Floor control joints and cracks
Horizontal concrete joints want a self-leveling polyurethane that flows flat and stays flexible under tires.
Our pick: Sikaflex Self-Leveling
Caulk by room
Garage
Hard-working caulk… for hard-working spaces
Garages need caulk that can handle oil, chemicals, temperature extremes, and the kind of abuse that only a guy with a floor jack and poor planning can inflict. Concrete joints and floor cracks need self-leveling polyurethane. Walls and sill plates get a flexible sealant. The garage door threshold gets its own dedicated product.
Your guideTroy, heights & heavy duty
Where to caulk in the garage
Every joint in the room, what goes in it, and why. The color bar matches the formulation.
Garage slab to driveway
An isolation joint that moves with the seasons. Seal it with self-leveling sealant over backer rod to keep water out of the base.
Our pick: Sikaflex Self-Leveling
Door jambs and trim to siding
Exterior, sunny, and bumped by bikes. A tough exterior sealant that takes paint.
Our pick: OSI Quad Max, Sikaflex-1a
Door threshold
A rubber threshold seal glued to the floor stops water and leaves. Use the adhesive the kit specifies.
Wall between garage and house
This wall is a fire separation. Seal penetrations with fire-rated sealant and keep the fire-rated door and its seals intact.
Our pick: 3M Fire Barrier CP 25WB+
Sill plate to slab
Stops drafts and bugs where the wall framing meets the concrete.
Our pick: Sikaflex-1a
Seal a garage floor joint
Clean it out
Pull out old filler, wire-brush, and vacuum. Degrease oily spots or nothing will stick.
Set the depth with backer rod
Push closed-cell rod in so the sealant will be about half as deep as the joint is wide (check the tube for minimum depth).
Tape the edges
Tape either side on the surface if you want clean lines on a finished floor.
Pour, don't tool
Self-leveling sealant flows flat on its own. Fill slightly low; it settles.
Keep off it
Foot traffic and cars wait for the times on the tube. Cool weather means longer.
Mistakes we see
- Using latex on a floor joint. Tires tear it out.
- Filling a deep joint with sealant alone. It wastes tubes and fails; use backer rod.
- Sealing oily concrete without degreasing first.
- Patching an isolation joint with rigid mortar. It needs to move.
How long it lasts
- Check it
- Each spring, after freeze-thaw season.
- Redo when
- Edges lift, cracks open, or weeds grow through.
- Typical life
- Years for polyurethane that went into clean, dry concrete.
Garage questions
Self-leveling or non-sag?
Self-leveling for flat, horizontal joints; it flows smooth. Non-sag for walls, vertical joints, and slopes.
How soon can I drive on it?
It varies with the product and weather, often a few days for vehicles. Follow the tube.
Does the garage-to-house wall need special caulk?
Penetrations in that fire separation should be sealed with fire-rated sealant. Check your local code.
More answers in the full FAQ, or let the Caulk Finder pick for you.
