Hi everyone, I'm looking for grout/mortar (or other sealant) suggestions for a couple places.
I already have on hand: SIKA 107 waterproofing, SIKAtop 123 repair mortar, portland cement, NPT's LOBO ("a high-performance formulated admixture which features pozzolan, polymer and a hydrophobic chemistry designed to enhance all types of pool finishes") if any of this can be used. The Sika and NPT Lobo were not cheap!
(1) NATURAL STONE WATERFALL -- I am guessing that a cause for failure and leaks on stuff like this could be thermal expansion differences between the stone and mortar/grout? In many places, there has been separation from one side of the grout/mortar where two stones come together. Should I be looking at resealing with grout/mortar or should I be looking for something a lot more flexible? I've been pressure washing and sandblasting to peel back a lot of 1 repair/reseal application some years ago to get mostly to the original stuff.
I can think of two ways to go at this: sealing between boulders OR slopping goop all around the inside of the bowl. It appears the original was the former, and the reseal job the latter. To some degree, the product chosen and application method may dictate which is appropriate (something in a caulking tube would lend itself to "between boulders", for example).
(2) SPA SPILLOVER TOP LAYER -- The stone across the top of the spillover needs to be re-bedded somehow. What would be good for this? Kids frequently walk across this so I don't want to mess around here. How much of the old bed should I take down, or should I just score it with a diamond blade for adhesion and try to put the stones back in the exact placement to minimize the need to re-level the whole thing? I've read a bit about Laticrete 254 "one-step, polymer fortified, thin-set mortar" that is "superior for exterior and underwater" which maybe could work great here?
(3) REGROUT BETWEEN STONE FOR POOL BAR -- just need to clean this out and regrout. What's something appropriate for this exposed/exterior use, resistant to salt and UV and whatever else?
I already have on hand: SIKA 107 waterproofing, SIKAtop 123 repair mortar, portland cement, NPT's LOBO ("a high-performance formulated admixture which features pozzolan, polymer and a hydrophobic chemistry designed to enhance all types of pool finishes") if any of this can be used. The Sika and NPT Lobo were not cheap!
(1) NATURAL STONE WATERFALL -- I am guessing that a cause for failure and leaks on stuff like this could be thermal expansion differences between the stone and mortar/grout? In many places, there has been separation from one side of the grout/mortar where two stones come together. Should I be looking at resealing with grout/mortar or should I be looking for something a lot more flexible? I've been pressure washing and sandblasting to peel back a lot of 1 repair/reseal application some years ago to get mostly to the original stuff.
I can think of two ways to go at this: sealing between boulders OR slopping goop all around the inside of the bowl. It appears the original was the former, and the reseal job the latter. To some degree, the product chosen and application method may dictate which is appropriate (something in a caulking tube would lend itself to "between boulders", for example).
(2) SPA SPILLOVER TOP LAYER -- The stone across the top of the spillover needs to be re-bedded somehow. What would be good for this? Kids frequently walk across this so I don't want to mess around here. How much of the old bed should I take down, or should I just score it with a diamond blade for adhesion and try to put the stones back in the exact placement to minimize the need to re-level the whole thing? I've read a bit about Laticrete 254 "one-step, polymer fortified, thin-set mortar" that is "superior for exterior and underwater" which maybe could work great here?
(3) REGROUT BETWEEN STONE FOR POOL BAR -- just need to clean this out and regrout. What's something appropriate for this exposed/exterior use, resistant to salt and UV and whatever else?
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