and you don't need it.

I think any of the regular concrete or mortar mixes will fairly closely
match the color of what is there now. I would avoid any of those special
concrete crack repair mixes etc. because they are often a darker gray color
that won't look right, plus you don't need that.

Good luck.

Let us know how it turns out.

P.S. Since the job is so easy, I am with you and I would just skip even
contacting the condo association. I would just do the fix and forget about
it.

For gaps that size, especially in differing structures, mortar rarely
is the best choice. Something flexible, like caulk designed for concrete
is more likely to last.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 11:15:45 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

Norminn, you're back. I started to confuse you with Normin.

What state do you live in? You must have condo documents, bylaws, etc.
which spell out precisely what you are responsible for maintaining and
what the condo assn. is.....our condo in Florida was ours up to the
inside unfinished drywall and patios. All else was the assn.'s. That
said, the assn. doesn't necessarily maintain all that they are supposed
to, and might easily pass a special assessment for non-routine stuff if
they don't have the money in reserves. SO GLAD I no longer live there!!

Check satellite view of some map site. Your condo has fallen in to a
simk hole.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 3:17:45 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 09:04:20 -0500, Frank
wrote:



If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

Repairing it seems like a good idea to me. Is this a situation where
you should put in a foam "snake", cylinder (I forget the real name), so
that you'll only need some caulk and it won't fill up some hole under
the cement?

Backer rod. It can be found either in the concrete supply section or
where the weatherstripping stuff is.




I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

You should find out more about this, starting with the documents and
then with neighbors you have a good relationship with. Have you read
your documents? Mine are Articles of Incorporation, and Bylaws. Yours
may be named something else. They should cover this, and probably lots
of other things you'll find woth knowing. .

Thanks.


The purpose of a condo association is to do all outside work.

I don't think that's "the purpose".

It can be one of the purposes, especially in rural areas, where there
are lawns, landscaping, etc. There are people that don't want those hassles.

Furthermore, I don't think a condo
association has to be arranged that way. It might be, if the builders
think it will make the properties sell better, but it's not required.

It's how all the condos around here are organized. As someone else
described, pretty much everything beyond the interior walls are the responsibility of the condo association. Roofs, sidewalks, decks, lawn,
landscaping, siding, exterior painting, etc.


People are free to contract in any way they want that's not illegal.
If the formers of his condo association decided it would only take care
of common areas, they could do that. And the members could amend the
rules later.

The way to know is to read the documents. If someone doesn't have a
copy of the documents, he should be able to get a copy from a neighbor,
possibly from the association, and for a dollar a page maybe, from the
County Clerk or whoever keeps property records. (Maybe these days he
can download them for free.)

All of those should be part of the closing documents and he should have
a copy.

But again, it's a small gap in a sidewalk and if he wants to just spend $5 and
fix it himself, I'd probably do the same thing.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2014, trader_4 wrote:

For gaps that size, especially in differing structures, mortar rarely
is the best choice. Something flexible, like caulk designed for concrete
is more likely to last.

The OP appears to be in Illinois. He has freeze-thaw cycles. Mortar in that
crack wouldn't last long.

Don. www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

wrote in message

I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know
the
best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some
type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Short of mud jacking or replacing it, I doubt there is anything you can do
to fix it permanently.

If it were me - and if the space is wide enough - I'd get some pebbles or
crushed rock and fill in with that. I would also dig down 3-4" at each
end of the joint and make little dams of mortar to contain the
pebbles/crushed rock.



--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

posted for all of us...



I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Isn't this the condo assn bailiwick?

--
Tekkie

"trader_4" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 12:54:11 PM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
In ,
typed:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know
the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had
used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to
almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Good photos. Thanks. It looks to me like it is really a vertical gap
only -- meaning that the sidewalk dropped down over time and that caused
the
gap.

Given what you wrote, if it were me I would just buy a small bag of
concrete, scrape out the old caulk, dig out a little behind the sidewalk
below the sidewalk surface level, mix up the concrete, and use it to fill
in
the gap. When you smooth it off, trowel it so it forms a continuation
downward of the vertical front side of the concrete porch. And, if
needed,
trowel along the surface of the sidewalk so the new concrete looks
correct.
It should be pretty quick and easy to do.

