Couple Of Questions About Expansion Joints.

ruskent

Guys i have a few questions. I am bidding a few wet layed blue stone (dimesional and irregular) jobs and am curious how i am suppose to do the expansion joints? I look at alot of jobs that are already done and do not see any. Whats the right way to do it?


Next question. I know i asked about wet layed travertine a few months ago but this situation i am bidding now is a little different. I need to do 2k sq feet. There is not an existing slab. Would the best way to do be pour a slab and finsh it like i would a floor and then just thin set them on? Or would you recommend pouring a slab with a rough finsh and motaring them on like i would do a bluestone job? Again how would i do expansion joints?

Matt

lukachuki

good question...i have never seen expansion joints in bluestone patios before but I don't deal in huge sqf areas either. Hopefully somebody has a genius answer.

__________________
"The problem with internet quotes is, you never know if they are authentic." -Abraham Lincoln-

Less with the jaw more with the paw!

stacker

i am not familiar with bluestone.around here it is mostly flag stone laid in patios.
like luka,i have never seen expansion joints in stone patios,but thats not to say they dont put them.this is what i think i would do if it were my job.i would pour the concrete slab,and put my expansion joints in it.i think i would then mortar the stones in place.i might be wrong,and that might cause the stone to crack along the expansion in the concrete.but thats my idea.

__________________
life is short,do your masonry naked!!
http://ok.local.yahoo.biz/knabemasonry/index.html

Tscarborough

There are 2 "right" ways to do it, although neither is usually acceptable to a homeowner. I have seen both on commercial, though.

The first and best method is to saw the joint (mirroring the concrete joint) and fill with a good, matching joint filler. The second is to lay across the joint in a particular fashion (at least 3/4 of the stone on one side of the joint, with the small section of stone coated with a bond-breaker on the underside), then the jagged joint filled with a good quality, matching joint filler. The former is best from a structural standpoint, the latter from a asthetic one.