So I am building my first pool(40,000gal freeform).... I dug the hole, I did the plumbing, I did the rebar, I hired out the Shotcrete, I installed 150 tons of rocks, I installed the slide and two waterfalls, I installed the 2” bullnose travertine coping, I installed the pool tile, I built the pool shed, built the outdoor kitchen/swim-up bar, ran the gas lines, I hired out the electrical, I installed all the pool equipment, I hired out the plaster. I filled the pool, and am now working on the pool deck (1 1/8” travertine over the top of concrete) and have run into a dilemma......because the 12” coping sits on top of the 12” concrete pool beam and overhangs it, it leaves a 2” gap from the back of the pool beam to the back of the 2” coping. My 4” concrete slab butts up to the back of the pool beam with a 1/2” fiber expansion joint. When I go to install the 1 1/8” travertine decking, I don’t know how to properly provide an expansion joint in the travertine. Can anyone tell me what is typically done here? Do I need to provide a sketch of my issue? Any help is greatly appreciated!
Travertine deck expansion at pool coping
- Thread starter TimpoolTn2019
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Maintain the expansion joint with a gap between the travertine and the pool beam. You never want the tile putting pressure on the pool structure.
Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading
Maintain the expansion joint with a gap between the travertine and the pool beam. You never want the tile putting pressure on the pool structure.
the gap will actually be between the travertine and the coping, but my issue is that the travertine paver passes over the top of 2” of pool beam below it to get over to the coping, and the mud base between the travertine and concrete base will then adhere to the pool beam. I’ll send a sketch.
Thinking out loud here but could you not use the mud base on the last 2 inches of the travertine and maybe use a just a sand base?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I was actually thinking of a thin layer of sand , say 1/8”, then letting the mud base lay over it so that it would still support the travertine but have the ability to “slide” across the sand during expansion and contraction of both the pool shell and deck
The simplest way is to install the coping and then install cut pieces behind the coping to take up the rest of the space to cover the bond beam. Install the expansion joint to isolate both the concrete base and the pavers. I've seen a lot of pools with pavers and no expansion joint. I wouldn't want one either but I dont know if that would be a good idea.
I wouldn't use fiber expansion joint material, use foam instead.
I'll draw a detail for this and add it to the coping/ expansion joint write up
Maybe @jimmythegreek has done something different?
I wouldn't use fiber expansion joint material, use foam instead.
I'll draw a detail for this and add it to the coping/ expansion joint write up
Maybe @jimmythegreek has done something different?
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Yikes, with a freeform pool adding small pcs of coping would be a huge task. Hindsight being 20-20 I wish I had used 14” deep coping!
See the sketch in the previous posts, the coping is 12” and the bomd beam is 12”, but because of the coping overhanging into the pool and because of variances in the bond beam thickness the “shelf” is anywhere from 2” to 3”.
I’m not sure what you mean, it’s is a very curvy pool, so cutting to any depth would be difficult. Plus wouldn’t the rebar not have the proper 3” coverage if you cut away concrete?
Cut a notch into the back of the bond beam like this:
How thick do you plan to have the concrete base?
I would always try to have the coping material selected prior to Shotcrete so accommodations could be made during the shoot and no cutting would needed afterward.
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RoyR
Bronze Supporter
I assume the travertine will be placed on top of the cement base - why don’t you just float the travertine over that 2” space, provide 1/2” gap for the expansion joint, and be done with it. You could always use some construction adhesive on the travertine along to coping line, to avoid the stone from tilting if someone steps on it...remove the fiber and replace with foam, use the same foam, cut to fit, in the “new expansion“ joint.
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Yes, I thought about letting it float over to the coping but I am sure somewhere in the French pattern there will be small 2” pcs that would have nothing to sit on. And are you saying the fiber I currently have between the conc slab and conc pool beam should be replaced with foam? Because it is too rigid?
This is what I was getting at. Float the last 2 inches of the travertine to include the lower expansion joint. Also account for the upper expansion joint.
RoyR
Bronze Supporter
Yes, the fiber board is too rigid - do you want to take the risk...over time dirt / sand will get in there, and make it worse.