A lot of homeowners take on the task and it looks "ok" when done. To be honest, when I see those jobs they clearly look like they were done by someone who has not done it before. I've literally had thousands and thousands of feet of experience at it AND I'm a perfectionist so my standards are pretty high with this stuff. Yep, it's a costly product, yep if you screw it up it's costlier and yep if you pour it now in the damp, cold weather you'll have issues.

A good job done by a pro should run anywhere from $4-$6 per foot for a standard 1/2 x 1/2 gap.

thanks repair_guy.

is it okay to let the winter pass then do this come spring?

top

No. Find a dry week and get it done. If your have new construction, that compaction is probably not so good and the water flow into the gap will channel and cause voids.

from a builder perspective - have at it!!

LOL

just kidding.... honestly - I've not seen a SINGLE good DIY caulk job. It's tough to do properly.

believe it or not, it's a trade and skill just as much as an electric or plumbing is.

the difference is NIGHT and DAY between a good caulk guy and a DIY job.

Ditto. Any finish type of contracting is no different than a good deck seal guy.

Give me a break! I'm a 25 year master plumber,GC and a bonified DIYer, I'll tell you it's not rocket science. If you have the right materials and the proper tools, it's not that difficult to do. If you are not so proficient, mask the joints with painters tape. I am sick of all the tradesmen saying how complex their crafts are. I could teach a monkey to solder a copper fitting. The only secrets to any project are; good instruction, proper tools and materials, and patience

You're funny. I'm probably the only guy in my area who still owns a torch for old pool plumbing. I guess that makes me a master plumber just like you. I did learn it from a guy 25 years ago but by no means did I pick it up the first time. But hey, I can plumb a pump in with record time over guys who know what their doing and that comes from doing it OVER and OVER. And, it looks nicer and takes into account TDH on the system. Again, those extras come with experience. I've got 25 here and I would not expect to be able to some jobs as I've not spent 25 years doing that particular task. I never built a pool but built my own. I still hired out the brick coping as I was not a tradesman at the miter cuts. Yes, I could have tried but it would look like doody. I wanted it nice.

The art of masking is not what you want if you want a job to look like it belongs there. But, I'll play along.

Here are the most common MISTAKES in DIY caulking:

1. The product is applied when the ambient temp is not the best for cure. The can says one thing, but experience tells you otherwise.

2. Prep is not done correctly. If the DIY'er decides that sand is a good idea for the void AND chooses the right sand the odds are great that the sand will not hold in all places and the DIY'er will not see this as a critical failure prior to pouring.

3. Assuming the prep is done right, the can specs on mixing are rarely followed. Material does not mix and react and failure or premature failure of bonding occurs.

4. There are no instructions anywhere on how to transfer a gallon can into a hole the size of quarter. Experience and your own fair share of dumping cures this. I've never seen one first timer do this without loss of product which we knows is expensive and a tad bit messy.

5. Once transferred to the bottle, the pour is usually overpoured. Rarely underpoured. Rarely finished to look natural and always masked which looks horrible. Keep in mind, we're not dealing with a thin layer of paint.

6. In between bottles, there is always someone who will step in it and track it around the yard. After poured, rarely does anyone remember to turn off the sprinklers, keep the cat and/or dog in for 24 hours, at which point the rest of the yard is caulked and possibly some carpet, tile and maybe a couch. Not to mention, Rover or fluffy walking around like their doing the hokey/pokey.

7. Finally, there's the last complaint from the owner, "I ran out with only 8" to go and had to mix another $50.00 gallon." Experience and the school of hard knocks has cured this in time too.

I've seen all of this and I don't think we said it can't be done. It just looks better with experience and there are a lot of other issues one needs to be aware of. Glad to hear you do a lot for yourself. I'm a big believer in not paying for something you can do if you're capable. I also like to see people happy with their finished product and I like to see contractors proud of their work as they know it has come from years of applying their trade. Uh, monkey business.

Thanks for the morning laugh.

I'll stay tuned until someone lays out the step by step intructions on how to properly install the caulking!!

I agree that years of experience can't be replaced by an instruction manual, but I have also experienced working with the "pros" and having to fix their mistakes. Thanks to guys like huskyrider, and many others on this site I was able to fix/finish a project that had gone South. Since the competion of my pool, other contractors have actually commented on the "professionalism" of my plumbing, mansonry, and flagstone which I did myself. I'm a salesmen for a global chemical company with no construction background, but with patience, great instruction and the motivation to do it right, I am enjoying a wonderful pool/spa. If I figure this chaulking thing out, I will certainly post my experience to help other the way this site had helped me.

