misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

I am having a driveway poured, and the expansion joints don't line up.
The joint lines up with the garage floor joint on the top, then it jogs

a few inches to the right towards the street. Is there any reason you
wouldn't match the lines? Is that normal? I don't remember ever
seeing this before.

http://www.mpw.net/doug/dw.jpg

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

On 27 Apr 2006 11:42:16 -0700, "mfreak" wrote:

I am having a driveway poured, and the expansion joints don't line up.
The joint lines up with the garage floor joint on the top, then it jogs

a few inches to the right towards the street. Is there any reason you
wouldn't match the lines? Is that normal? I don't remember ever
seeing this before.

http://www.mpw.net/doug/dw.jpg

Did you try asking the guys what did it?

Looks to me like they tried to get at least
the bottom end divided evenly, with an extra
triangle-bit at the top.

You can't see the top end, but if it's a different
size, shape, or not aligned with the bottom,
that would explain it.

I suspect that the people doing the pour don't
habitually think of the crack-control joints
as decorative elements, so it didn't occur to them
to line them up, they just put them in the most
logical place for each slab individually.

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

Was it poured all at once? (the change in contrast makes it hard to know for
sure) Looks like they poured the bottom section first and put the joint in
the wrong spot then made a judgement call at the top which one to line up
on.


"mfreak" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am having a driveway poured, and the expansion joints don't line up.
The joint lines up with the garage floor joint on the top, then it jogs

a few inches to the right towards the street. Is there any reason you
wouldn't match the lines? Is that normal? I don't remember ever
seeing this before.

http://www.mpw.net/doug/dw.jpg

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

"PipeDown" wrote in message
ink.net...
Was it poured all at once? (the change in contrast makes it hard to know
for
sure) Looks like they poured the bottom section first and put the joint
in
the wrong spot then made a judgement call at the top which one to line up
on.


"mfreak" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am having a driveway poured, and the expansion joints don't line up.
The joint lines up with the garage floor joint on the top, then it jogs

a few inches to the right towards the street. Is there any reason you
wouldn't match the lines? Is that normal? I don't remember ever
seeing this before.

http://www.mpw.net/doug/dw.jpg


I'd agree, but it looks like top was poured first, the usual practice.
(Saves driving truck or wheelbarrow over the green concrete).
I think they just effed up. The center joint looks tooled in- finish man
probably waited a hair too long to where the surface was just barely
workable, and once he started in wrong spot, he was committed. It won't
cause any problems, it just looks funny. No way to fix that won't be worse
than the problem- but out of embarrassment, the flatwork company should
offer you a break on the price. I suppose they could saw a second kerf in
each slab, and try to feather the edges to make them match, but a stripe
down the middle of drive would also look funny.


aem sends...

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

Concrete finishers are at the lower end of the food
chain, right under tile guys. Most finishers I've known
or observed like to drink and trowel.
Generally an experienced crew wouldn't have done
what you have suffered though. Looks like you may
have some rookies doing your work. That's a pretty
poor job.

Don't worry though, as it cures and lightens up, ages
and gets some oil spots, the average person won't
even notice.

thetiler

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

It certainly won't be a perfect solution, but you might have them
cut both construction joint lines on through. This will give you
two joints about a foot apart. If done well and caulked I think
everyone can accept the result.
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"mfreak" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am having a driveway poured, and the expansion joints don't
line up.
The joint lines up with the garage floor joint on the top, then
it jogs

a few inches to the right towards the street. Is there any
reason you
wouldn't match the lines? Is that normal? I don't remember
ever
seeing this before.

http://www.mpw.net/doug/dw.jpg

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

This will appear a patch job, you paid for a quality job and didnt get
it:(
This may be a resale issue some day:( Home buyers get wierd on the
oddest items:( the wierdness can cost bucks at home sale time....

Contractor either owes you a BIG refund, or they should rip up the
lower half and do it right...

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

It definately looks funny, but it's still functional. Unless you have
something in writing, I suspect that you are stuck with it. Doesn't
hurt to ask.

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

It's too late now, but didn't you inspect the forms before the pour?
When I had mine done, I personally inspected all the forms and joints
before the concrete was ordered...

tim1198

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

http://www.mpw.net/doug/dw.jpg

Can this be fixed? He offered to re-cut the joint and fill/patch the
old one. Is this possible? Will the patch hold up?

misaligned concrete expansion joints
 

"mfreak" wrote in message
oups.com...
http://www.mpw.net/doug/dw.jpg

Can this be fixed? He offered to re-cut the joint and fill/patch the
old one. Is this possible? Will the patch hold up?

Possible but unlikely. But if you decide to try it, the sooner the better-
once oil and rubber residue wash down in there, nothing is likely to stick,
and it will look real patched. I'd be more inclined to double-cut all the
way up to the garage, and make an accent stripe of it.

aem sends...