After decades of work in construction litigation, Harvey and Benjamin have seen it
all—structural failures, workmanship issues, and plenty of lawsuits. But one issue that keeps
coming up, often unnecessarily, is concrete cracking.
Let’s set the record straight: there are serious cracks that indicate structural problems and those
should never be ignored. But there’s another type of cracking that’s misunderstood, overblown,
and has cost contractors’ tens of thousands in claims and reputation. We’re talking about normal
concrete shrinkage cracks.
Every contractor knows it, concrete cracks. It’s part of the natural curing and drying process. But
most homeowners and clients don’t. And worse, they’re often misinformed by online sources or
even unscrupulous “experts” and attorneys looking to stir up trouble.
That’s why contractors, install control joints, to guide where the concrete will crack and
minimize random fracturing. But there’s a catch: to be effective, control joints need to be placed
correctly, in the right quantity, and at the right time. Unfortunately, this can add a large cost,
especially with the added expense of OSHA requirements for slurry collection and dust reduction
during saw cutting.
After watching too many contractors get sued over harmless cracks, we started asking a simple
question: Why don’t contractors just install more control joints?
The answer? Cost. Saw cutting is slow, expensive, and messy. Adding more joints means more
labor and lower profit.
So we asked ourselves: What if there was a faster, more affordable way to install control joints?
That question led to the development of the TRAKER tool and TRAK JOINTS, a game-changing
approach to early-entry control joints. Instead of expensive saw cutting, the TRAKER uses a strip of
joint tape inserted into fresh concrete, folded neatly in half by the tool and embedded just
beneath the surface.
The result:
- 4 times faster installation than traditional saw cutting
- Joint material costs under 5 cents per linear foot
- Cleaner, safer jobsites with no slurry to manage
- Consistent TRAK JOINTS that guide cracks exactly where you want them
Because the joints are installed early, before surface tension builds, random cracks are
dramatically reduced, especially at vulnerable reentrant corners. Contractors using the Traker
have reported fewer call-backs from clients and builders.
What started as a solution for residential and light commercial slabs, where joints are covered by
flooring has grown far beyond. The TRAKER is now being used on highways, runways, drainage
culverts, and large-scale parking lots.
While saw cuts might offer a cleaner aesthetic for exposed concrete, Trakjoints offer unmatched
speed, cost savings, and performance. And for slabs that will be covered, the difference in
appearance becomes irrelevant.
The industry took notice: the TRAKER was awarded Most Innovative Product at World of Concrete,
and continues to gain traction with forward-thinking contractors nationwide.
Cracks don’t have to lead to conflict or costly litigation. With the right tools and education,
contractors can protect their work, profits, and reputations. The Traker isn’t just a tool, it’s a shift
in how we approach concrete control joints.
Because sometimes, the best way to fix a crack is to make sure it never happens in the first place.