To ensure a complete chemical cure, color and desired physical properties it is important to premix the product sufficiently, condition it to room temperature and to follow the preparation guidelines closely. As with any chemical product, the conditions during the application determine the quality of the results. Please read guidelines that help ensure a smooth fit and finish and longevity of your repair. Follow the basic application steps for successful joint filling and crack repair applications.

Timing For Product Installation
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) recommends minimum cure of 30 days before installing joint filler material to prevent adhesion failures, and to allow control and construction joints time to settle to their ultimate width through the concrete cure & shrinkage process. In a controlled freezer/cooler environment floors should be stabilized at general operating temperatures for 7 days prior to installation.
Installation should be done during the thermal contraction period of the concrete when it is colder. In hot climates morning hours suit that purpose. High concrete temperatures may accelerate cure process unevenly.

Preparation Of Joints And Cracks
It is essential that all cracks and joints are dry at the time of application. Presence of moisture from outside sources or internal concrete moisture content, can cause bubbling and blistering in the cured product. Such affected product must be cut, removed, and reapplied.
It is recommended that all cracks be chased and all joints be cut with dustless concrete saw with a diamond blade. The blade must be run along both joint walls (in one pass in narrow joints) to restore concrete surfaces to clean, bare condition. Joints must be completely free of concrete dust and other debris and must be cleaned to their full depth or 2" minimum. The absence of debris and freshly cut edges provide the necessary surface to which the polyureas adhere. Any crack and joint contamination and large variations in width and joint proportions may affect the physical properties of the material and joint dynamics and can lead to adhesive or cohesive separations. In most cases when detected early after a fresh installation, separation can be addressed with the addition of more material to the separated areas.
Note: In certain scenarios structural failures can cause crack and joint separations running the entire way through the repaired areas . This is not a product failure and must be addressed by structural strengthening of the slab or substrate.

Types Of Joints
We differentiate Saw-Cut Control Joints (limited depth, cut into slab to prevent mainly shrinkage cracks) and Construction Joints (full slab depth between two concrete pours (forms) by design, to prevent mainly concrete expansion (thermal) cracks).

Saw - Cut Control Joints - Fill Dimensions
Basic recommendations:
- Fill saw-cut joints to full depth
- Depth of joint to be 1" (25 mm)
- Width of joint to be 1/4 " (5mm)

The American Concrete Institute, ACI, standards call for semi-rigid industrial floor joint fillers to be installed at full joint depth in saw-cut control joints. In case saw cuts are too deep (>1" , >25mm) , do not use foam backer rod , use dry silica sand and fill to about 1" (25mm) depth. The joint width is recommend to be approximately 1/4" (6mm).
Construction Joints - Fill Dimensions
Basic recommendations:
- Depth of joint to be 2" (50mm)
- For joints exceeding 2" (50mm) use backer rod or other approved method to create 2" (50mm) joint depth
- Do not use backer rod in joints with depths less than 2" (50mm)
- Joint width to be predetermined by engineer during planning and construction

ACI standards call for semi-rigid industrial floor joint fillers to be installed at a 2" (50mm) minimum in construction joints deeper than 2" (50mm). Deeper penetration of filler is not recommended as it will negatively affect elongation properties and adhesion. Through-slab construction joints can either be filled with dry silica sand or by use of dry backer rod to 2" (50mm) depth. Construction joint width is determined by the slab in place.

Post Installation
Do not remove material overfill prior to full cure. Filler profile must be flush with floor surface to provide proper joint protection. Use appropriate shaving or grinding tools. If filler is concave, a cap bead of additional product can be applied after roughening surface and cleaning with a solvent.

Please Read ACI Recommendations

ACI Guide for Concrete Floor and Slab Construction ACI 302.1R-04

CHAPTER 9—CURING, PROTECTION,
AND JOINT FILLING

9.10—Joint filling and sealing
Materials for joint fillers and sealants are discussed in Section 5.12 Contraction joints are normally sawn using the narrowest blade practical. Formed construction joints should be similarly sawn but to a depth of only 1 in. (25 mm). Sawcuts at the construction joints should not be introduced until a crack is perceptible at the cold joint between adjacent placements. Compressible backer rods should not be used in joints that will be exposed to heavy traffic. Isolation joints can be formed with preformed fiberboard, polyethylene foam, or similar materials before concrete placement begins. This is described in Section 3.2.5.1 and detailed in ACI 504R. Isolation joints are sometimes sealed with an elastomeric sealant to prevent accumulation of moisture, dirt, or debris. Asphalt-impregnated or similar materials should not be used in isolation joints that will be sealed.

9.10.1 Time of filling and sealing—Concrete slabs-onground continue to shrink for years; most shrinkage takes place within the first 4 years. The most significant shrinkage takes place within the first year, especially the first 60 to 90 days. It is advisable to defer joint filling and sealing as long as possible to minimize the effects of shrinkage-related joint opening on the filler or sealant. This is especially important where semirigid fillers are used in traffic-bearing joints; such fillers have minimal extensibility. If the joint should be filled before most of the shrinkage has occurred, separation should be expected between the joint edge and the joint filler or within the joint filler itself. These slight openings can subsequentlybe filled with a low-viscosity filler recommended by the same manufacturer as the original filler. If construction traffic dictates that joints be filled early, provisions should be made to require that the contractor return at a preestablished date to complete the necessary work using the same manufacturer’s products. Earlier filling will result in greater separation and will lead to the need for more substantial correction; this separation does not indicate a failure of the filler. For cold storage and freezer room floors, the joint filler should be installed only after the room has been held
at its final operating temperature for a minimum of 48 h. For rooms with operating temperatures below 0 °F (–18 °C), the operating temperature should be maintained for at least 14 days before starting joint filling.

9.10.2 Installation—Elastomeric sealants should be installed over a backer rod or other bondbreaker as described in ACI 504R. The use of elastomeric sealants is not recommended in joints exposed to solid-wheel traffic. Semirigid epoxy and polyurea fillers should be installed full-depth in saw-cut joints. Joints should be suitably cleaned to provide optimum contact between the filler or sealant and bare concrete. Vacuuming is recommended rather than blowing the joint out with compressed air. Dirt, debris, saw-cuttings, curing compounds, and sealers should be removed. Cured semirigid fillers should be finished flush with the floor surface to protect the joint edges and to re-create an interruption - free floor surface. Specific installation instructions should be requested of the filler/sealant manufacturer if the floor is to receive a nonbreathing covering such as vinyl, epoxy, or a similar finish.