After 60K dollars, my pool company bailed on the job. Luckily, the pool is complete but I am taking on the concrete slab around the pool on which we are setting quartzite flagging to match the pool coping. I have stoned, pitched and formed my slab but am curious about the connection I should or shouldn’t make to the pool. Should there be an expansion gap material between the pool and slab and let the flaggers fly over it? Should I pour up to the pool and tie into some of the rebar that is still there? I have seen these “natural” pools with flaggers that have no expansion joint and also ones with a clean line between. My desire would be none…Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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With your slab I'd use an expansion joint of some sort beccause it's large and just to one side.
........Rik.......
I install decorative overlays on existing concrete. I've never seen a successful "tie in" to the pool. Even the majority of the pool deck slabs I've encountered that were cantilevered over the pool wall to form an integral coping have shown at least some cracking at the outer edge of the pool wall. My opinion is that it's always best to incorporate an expansion joint, then install a backer rod and quality 2 component caulk. However, I've tied stone overlays together at joints "seamlessly" by caulking the joint first, installing the stone in a ragged line over the joint (to break up the linearity) and caulking the top joint with a caulk color to match the grout as closely as possible, and broadcasting some sand into the wet caulk to help with the disguise.
Horizontal conc slab exposed to sun (and quite a bit of slab to boot) will expand and contract at a much greater rate than the vertical walls of the pool that are sandwiched between 60 degree dirt and 65 degree water.
Look in a basement. Vert wall and horiz slab almost the same temperature, but still needs an expansion joint. I would put one in.