Small Problem

natural1

Installed a fieldstone driveway last year. As you can see by the photos channel drains were installed between the stone driveway and the aggregate driveway. The architect and the GC decided to put a mortar joint between the channel drain and the concrete. It is now cracking apart.
Strangely it seems to be flaking off on the top 1/2" of the joint.

I am not surprised it is breaking up. We are in NC and it is hot during the summer. I am sure the concrete is expanding and contributing to the mortar joint failure. Also, a lot of traffic and water.

Anyway, the question is do I grind it out and replace it with mortar again. Or replace it with colored caulk. The caulk will stand out a bit i'm sure but seems like the best solution. What type of caulk should I use?

Other suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
Mike

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natural1

another photo

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Tommy C

Caulk for sure.

Pretty driveway. What kind of stone is that, a natural veneer? Isn't it a bumpy ride?

natural1

Thanks for the reply. I have not used much caulk. Is their a specific type for this application?

Thanks for the compliment. The stone is 3" -4" fieldstone. My guess is, it is from Tennessee. And yes it is a bit of a bumpy ride. We probably culled about 30% of the stone we purchased. They wanted an "old world look" and this is what they chose. It's really not that bumpy, at least I'm confident it is going to hold up. I would not be confident using flagstone on such a driveway. It's laid on 8" of concrete, plus mortar bed, plus stone.

Mike

neolitic

Ive had good results with
PL concrete and masonry caulk.
I'd cut out as much of the old as
possible and use a backer rod
before the caulk, create the
expansion joint that probably should
have been there to begin with.

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stacker

i agree with neo.do away with as much cement in that joint as possible.it should have never been put in to begin with.

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CaliDesigns

Once you put the caulk in, while it's still wet, sprinkle a sand/gravel mix on top. It may blend in with the agg drive and not be so noticable.

Tommy C

Hey natural1, just curious...why so thick of a concrete slab? I'd think 5-6" of reinforced concrete would be sufficient, no? Especially in Carolina.

natural1

Thanks for all the replies - caulk it is. I guess the single reason for such a thick slab is the homeowners are super wealthy and can afford it. Was not my call to pour the slab that thick. I guess it doesn't hurt.

I believe this house which was a renovation of a house built in 1900 cost about 8 million to build. It is in a historic area of Chapel hill. This is one of 5 houses they own.

Be glad to share some photos of all the stone work we did.

Mike