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PSA: that $3 tube of silicone caulk actually stopped my basement leak
I put off fixing a hairline crack in my poured concrete foundation for 8 months because everyone said hydraulic cement was the only real answer. Finally tried a $3 tube of silicone caulk from the hardware store on 9th Street just to buy time before winter, and it has held through two heavy rain storms in Rochester. Three months in and still dry. Has anyone had silicone fail on them after a season or two, or does it actually last?
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tessap974h ago
Wait, did you prep the crack at all before you put the caulk in there? Because silicone sticks to clean dry concrete okay-ish but it doesn't bond great to dusty or wet surfaces, and a hairline crack in a poured wall is usually moving a little with the seasons. The reason people push hydraulic cement is that it expands as it sets and handles water coming through while it cures, silicone just sits on top and water finds a way around the edges over time. Three months and two storms is a good run but I'd keep an eye on it going into the freeze thaw cycle, that's usually when you find out. If it does let go you didn't lose much on a $3 tube, just don't be shocked if spring rains open it back up.
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