I live in NJ and have gotten different views on whether to install the pool patio with an expansion gap or directly connected to the pool. I'm looking to put in a Norwegian Buff patio without the traditional coping. The coping will be part of the stone patio so it would look seemless to the pool edge. One of the builders said the expansion gap is necessary or I run the risk of the patio moving and cracking the shell (as it will be permanently connected together). Another builder said the risks are miniscule and that he's never seen a cracked shell from doing it this way.

What are your thoughts? I like the directly connected method as it's better looking than the expansion gap. Has anyone experience a cracked shell from a directly connection patio shifting?

Also, my soil is mostly dense clay so I assume this will help minimize shifting of the patio.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi, we just poured our deck this weekend, and left an expansion gap that will then be sealed with Mastic. Here in North Texas, we have clay also and the ground shifts drastically through out the year, so even though it might not look as seamless having some wiggle room might be a good thing. IMHO.

Tons of single pour cantileved decks here in the SE, what they do it lay down a bond breaker to seperate the pour from the deck. They usually use roofing felt.

Never, ever tie your deck to the pool wall with rebar; when the ground freezes, the deck will attempt to move but the the rebar will keep it on place. While cracks will likely be small, there's likely to be deterioration of the concrete at some level. All you have to do is put a bond breaker, as previously mentioned, between the pool wall and the bottom of the deck to ensure they stay as two separate pieces capable of independent movement.


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Thanks. Is the bond breaker essentially the same as an expansion gap? Not sure what the difference is

Bond breaker is anything meant to keep two pieces of concrete independent from each other. Expansion joints have the added value of allowing expansion and contraction of pieces while minimizing their effects on the adjacent pieces.


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msg, while it's very unlikely that the pool shell would crack, the stone will definitely crack. It will likely crack all the way around the pool at the same distance from the edge (12" or so) so you might as well get the expansion gap now so it still looks nice when it moves.