There are two ways to seal joints: without opening and with opening joints. One and two-component sealing masses are used to perform sealing. Thermal insulation made of polyethylene foam is placed in the joint under the sealing mass or it is replaced with mounting foam.

Sealing without opening joints
Sealing without opening joints (joints) should usually be performed in the event that the previous sealant has cracked and started to peel due to wear. In addition, the need for repeated sealing can be caused by poor quality composition or incorrect technology of applying the hermetic mass. In this case, the old joint (joint) is not opened, but the peeled pieces are removed and a layer of mass slightly wider than the old joint is applied on top.

Sealing with opening of joints
The most common opening of joints is required when the joint was filled with mortar during construction. Due to seasonal expansion from temperature or subsidence of the building after some time, the mortar, which does not have the ability to stretch or shrink, begins to crack, leaking moisture inside the joint, leading to moisture stains inside the building (apartment) and freezing walls.

Opening the joints is also necessary, if during the first sealing the thermal insulation was not completely or partially installed in the joint, in which case there will be no moisture in the wall, but the wall will freeze.
Opening the joints may also be necessary if cavities are found, which are caused by inaccurate assembly of the mounting plates during construction. In that case, the wall, which seems to be well sealed, starts to freeze, and the place where moisture and cold pass, is very difficult to detect. In this case, the exit is in the complete opening of the joints or punching holes in the joint and filling all cavities with mounting foam, and later a sealing mass is applied from above.

For investors
1. In order to carry out joint sealing works, you must ensure that the roof of the building is accessible.
2. If it is necessary to seal the apartment, to calculate the area, calculate the total length of the horizontal and vertical joints, as well as the vertical joints of the upper floor, which are assembled with the joints in your apartment.
3. In order to reduce the price of sealing, talk to the neighbors on the upper and lower floor, because very often they also have joints that leak water in places that are close to your apartment. In that case, you will save money, because sealing one apartment is cheaper, if works for two or more apartments are ordered immediately.