Foam between paver deck and coping

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grottoguy

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Aug 24, 2014
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My Contract states in two places that to maintain my warranty on the Coping, Tile, and Pool Shell, I need to install an "isolation joint filled with 1/2 inch by 4 inch expansion joint material (i.e., ethafoam)" between the decking and the Coping. In another place it indicates I need to use "polysulfide or equal material."

My Contractor doing the decking thinks it is a bad idea to do this because it will look bad in a year or two and he doesn't think the foam can protect anything.

I'm having him do it to protect my warranty, but am curious what people think . Please note that my decking is the Techo Block INCA pavers (with no concrete base).

Thanks
 
I had the same thing done between my aggregate and coping. Others may be able to explain more of the technical side but it is my understanding it allows for expansion and such during the freeze and thaw of winter. Or at least that is what I was told. I was also told it will be caulked over next year and will be unnoticeable.
 
Its a bad idea NOT to do it. If you don't have an expansion joint the movement from the deck could crack the bond beam (worst case) what you want is a product called deck-o-seal. Its a self leveling poly sealant. Silkaflex or something like that is a product sold at home depot that can also be used.
 
That is correct. The deck-o-seal goes on top of the expansion joint to seal and hide the foam. I recommend Silkaflex. Deck-o-seal also has a newer premixed product that is night and day easier to apply than the original.
 
Unfortunately the sand over the foam would be useless becuase the sand can't compact. I do recommend putting sand over a fresh silkaflex or deck-o-seal. Doing this it will mimic the look of grout. I like silkaflex but your color options are limited. Deco seal has a a few more colors but cost more
 
The polymeric sand hardens once it is sprayed with water. You still think it would be useless? I have no opinion but just wanted to make sure you realized we were using the sand that hardens like concrete
 

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I have flagstone mortared to the bond beam, then the flagstone deck is floating on compacted base and sand. All joints are filled with polymeric sand, including between the coping and deck. I went this way because the sealants look terrible, and eventually have to be redone. The polymeric can be touched up easily.
 
When I said useless I was referring to the expansion joint. Putting the sand on top wouldn't allow for the expansion joint to work as designed. The pool is in the ground so its not going anywhere but the deck floats on top of the ground. As the deck warms and cools it will expand and contract. With the pool being stationary and the deck moving it is possible for a few problems to develop down the road. For example crack tiles, tiles falling off, skimmer leaking with huge temperatures swings and worse case is a cracked bondbeam. Some people don't have an expansion joint and don't have problems.
 
UPDATE:

So my Landscaper ended up putting just the polymeric sand over the foam and it washed away in many spots. In other spots it stayed, but the sand itself didn't completely harden. Should I have him come back and put the Sika flex on the spots where it washed away and you can see the foam? Should I do anything on the spots where the polymeric sand is still there but not completely hardened?

Thanks
 
It all needs to be consistent or it's not going to look that nice. I would take out the sand - shouldn't be that difficult, and replace all with the caulk - in a color (tan, grey, etc.) that blends with your coping/deck.
 
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