Pool Coping Mortar and Grout Choices for SW Pool

[Van G]

We’re going to lay our coping this weekend. Any specific type of mortar or grout that should be used for Salt Water pool?

1/4” joint size?
Seal stone and grout?

Stone is Ebony Granite, flat face with beveled edge, 2”x12”x4’

We’ll play around with overhang but I think 1/4” or so is best with respect to comfort on the back in spa and seats.

 

[mknauss]

Nothing special for the saltwater. As long as it is designed for outdoor, wet conditions, use it.

As far as sealing the grout, I do not believe ours was. The waterline tile grout was. But the coping is not under water. Sealing the stone is up to you.

 

[jimmythegreek]

they make outdoor thinset that most ppl use for setting coping and tiles over concrete, but you have alot of room to make up, so I would use masons mix so you can mud up to where you need to be. be careful if the stones are heavy they can settle after you level them out so shim or support while drying. your gut is to mix thicker which is fine but wet concrete underneath and also the stone so it bonds well and doesnt suck the water out of mix. Im a fan of adhesion promoters, whether you use a bond coat on base and stone, or in the mix, cheap insurance in my mind. pool looks great very nice job so far.

 

[blakeusa]

Use Sand Mix concrete.

Mix kinda dry like cookie dough. Not wet and sloppy. Mix in small batches enough for say 30 minutes.

Use an concrete ADMIX to help bond the new concrete to the old.

Apply on edge with trowel. Put stone in place, level and pound in place with a rubber mallet. Check level again. Remove and reset if needed.

Start at a corner and keep the layout or match up the same at each corner.

Just make sure the stones are level to start and continue around. Plan your cuts in advance so you have even spacing for the stones at the corners meaning don't end up with a 8 inch piece before the corner.
From my take I would try to keep the long stones lengthwise and adjust your cuts at the edges or corners if possible. Or make the cuts on multiple length wise stones in smaller cuts rather than one large cut and again an 8' piece at the end. Funny thing as your eyes adjust to dramatic changes in cuts, not small changes in multiple cuts if that makes sense.

The stones you picked look very nice.

Just be patient and all will work out great.

B

 

[Van G]

Thanks for the replies.

I am going to shim all stones on the backside. About an 1” build up. Probably just use wedges that tile guys use and remove & fill void when set.

Should I put a bead flexible adhesive on the Pool ledge (fibreglass). There are some good PL Premium alternatives that remain flexible.

 

[Van G]

they make outdoor thinset that most ppl use for setting coping and tiles over concrete, but you have alot of room to make up, so I would use masons mix so you can mud up to where you need to be. be careful if the stones are heavy they can settle after you level them out so shim or support while drying. your gut is to mix thicker which is fine but wet concrete underneath and also the stone so it bonds well and doesnt suck the water out of mix. Im a fan of adhesion promoters, whether you use a bond coat on base and stone, or in the mix, cheap insurance in my mind. pool looks great very nice job so far.

Are you talking about hitting concrete and stone with’milk’ to promote adhesion?

 

[Van G]

Just thought of this - how do I cut the half circle for the skimmer in my coping? Dremel isn’t going to cut it!

 

[keithw]

I did cantilevered flagstone on my FG pool similar to what you are doing. When I laid it I painted Quikrete Concrete Bonding Adhesive on the cement base and on the bottom of the flagstone and then I laid the mortar mud right over the lip of the pool to the inner edge. Then I pressed down the flagstone and cleaned the edge along the pool. Have you considered tiling the waterline after you put down the coping? It's very easy to do and looks really sharp on an FG pool. It also creates a really nice bond to the coping to make that junction watertight and very solid. If you are considering that you will want to make sure you have enough overhang to handle the tile depth as well. If you are not I would still recommend applying silicone to the joint where the pool meets the bottom of the coping. In regards to the coping over the tub where it will not be bonding to the cement, I would consider using silicone there as well. That is what is used when applying tile to an FG pool and it works really well. Here is a posting on mine:

New pool proj.Flagstoning around (and on) my fiberglass pool

 

[Van G]

Nice job on laying the flagstone.

Was going to use either a flexible adhesive or silicon.

How did you handle setting and cutting for the skimmer?

 

[keithw]

For around the skimmer I just ground the flagstone pieces that would be going around it so that they were close to the shape and size of the skimmer. In regard to the height I got an adjustable skimmer sleeve insert. Yours is going to have to be pretty perfectly round since it is a clean cut piece of coping. That might be hard to do without the proper tool. I would consider drawing a circle on the coping where it overlies the skimmer and taking it to a place that cuts marble & granite countertops. They would probably do it cheaply. I had one cut a lot of granite for me for under $100.00.

 

[Van G]

Glad I did the pre-layout. Turns out my skimmer cover is square! I can handle square. Saw and grinder.

 

[Van G]

My wife and I have been plugging away at this the past couple evenings. Laid the 2 widths first and now doing the lengths. Thank God I own a green laser! Difference between the 2 lengths is 1/16th shy.

Left the widths long and will trim in place.

What should I use for grouting the 1/4” joints?

 

[jza1736]

Why do you want to see the skimmer? Ours is sunk and we have a piece of stone that's removable

 

[Van G]

Why do you want to see the skimmer? Ours is sunk and we have a piece of stone that's removable

Could you send or post a couple pics with the lid off? It looks like grouting around the cap stone?

I’m using crusher run as my base around the rest of the pool for a large format concrete paver. I’d have to pour a concrete collar unless there is a flange sold for this purpose?

 

[jza1736]

Yes I will post later it was an adjustable flange they raised it to the level it needed to be and then concreted it in.

 

[jza1736]

Sorry it took so long, crazy weather last night on the island and I got home late tonight