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Posted by mvalenta@gmail.com on August 16, 2006, 7:49 am
Thank you all for the quick replies.
Nowhere in his job quote did I see anything about cutting an control
joint. So imagine my surprise (dismay?) when I came home from work one
day and there he was halfway through his second cut on the beautiful
new stone walkway! I wish i came home sooner, or I would have had NOT
cut the control joint.
First, I'd like to clarify that I put sealer on to protect against
moisture, on the advice from the mason as well as some other people i
know who have had stone work done. Water is typically the precursor to
cracks, so i figured what the hell. I didn't want water seeping in
during winter and wreaking havoc. The sealer doesnt alter the look of
the stone (ie no 'wet' look).
Second, the underlying concrete is approximately 6-8" thick, excluding
the stone thickness and mortar bed. for pics:
http://flickr.com/photos/mario_valenta/201451270/in/set-72157594177446613/
third, I already caulked the joints prior to posting this, so leaving
the gap open isnt an option
here's a link to a picture of the caulked joints.
http://flickr.com/photos/mario_valenta/208612716/in/set-72157594177446613/
So as of right now, both control joints are still caulked on 3 sides
(top and both sides - the bottom doesnt cut all the way through the
concrete, just the mortar bed). I am going to leave as is unless
someone can convince me its a better idea to remove the caulking from
the sides.
I woudl like to keep the caulk on top, since it does improve the
aesthetics of the walkway.
-malto
Italian wrote:
> First of all an EXSPANSION JOINT is a joint (equall space) that is
> through the entire masonry unit be it concrete, block, brick or your
> situation.
> What this obviously in experienced mason did was cut a "controll joint"
> in your walkway. This type of joint you have seen as you walk down the
> sidewalk in your area, its not necessarly a bad thing but it is NOT an
> exspansion joint hopfully when the walkway moves it will crack here.
> >From an apperance and craftsmanship stand point this is a very ugly
> joint in your new walkway. Typically when doing real stone waklways you
> do not put joints in..it simply is not necessary.
>
> As far as your panic about the water issue relax lets go back to that
> same sidewalk I mentiond in your area...those joints dont have caulking
> in them and they are just fine...well most of them (I grew up in PA) so
> I know the effects of winters on sidewalks.. but seriously if you look
> at the sidewalks most of them are ok a few are bad right? Dont sweat it
> it will be fine.
>
> Just out of curiosity how thick was the slab the stone was set
> on?...Thinner than 3 1/2" youve got more serious problems than the
> joint 3 1/2 or thicker (NO INCLUDING THE STONE) just the concrete...you
> should be fine.
>
> > I forgot to mention, a high quality stone sealant has alreadt been
> > applied over the entire walkway surface.
> THESE SEALANTS DO NOTHING other than bring out color of the natural
> material in your case and protect the surface of man made materials
> (color in concrete stamped concrete). It in no way protects your
> masonary from cracks or other structurial weakness.
>
> mvalenta@gmail.com wrote:
> > Had a fieldstone walkway put in recently, roughly 16' long. It sits
> > on 2" crushed gravel, then concrete, then mortar. Mason used type S
> > mortar for higher strength. The jobsite is in the northeast (upstate
> > NY).
> >
> > The mason cut expansion joints in there using a concrete saw. There is
> > roughly a 1/4" gap that has a depth about 2". I have masked and
> > caulked the gap with GE's silicone masonry grey-tinted caulk and it
> > looks good. However, I caulked the top and sides of the cut with the
> > thought being that should water get inside under the caulk joint and
> > expand, it woudl negate the effects of the caulk on top. SO basically
> > right now the entire cut is sealed from the elements from all three
> > sides. I am wondering if this was a bad idea. in the unlikely event
> > the concrete foundation shoudl crack and water should get inside the
> > small space, there is no way for the water to get out. Worst case
> > scenario, this happens during winter and the water freezes and cracks
> > the walkway. The last thing i want is for my nice new walkway looking
> > like crap after one winter.
> >
> > I had considered this while I was caulking, however since the cut was
> > made by hand with a power saw, the depth varies and woudl not provide
> > guaranteed adequate drainage anyway. In other words, it could still be
> > possible that water could become trapped in the gap even without
> > caulking the sides.
> >
> > I forgot to mention, a high quality stone sealant has alreadt been
> > applied over the entire walkway surface.
> >
> > This was my first experience caulking a stone sidewalk so i wanted to
> > ask the gurus here if this was the best way to prepare this walkway for
> > the winters here in upstate NY.
> >
> > Thanks,
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