You could also probably use mortar mix instead of concrete if you wanted
to
do that. The gap size is such that either would probably work fine for
what
you want to achieve. Look and see what they have at Home Depot or Lowes
etc. and pick one. You probably won't need much, and personally I don't
like lugging around big bags of concrete or mortar. So, even though it
would cost more, you could always buy a couple of small 10-pound bags of
the
stuff. One bag may do it and you can return the second bag if it is
unopened and you don't need it.

I think any of the regular concrete or mortar mixes will fairly closely
match the color of what is there now. I would avoid any of those special
concrete crack repair mixes etc. because they are often a darker gray
color
that won't look right, plus you don't need that.

Good luck.

Let us know how it turns out.

P.S. Since the job is so easy, I am with you and I would just skip even
contacting the condo association. I would just do the fix and forget
about
it.

For gaps that size, especially in differing structures, mortar rarely
is the best choice. Something flexible, like caulk designed for concrete
is more likely to last.

I couldn't quite tell for sure from the photos, but it looks to me that the
gap is not between the sidewalk and the porch. To me, it looks like what
happened is that the sidewalk just dropped down, but it is otherwise in the
same position relative to the porch that it always was, except that its
dropped down a couple of inches. I think that the exposed "gap" that we
see, which is really just the space UNDER the porch -- not a horizontal gap
between the porch and the sidewalk.

If that is the case, then to eliminate the visible "gap", I think that all
that is needed is to fill in under the porch which, in effect would just
hide the vertical gap. In fact, although I didn't mention it before, I
would probably drop a thin barrier (maybe even just a thin piece cardboard
like a pizza box) down to cover the end of the sidewalk. Then, I would put
the concrete or mortar under the porch to fill the gap, and the concrete or
mortar would adhere to and become a part of the bottom of the existing
concrete porch, but it would not bond with the sidewalk due to the barrier.
That way, there wouldn't be any expansion or contraction issues to worry
about.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 21:16:18 -0500, "TomR"
wrote:

"trader_4" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 12:54:11 PM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
In ,
typed:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know
the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had
used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to
almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Good photos. Thanks. It looks to me like it is really a vertical gap
only -- meaning that the sidewalk dropped down over time and that caused
the
gap.

Given what you wrote, if it were me I would just buy a small bag of
concrete, scrape out the old caulk, dig out a little behind the sidewalk
below the sidewalk surface level, mix up the concrete, and use it to fill
in
the gap. When you smooth it off, trowel it so it forms a continuation
downward of the vertical front side of the concrete porch. And, if
needed,
trowel along the surface of the sidewalk so the new concrete looks
correct.
It should be pretty quick and easy to do.

You could also probably use mortar mix instead of concrete if you wanted
to
do that. The gap size is such that either would probably work fine for
what
you want to achieve. Look and see what they have at Home Depot or Lowes
etc. and pick one. You probably won't need much, and personally I don't
like lugging around big bags of concrete or mortar. So, even though it
would cost more, you could always buy a couple of small 10-pound bags of
the
stuff. One bag may do it and you can return the second bag if it is
unopened and you don't need it.

I think any of the regular concrete or mortar mixes will fairly closely
match the color of what is there now. I would avoid any of those special
concrete crack repair mixes etc. because they are often a darker gray
color
that won't look right, plus you don't need that.

Good luck.

Let us know how it turns out.

P.S. Since the job is so easy, I am with you and I would just skip even
contacting the condo association. I would just do the fix and forget
about
it.

For gaps that size, especially in differing structures, mortar rarely
is the best choice. Something flexible, like caulk designed for concrete
is more likely to last.

I couldn't quite tell for sure from the photos, but it looks to me that the
gap is not between the sidewalk and the porch. To me, it looks like what
happened is that the sidewalk just dropped down, but it is otherwise in the
same position relative to the porch that it always was, except that its
dropped down a couple of inches. I think that the exposed "gap" that we
see, which is really just the space UNDER the porch -- not a horizontal gap
between the porch and the sidewalk.

