Home
Decorating help Ask a question
Contact us
Painting estimate
Find a Contractor
Search this site
Decorating blog
Projects Interior projects
Exterior projects
Ideas & techniques
Miscellaneous
Decor & design Decorating styles
Color, sheen, size
Painting basics Types of paint
Painting how to
Painters tools
Paint sprayers
More basics Drywalling how to
Drywall textures
Woodwork
Extras How I got here
low cost books
Unique websites
Home loans
Legal Advertising policy
Privacy policy
Disclaimer
[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

Caulked cracks flashing on tilt up concrete after painting

by A Property Manager
(Steve)

Exterior walls made of tilt up concrete. Found some cracks and had them caulked with Sikaflex 1A.

Painted the walls with Sherlastic and the caulk line is flashing through the paint.

Because the caulk was applied during a time of rain and high humidity, I think it had not fully cured.

I wonder if I can fix this problem by

A.) Removing the sherlastic
B.) Letting the caulk fully cure and
C.) Painting over the cured caulk with a primer

What kind of primer should I use? perhaps a shellac based primer? and then re-applying the Sherlastic.

Please advise

Thanks
Steve

Comments for
Caulked cracks flashing on tilt up concrete after painting

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 13, 2011
Paint flashing on Tilt up concrete walls
by: Shawn

Hi Steve,

Im going to assume that the Tilt Up had been properly prepped and coated prior to your crack repairs and that this is a re-paint. If not there are recommended procedures to follow when caulking, priming and painting new Tilt Up Concrete. Otherwise all kinds of issues can arise due to PH, the bond breakers and curing oils etc.

With that said I tend to find that a caulked crack flashes when the caulking is different in some way to the surrounding surface. As long as the texture of the caulking and surface are the same then the formulation of caulking is the issue. What I mean by that is the caulking is absorbing, not absorbing or reacting to the coating in a different manner than the painted concrete.

To avoid such a problem I would have used an elastomeric caulking, followed up with a concrete & masonry primer/sealer (one that's recommended for the specific project being done) then an elastomeric coating.

I'm not entirely sure how one would go about removing the Sherlastic as that could prove to be a task and a half. Your caulking should be fully cured though prior to painting.

At this point, since I'm thinking the Sherlastic and caulking has bonded, I would let it go through the summer as is.

Once the walls have had a few months (or seasons) of sunshine apply a concrete & masonry primer/sealer (maybe Sherwin Williams Loxon, ask your dealer) to the entire surface.

By priming all areas you will ensure uniformity with the finished look. You could try spot priming and painting just the filled cracks but I'm sure that your painted sections will then flash.

In the very least spot priming then doing an entire repaint with one (or two) coat/s of Sherlastic is recommended.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Ask a painting or decorating question.