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That stupid expansion joint repair that ate my whole Saturday
Got called to fix a busted expansion joint on a warehouse floor in Akron. Figured it'd be a quick 2 hour job, pop out the old filler and pour new stuff in. Turns out the previous guy used some kind of super rigid epoxy that had bonded with the concrete on both sides. Took me 4 hours with a grinder and chisel just to get the old crap out, then another 2 to patch it right. Anybody else run into mystery filler that just wont budge?
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mileslane4d ago
Man I feel your pain on this one. I had a similar situation last spring where someone used some kind of marine grade epoxy on a driveway expansion joint and I swear that stuff was harder than the concrete itself. Spent a whole day with demolition hammers and diamond blades just to get a clean enough surface. The worst part is you can never tell what you're dealing with until you're already an hour in and committed. Makes you wonder what goes through some people's heads when they pick out sealant.
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cole_murphy4d ago
Three hours I spent fighting some tar-like gunk under a loading dock door last fall. Felt like I was trying to dig out bubblegum that had been baking in the sun for a decade. You ever get that sinking feeling when your chisel just bounces off the filler and you realize you're in for the long haul? I'm convinced some guys use whatever half-set bucket of caulk they found behind the shed and call it a day. (And then I get to be the sucker who cleans up their mess, right?)
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