If that is the case, then to eliminate the visible "gap", I think that all
that is needed is to fill in under the porch which, in effect would just
hide the vertical gap. In fact, although I didn't mention it before, I
would probably drop a thin barrier (maybe even just a thin piece cardboard
like a pizza box) down to cover the end of the sidewalk. Then, I would put
the concrete or mortar under the porch to fill the gap, and the concrete or
mortar would adhere to and become a part of the bottom of the existing
concrete porch, but it would not bond with the sidewalk due to the barrier.
That way, there wouldn't be any expansion or contraction issues to worry
about.

Is that sidewalk poured in place or is it precast slabs? Sure looks
like slaps - which I would lift and reset in stone fines.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 9:16:23 PM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
"trader_4" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 12:54:11 PM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
In ,
typed:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know
the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had
used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to
almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Good photos. Thanks. It looks to me like it is really a vertical gap
only -- meaning that the sidewalk dropped down over time and that caused
the
gap.

Given what you wrote, if it were me I would just buy a small bag of
concrete, scrape out the old caulk, dig out a little behind the sidewalk
below the sidewalk surface level, mix up the concrete, and use it to fill
in
the gap. When you smooth it off, trowel it so it forms a continuation
downward of the vertical front side of the concrete porch. And, if
needed,
trowel along the surface of the sidewalk so the new concrete looks
correct.
It should be pretty quick and easy to do.

You could also probably use mortar mix instead of concrete if you wanted
to
do that. The gap size is such that either would probably work fine for
what
you want to achieve. Look and see what they have at Home Depot or Lowes
etc. and pick one. You probably won't need much, and personally I don't
like lugging around big bags of concrete or mortar. So, even though it
would cost more, you could always buy a couple of small 10-pound bags of
the
stuff. One bag may do it and you can return the second bag if it is
unopened and you don't need it.

I think any of the regular concrete or mortar mixes will fairly closely
match the color of what is there now. I would avoid any of those special
concrete crack repair mixes etc. because they are often a darker gray
color
that won't look right, plus you don't need that.

Good luck.

Let us know how it turns out.

P.S. Since the job is so easy, I am with you and I would just skip even
contacting the condo association. I would just do the fix and forget
about
it.

For gaps that size, especially in differing structures, mortar rarely
is the best choice. Something flexible, like caulk designed for concrete
is more likely to last.

I couldn't quite tell for sure from the photos, but it looks to me that the
gap is not between the sidewalk and the porch. To me, it looks like what
happened is that the sidewalk just dropped down, but it is otherwise in the
same position relative to the porch that it always was, except that its
dropped down a couple of inches.


No, if you read his description, he clearly says the sidewalk has not
sunken down, there is just a horizontal gap. And I think what appears to
be an inch or two height difference is actually a lot bigger, ie a normal
step up height difference between sidewalk and porch.



I think that the exposed "gap" that we
see, which is really just the space UNDER the porch -- not a horizontal gap
between the porch and the sidewalk.

If that is the case, then to eliminate the visible "gap", I think that all
that is needed is to fill in under the porch which, in effect would just
hide the vertical gap. In fact, although I didn't mention it before, I
would probably drop a thin barrier (maybe even just a thin piece cardboard
like a pizza box) down to cover the end of the sidewalk. Then, I would put
the concrete or mortar under the porch to fill the gap, and the concrete or
mortar would adhere to and become a part of the bottom of the existing
concrete porch, but it would not bond with the sidewalk due to the barrier.
That way, there wouldn't be any expansion or contraction issues to worry
about.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 13:24:13 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 3:17:45 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 09:04:20 -0500, Frank
wrote:



If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

Repairing it seems like a good idea to me. Is this a situation where
you should put in a foam "snake", cylinder (I forget the real name), so
that you'll only need some caulk and it won't fill up some hole under
the cement?

Backer rod. It can be found either in the concrete supply section or
where the weatherstripping stuff is.




I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

You should find out more about this, starting with the documents and
then with neighbors you have a good relationship with. Have you read
your documents? Mine are Articles of Incorporation, and Bylaws. Yours
may be named something else. They should cover this, and probably lots
of other things you'll find woth knowing. .

Thanks.


The purpose of a condo association is to do all outside work.

I don't think that's "the purpose".

