Large concrete water trough needs repair.. How

[Cavjock22]

Use it as a form and line it with fiberglass, will last another lifetime. Get the FG at a marine supply place or industrial pipe supply house.

Ron

I like this idea alot but it sounds crazy expensive. Anything with the "marine" name gets awful expensive.. I asked another forum and ideas were too use Sakrete surface bonding cement. Sounds somewhat inexpensive and relatively fast to use. Any thoughts on this??

 

[Cavjock22]

Go to Home Depot (or elsewhere), and buy a gallon of concrete bonding adhesive. ($14)
This bonding adhesive product looks like milk.
Paint the bonding adhesive in the cracks, and let it dry.
Then make a concrete paste of fine sand & cement (with water), and also add some bonding adhesive to the mix.
Coat the cracks for a second time with bonding adhesive, and while that is still very tacky, fill the cracks with the paste.
When dry, coat the trough with two coats of two part epoxy paint.

Flexseal would NOT BE A LASTING FIX for this situation!

Concrete bonding adhesive? Is that the same as surface bonding cement? I don't much like the idea of flex seal even though it sounds easy..

 

[Streetcar]

Hydraulic cement is not significantly higher in price than regular cement. Regular cement shrinks during curing which will lead to leaks in tank. Hydraulic cement does not shrink. Bonding agent will help with patch adhesion, I think it looks like elmers glue. The packages of bonding cement have bonding agent added at factory.

 

[fried1765]

Concrete bonding adhesive? Is that the same as surface bonding cement? I don't much like the idea of flex seal even though it sounds easy..

Nope! It is not the same as surface bonding cement!
As in my post: "This bonding adhesive product looks like milk".
If you read the label (at Home Depot) it will explain how it is to be used.

 

[D2Cat]

Contact a local basement repair company who uses a two part epoxy. I saw a couple of guys using this a couple of weeks ago and asked them about it. It mixes and is troweled on after the cracks are sandblasted and cleaned out. They been using it for years and get it from some supplier in Chicago, I think they said. It is smoothed as it sets up.

 

[damartin]

I would use 3M 5200 Sealant. It is made to be used above and below the waterline on boats. It is tough stuff that lasts and lasts, I use it whenever I have a need for a tough sealant that is waterproof and sticks like glue. It does take a few days to cure but is pretty much permanent after it is cured. Just make sure the cracks are cleaned very well and give it a few days to cure. here is a link to it, 3M Marine Adhesive/Sealant 52: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Another caulk that is good stuff and would work well for your application is Sikaflex 1A it really is good stuff and I think you would like it. Cooling tower repair company's use it almost exclusively for repairs that will be under water constantly. It is also less expensive than 5200 and works great, I cant say enough good about the stuff. Here is a link to it Sikaflex 1A 1oz | Coastal Construction Products

 

[Cavjock22]

Nope! It is not the same as surface bonding cement!
As in my post: "This bonding adhesive product looks like milk".
If you read the label (at Home Depot) it will explain how it is to be used.

Now I see what you mean. I read the product label..

 

[Redlands Okie]

I would use 3M 5200 Sealant. It is made to be used above and below the waterline on boats. It is tough stuff that lasts and lasts, I use it whenever I have a need for a tough sealant that is waterproof and sticks like glue. It does take a few days to cure but is pretty much permanent after it is cured. Just make sure the cracks are cleaned very well and give it a few days to cure. here is a link to it, 3M Marine Adhesive/Sealant 52: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Another caulk that is good stuff and would work well for your application is Sikaflex 1A it really is good stuff and I think you would like it. Cooling tower repair company's use it almost exclusively for repairs that will be under water constantly. It is also less expensive than 5200 and works great, I cant say enough good about the stuff. Here is a link to it Sikaflex 1A 1oz | Coastal Construction Products

Good info provided above. It helps to clean out the cracks and perhaps make sure they are big enough by careful grinding for the sealant to get into for a better bite

 

[EddieWalker]

I wouldn't use a concrete material to fix a crack. It will just crack again.

If I really wanted to keep it and not spend $140 for a brand new one, I would fill the crack with something like Henry flashing caulk from the roofing section of Home Depot. Then I would go to my Tile supply house and get something like Ardex 8+9. Redgard is also good and they sell that at Home Depot, but it's bright red and the Ardex is more grey in color. There are other sealers used in showers and water features that work to, so whatever your Tile Supply house recommends would be better then any concrete crack fixer material.

 

[dragoneggs]

Another vote for Regard or Sikaflex. Use something a bit more flexible than cement because the cracks probably aren't done growing. Clean the cracks out best as possible and blow out with air before applying for better adhesion.