Day joints in resin bound gravel surface

[Rose L]

Hi, any advice on whether it's normal/acceptable/necessary to leave an aluminium day joint in a largeish area of resin bound gravel? The contractor is telling me it's an expansion joint (as well as a day joint) and necessary to avoid movement but I don't see how aluminium is going to work as an expansion joint... It is in a very conspicuous position and we weren't told it would be part of the finished job or consulted on the location. It isn't laid on a concrete base so it's not a case of extending existing movement joints up to the surface. I think it should have been taken out when the next day's work started, and I haven't come across one being left in on other jobs. Any advice gratefully received!

[Tony McC]

It's not an expansion or movement joint: it's just a convenient stop end that is often used to separate areas of different colour. It's not unknown for it to be used to form day joints, although most installers would use something cheaper, such as a length of roofing batten, which would be removed and binned the following day.

It could be taken out, but you'd still be left with a discernible 'joint'.

[Dave_L]

Shame, I hate joints and we do our utmost to lay the majority of our (tarmac) driveways with no joints whatsoever.

Can you post a picture of the joint in question?

[Tony McC]

It annoys me when there are completely unnecessary joints and seams in resin surfacing. I appreciate they are sometimes unavoidable in blacktop, but when it comes to the much more expensive resin stuff, greater care and a bit of forethought can usually ensure they are not needed at all.

[simeonronacrete]

As unattractive and unwanted as they are, it is sometimes impossible not to have a day joint, or a movement joint.

If for example the contractor has more than a day's work to do to lay the entire surface, he has to stop and restart somewhere. Ideally that day joint will be in an unobtrusive place, but that's not always possible.

Experienced installers of our Ronadeck Resin Bound Surfacing System do their best to minimise or eliminate joints wherever possible.

[Rose L]

Thanks for the replies, but surely resin-bound being flexible doesn't need a movement/expansion joint? and as for day joints, isn't it best practice to take them out when the next day's work starts? it is a very expensive finish and I don't think clients should have to accept a conspicuous metal seam which they hadn't been consulted on or warned about.

[Tony McC]

Movement joints are necessary if you have them in the sub-layers, but, in very general terms, they are rarely required when resin surfacing is laid over a flexible sub-base.

As for day joints: how can you remove them? If you cut back a day joint you are left with....err...a day joint!

[Rose L]

Hi Tony

what I meant was not leaving in the metal bar the next day but just using it to keep a clean edge overnight, then removing it and butting up the next day's resin-bound to the line of the previous days. I know it's hard (impossible?) to have an invisible join, but at least it would all be the same material! Of course if the intention was to take the bar forming the day joint out, it makes sense to use timber batten rather than aluminium which is L shaped and will break the edge when you take it out...

[Tony McC]

I would suspect that, as it would take all of 5 minutes to remove an aluminium edge strip, and that it has virtually no value or re-use potential once salvaged, the contractors decided it was all too much effort.

[simeonronacrete]

Thanks for the replies, but surely resin-bound being flexible doesn't need a movement/expansion joint? and as for day joints, isn't it best practice to take them out when the next day's work starts? it is a very expensive finish and I don't think clients should have to accept a conspicuous metal seam which they hadn't been consulted on or warned about.

Flexible. Not really. Therefore if the base cracks, the resin bound will crack. So it's important to lay onto a stable base.

[lutonlagerlout]

I had some lads do 350M2 for me and they were done by 2pm, 5 of them
next day a little scarab turned up and swept all the loose stones away
cant imagine many jobs that big?
LLL

[simeonronacrete]

swept all the loose stones away

I guess this was a resin bonded job then (as opposed to bound). No loose stones with bound.

As to sizes of job, the ones we supply range from tens to thousands of square metres.

Interested in the products? Click Ronacrete Hard Landscaping

Have a great week.