It can be one of the purposes,

Of course.

especially in rural areas, where there
are lawns, landscaping, etc. There are people that don't want those hassles.

Furthermore, I don't think a condo
association has to be arranged that way. It might be, if the builders
think it will make the properties sell better, but it's not required.

It's how all the condos around here are organized. As someone else
described, pretty much everything beyond the interior walls are the responsibility of the condo association. Roofs, sidewalks, decks, lawn,
landscaping, siding, exterior painting, etc.


People are free to contract in any way they want that's not illegal.
If the formers of his condo association decided it would only take care
of common areas, they could do that. And the members could amend the
rules later.

The way to know is to read the documents. If someone doesn't have a
copy of the documents, he should be able to get a copy from a neighbor,
possibly from the association, and for a dollar a page maybe, from the
County Clerk or whoever keeps property records. (Maybe these days he
can download them for free.)

All of those should be part of the closing documents and he should have
a copy.

From what I hear, quite a few people in this n'hood didn't get their
documents at closing, although this is an HOA, which has less of a
relationship with residents than do condos and co-ops. Does someone
from the condo or co-op association attend the closing, usually? He
wouldl bring a copy. Because certainly no one** from the HOA here has
ever attended. So at the very end of the closing the seller remembered
to give me his documents. If he'd forgotten, or forgotten to bring them
(If he'd packed them with his other stuff) or if he just didn't care,
I'd have had to scrounge them too. Or if he'd only given me part of
them.

**Not counting when the developers themselves controlled the HOA.

But again, it's a small gap in a sidewalk and if he wants to just spend $5 and
fix it himself, I'd probably do the same thing.

Yes, for this. But he should get things straight for the next bigger
project. And I'm sure you would say, as I did above, Of course.

On Wednesday, November 19, 2014 10:25:41 AM UTC-5, micky wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 13:24:13 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 3:17:45 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 09:04:20 -0500, Frank
wrote:



If I fill the gap and stop the erosion I could probably prevent a costly repair and the unsightly gap.

Repairing it seems like a good idea to me. Is this a situation where
you should put in a foam "snake", cylinder (I forget the real name), so
that you'll only need some caulk and it won't fill up some hole under
the cement?

Backer rod. It can be found either in the concrete supply section or
where the weatherstripping stuff is.




I was told years ago that the association could force me to pay for the repair, so I was hesitant to bring it to there attention.

You should find out more about this, starting with the documents and
then with neighbors you have a good relationship with. Have you read
your documents? Mine are Articles of Incorporation, and Bylaws. Yours
may be named something else. They should cover this, and probably lots
of other things you'll find woth knowing. .

Thanks.


The purpose of a condo association is to do all outside work.

I don't think that's "the purpose".

It can be one of the purposes,

Of course.

especially in rural areas, where there
are lawns, landscaping, etc. There are people that don't want those hassles.

Furthermore, I don't think a condo
association has to be arranged that way. It might be, if the builders
think it will make the properties sell better, but it's not required.

It's how all the condos around here are organized. As someone else
described, pretty much everything beyond the interior walls are the responsibility of the condo association. Roofs, sidewalks, decks, lawn,
landscaping, siding, exterior painting, etc.


People are free to contract in any way they want that's not illegal.
If the formers of his condo association decided it would only take care
of common areas, they could do that. And the members could amend the
rules later.

The way to know is to read the documents. If someone doesn't have a
copy of the documents, he should be able to get a copy from a neighbor,
possibly from the association, and for a dollar a page maybe, from the
County Clerk or whoever keeps property records. (Maybe these days he
can download them for free.)

All of those should be part of the closing documents and he should have
a copy.

From what I hear, quite a few people in this n'hood didn't get their
documents at closing, although this is an HOA, which has less of a
relationship with residents than do condos and co-ops. Does someone
from the condo or co-op association attend the closing, usually?

No.

He
wouldl bring a copy. Because certainly no one** from the HOA here has
ever attended. So at the very end of the closing the seller remembered
to give me his documents. If he'd forgotten, or forgotten to bring them
(If he'd packed them with his other stuff) or if he just didn't care,
I'd have had to scrounge them too. Or if he'd only given me part of
them.


If I was buying a property with a HOA, I'd get a copy of the HOA
documents before even making an offer.