Merry Christmas,

John

I'll stay tuned until someone lays out the step by step intructions on how to properly install the caulking!!
I agree that years of experience can't be replaced by an instruction manual, but I have also experienced working with the "pros" and having to fix their mistakes. Thanks to guys like huskyrider, and many others on this site I was able to fix/finish a project that had gone South. Since the competion of my pool, other contractors have actually commented on the "professionalism" of my plumbing, mansonry, and flagstone which I did myself. I'm a salesmen for a global chemical company with no construction background, but with patience, great instruction and the motivation to do it right, I am enjoying a wonderful pool/spa. If I figure this chaulking thing out, I will certainly post my experience to help other the way this site had helped me.

Merry Christmas,

John

I don't have a problem posting it. I just urge using an experienced person "not necessarily called a pro" to do it.

1. Buy the 96 oz kits of Deck O Seal.

2. Do not use the caulk tubes.

3. Buy a quart kit also. Make sure the area has been dry for a few days and there is no rain in the forecast.

4. Fill void with #20 silica. Gap should be as deep as width if you want it to last. If you have a gap on a step, duct tape the end.

5. Where is hourglasses down, fill again and if it won't stop, shove some foam in there with a knife blade.

6. Mix the can, ACCORDING TO SPECS. Scraping sides, bottom and trying not to trap air in the mix.

7. The job will be much easier if the cans are left in the house overnight and your outside temp is below 70. Do not pour over 85 degrees.

8. After mixing, push the can together a bit so it creases.

9. Place bottle on a towel and attempt to pour into hole at a height of about 12"

10. Cut tip of bottle to about 1/4"

11. Pour with continuing passes covering an area of about 18". Each pass letting the previous settle in. Pour to the lowest side of the gap.

12. Most like to sprinkle some sand on the top to give a grout like look and [pop any surfacing air bubbles. Do this after each can, not after completion.

13. Don't stop until done.

14. Shut off any nearby irrigation. Keep the cat in.

Pot life is about an hour at 75 degrees. If you have a huge job, you'll need additional bottles as after a couple of gallons the bottles will not drain 100% and get gummy. For a "pro", it takes about 20 minutes to mix and pour one gallon. For a novice, not sure.

Thanks Repair Guy.

I just waiting for the weather to get a little better and then I'm going to give it a try. I've got a few pictures that I will post before starting this porject of areas that might need a little special attention. I have rather deep groves in the stamped concrete that end at the coping, I have to dam those up to keep the sealer from running into areas that I don't want it. I think it easier to inderstand once I get the pictures posted.

John

You'll do that with sand

repairguy,
I'm glad to brighten your day with a chuckle. Obviously owning a torch does not make you a master plumber, trade school, testing, certification and continuing ed. does, but I'm sure that you can sweat a copper joint as well as I, that's my point. I'm confident that I am more proficient at it than you, but usually our results will be the same. My original premise belies the beauty of forums like this. Your detailed instructions should allow anyone who is skilled, and has the proper tools and supplies, to be able to accomplish the task with satisfactory results. Just as I could have taught you how to cut and install the brick coping around your pool, with results equal to, or better than, what you now have. I would never want to minimize the ability of any skilled tradesman, experience makes anyone more comfortable with the task, and definately is helpful when conditions aren't ideal. But just because someone "does this for a living" doesn't gaurantee professional results, and "not doing this for a living" does not preclude you from achieving professional results.

I wouldn use the 96OZ kits a couple of years ago I started using the gun grade self leveling expansion joit material and have enver looked back.

The waste is far less, its much easier to control and touch up.

Thanks repairguy! That helps alot.

I've attached a few pics that show the deep joint groves that end at the coping where I will be installing the sealer, might help those following along.

Finally, how far up should the sealer be in the joint? Almost flush, or slighty below the level of the concrete? Thanks for you help.

John

Keep in mind that the depth (in most cases) determines the width. You'd pour that just to a point of where it begins to flow wide above the width of the gap. If you're not awaqre, you can also go with a tan product over the gray if you like. That would look nicer IMO.

Editorial note, I still don't like the self-level tubes. I've converted my share of guys. It is much more difficult to use the 96oz kits, but properly done with experience, it looks best.