My uncle swore by using a 3/8 inch joint for everything, even in the winter.

He told me last November in Chicago that a tighter joint would hold up better in the freeze-thaw cycle. I did a whole garage foundation his way, and by spring, half the joints had spalled. Had to go back and re-point the whole thing. Anyone else get burned by 'one size fits all' advice when the weather changes?

3 comments

3 Comments

cameron_hernandez6922d ago

Man, that reminds me of a neighbor who used the same sealer on his driveway and his deck. The driveway looked okay, but the deck boards warped like crazy in the summer sun. Different materials just need different things.

wells.christopher22d ago

That old school "one size fits all" thinking gets people in trouble. Saw a guy use the same mortar mix for a patio and a chimney. Patio was fine, but the chimney mortar cracked all over from the heat. Materials and weather matter. Your uncle's winter trick clearly didn't work for a foundation. Gotta respect the conditions.

ray_sullivan22d ago

Imagine using chimney mortar on a patio! That heat difference would wreck it for sure. Some folks just don't get that basics matter.