**Not counting when the developers themselves controlled the HOA.

But again, it's a small gap in a sidewalk and if he wants to just spend $5 and
fix it himself, I'd probably do the same thing.

Yes, for this. But he should get things straight for the next bigger
project. And I'm sure you would say, as I did above, Of course.

In ,
Gordon Shumway typed:
On Mon, 17 Nov 2014 20:45:30 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Monday, November 17, 2014 10:00:18 PM UTC-6, Pico Rico wrote:
wrote in message
...
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to
know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner
had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened
up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

ARDEX?

Can you be more specific or give an example ?

DAGS!

A Google search doesn't help much. For example, here is a link to a list of
many different types of Ardex products:


http://www.discountcontractorsupply....FSVk7AoddlEA_g

In ,
trader_4 typed:
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 9:16:23 PM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
"trader_4" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 12:54:11 PM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
In ,
typed:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to
know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous
owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has
opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Good photos. Thanks. It looks to me like it is really a vertical
gap only -- meaning that the sidewalk dropped down over time and
that caused the
gap.

Given what you wrote, if it were me I would just buy a small bag of
concrete, scrape out the old caulk, dig out a little behind the
sidewalk below the sidewalk surface level, mix up the concrete,
and use it to fill in
the gap. When you smooth it off, trowel it so it forms a
continuation downward of the vertical front side of the concrete
porch. And, if needed,
trowel along the surface of the sidewalk so the new concrete looks
correct.
It should be pretty quick and easy to do.

You could also probably use mortar mix instead of concrete if you
wanted to
do that. The gap size is such that either would probably work
fine for what
you want to achieve. Look and see what they have at Home Depot or
Lowes etc. and pick one. You probably won't need much, and
personally I don't like lugging around big bags of concrete or
mortar. So, even though it would cost more, you could always buy
a couple of small 10-pound bags of the
stuff. One bag may do it and you can return the second bag if it
is unopened and you don't need it.

I think any of the regular concrete or mortar mixes will fairly
closely match the color of what is there now. I would avoid any
of those special concrete crack repair mixes etc. because they are
often a darker gray color
that won't look right, plus you don't need that.

Good luck.

Let us know how it turns out.

P.S. Since the job is so easy, I am with you and I would just
skip even contacting the condo association. I would just do the
fix and forget about
it.

For gaps that size, especially in differing structures, mortar
rarely
is the best choice. Something flexible, like caulk designed for
concrete is more likely to last.

I couldn't quite tell for sure from the photos, but it looks to me
that the gap is not between the sidewalk and the porch. To me, it
looks like what happened is that the sidewalk just dropped down, but
it is otherwise in the same position relative to the porch that it
always was, except that its dropped down a couple of inches.

No, if you read his description, he clearly says the sidewalk has not
sunken down, there is just a horizontal gap. And I think what
appears to be an inch or two height difference is actually a lot
bigger, ie a normal step up height difference between sidewalk and
porch.

You may be right. If so, and it is actually a horizontal gap, I agree that
some flexible caulk would probably be the easiest fix for now. There is a
kind of flexible caulk (maybe called "Quad") that comes in a gray color that
I have used before and it works well. And, I'm sure that there are flexible
concrete crack sealers that also come in a tube.

I do see that there is a normal step height from where the old caulk line is
and the top of the concrete porch. I just meant that it looked to me that
the sidewalk had dropped down an inch or two below what was the original
caulk line -- and the old caulk line is/was at the right location to be at
the bottom of a normal step height to the porch. Now, Ihowever, I am not
completely sure if the gap is horizontal or vertical -- maybe some side
angle photos would help clear that up.

But, you are right that the OP wrote in a follow-up post:

"The concrete moved away from the step, not sunken below."

And, that would support the theory that it is a horizontal (not vertical)
gap.

But, the OP also wrote:

"My intention is to fill the gap, not raise or move the concrete. yes there
is a water problem where the gutter just empties onto the sidewalk a few
feet back. I think you are correct, there is probably not a proper base or
footer under the walk."

Some of that sounds more like there is erosion under the sidewalk and that
it did drop down over time. So, I am just not sure.

And, if it did drop down, and if it were me, I would also consider just
prying up the slab to the right height and putting more dirt etc.
underneath. I have done that before may times to fix uneven sidewalks.
But, the OP is in a condo association and probably doesn't want to do that
kind of work, and would probably prefer just a quick fix with a crack
sealer, or mortar/concrete, depending on what is there and what would work
best.

I posted 2 more pics:
1st from directly above (vertical) http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps358d1a9c.jpg

2nd from almost horizontal. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps2c229dbb.jpg

The first shows the gap movement away from the step. The 2nd pic shows there may have been 1/4" drop, pic is a little misleading. BTW, it is rain snow mix here.

Thanks



On Monday, November 17, 2014 9:10:58 PM UTC-6, wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

In ,
typed:
On Monday, November 17, 2014 9:10:58 PM UTC-6,
wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to
know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner
had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened
up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

I posted 2 more pics:
1st from directly above (vertical)
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps358d1a9c.jpg

2nd from almost horizontal.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps2c229dbb.jpg

The first shows the gap movement away from the step. The 2nd pic
shows there may have been 1/4" drop, pic is a little misleading. BTW,
it is rain snow mix here.

Thanks

Thanks for doing more photos. Since the sidewalk mostly moved away from the
step, and may have dropped about 1/4 inch down, I agree with others that
suggested to just clean out the gap and fill it with a flexible outdoor
caulk. I think it should be a quick and easy job. I'm sure there are
concrete crack sealer caulks in Home Depot and Lowes etc, and I would be
looking for one that says that it remains flexible. I also think that there
is a type of caulk in the caulk and sealant aisles that is called "Quad".
That works well. Get it in grey color.

On Tuesday, November 25, 2014 10:22:53 AM UTC-5, TomR wrote:
In ,
typed:
On Monday, November 17, 2014 9:10:58 PM UTC-6,
wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to
know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner
had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened
up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

I posted 2 more pics:
1st from directly above (vertical)
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps358d1a9c.jpg

2nd from almost horizontal.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps2c229dbb.jpg

The first shows the gap movement away from the step. The 2nd pic
shows there may have been 1/4" drop, pic is a little misleading. BTW,
it is rain snow mix here.

Thanks

Thanks for doing more photos. Since the sidewalk mostly moved away from the
step, and may have dropped about 1/4 inch down, I agree with others that
suggested to just clean out the gap and fill it with a flexible outdoor
caulk. I think it should be a quick and easy job. I'm sure there are
concrete crack sealer caulks in Home Depot and Lowes etc, and I would be
looking for one that says that it remains flexible. I also think that there
is a type of caulk in the caulk and sealant aisles that is called "Quad".
That works well. Get it in grey color.

Pick up some foam backer rod to fill in most of the gap first too.

On Monday, November 17, 2014 9:10:58 PM UTC-6, wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Last Question: Presently the temps here in IL are in the Upper teens to low 30's. what is the minimum temp needed to use these materials and make them work ?
Unusually cold Nov., maybe this should wait until March ?

Thanks

On Wednesday, November 26, 2014 7:40:58 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Monday, November 17, 2014 9:10:58 PM UTC-6, wrote:
I have a gap in the side walk in front of my condo and I want to know the best way to fix it. you can see where the previous owner had used some type of calking material, but now the gap has opened up to almost 2".

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psab322e13.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psad63b0a3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps7b693766.jpg

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Last Question: Presently the temps here in IL are in the Upper teens to low 30's. what is the minimum temp needed to use these materials and make them work ?
Unusually cold Nov., maybe this should wait until March ?

Thanks

The answer to that will be on the tube of the product. You can probably
also find it online in the product spec. Most of the common ones I've
seen are for 40F and above, not freezing, etc. Also, it's going to take
longer to cure at lower temps. You could get some relief by throwing an
old coat over it, etc. But if it's in the teens, I'd wait for Spring if using
the typical stuff. I'm sure they have others that probably do to lower temps.
Also, if you do proceed, make sure to use some backer rod or similar so that the
caulk isn't 1" deep. The thicker it is, the longer to cure. Better to
put down a couple installments a couple days apart, instead of one thick one.