Its sure looking like it. As it finishes melting the raised stones will probably fall back. Once it's good and thawed, try walking on them if any edges are still popped.
Coping Sinking?
- Thread starter TheAntebella
- Start date
Absolutely was frost heave. You are lucky you have pavers. If it was concrete, it more than likely would have cracked.
The problem is those pavers were supposedly mortared down to the concrete pad beneath them.
Frost heave is when the ground freezes and the concrete gets pushed up.
In my opinion, that is not what happened.
Frost heave would have pushed up the concrete and all of the stones, not just a few.
You have ground (brown), concrete (grey), and then stones (red) set on top of the concrete with mortar.
In my opinion, water (blue) probably got between the stone and the concrete, froze and pushed the stones up.
In my opinion, that is not what happened.
Frost heave would have pushed up the concrete and all of the stones, not just a few.
You have ground (brown), concrete (grey), and then stones (red) set on top of the concrete with mortar.
In my opinion, water (blue) probably got between the stone and the concrete, froze and pushed the stones up.
Pull the stones and look for how the mortar was applied.
Is it thin with good coverage or think with poor coverage?
A Thinset would give good coverage and little room for water.
A thick set would be more susceptible to water buildup.
I am still not 100% convinced that the stones are mortared vs. being set on sand.
Once the stones are removed maybe drill some drain holes through the concrete to allow future water to drain.
Was the concrete set on rock or straight on dirt?
Is it thin with good coverage or think with poor coverage?
A Thinset would give good coverage and little room for water.
A thick set would be more susceptible to water buildup.
I am still not 100% convinced that the stones are mortared vs. being set on sand.
Once the stones are removed maybe drill some drain holes through the concrete to allow future water to drain.
Was the concrete set on rock or straight on dirt?
Its the concrete that is heaving i can almost guarantee. Its an issue down here with clay and really low temps.
Its possible concrete was poured, then sand was laid over it to level it, and then the pavers were set directly on the sand. If so, some water got between the paver and sand, froze, and now thawed. That's the beauty of pavers. obviously we are all guessing at this point, without being there.
It looks like one giant slab of concrete with no control joints or expansion joints.
If it was frost heave, then why didn't more stones get pushed up?
Frost heave would have pushed up all of the stones.
If it was frost heave, then why didn't more stones get pushed up?
Frost heave would have pushed up all of the stones.
It does seem hard to believe that those pavers are bonded to a solid foundation below them
Like I said before I truly appreciate your insight but I am not going to pull up any of the travertine myself. If the PB suggest doing so this week when they asses then that’s on them and will be covered through their warranty before me taking a circular saw to it.
My Pool Maintenance company agreed it was frost heave and said it occurred within the ground layer not under the stone (which is why the stones were not loose and are still adhered to the concrete.)
Either way it had resolved and I am okay with not chasing more trouble by ripping up stones. It’s the first issue I’ve had thankfully since my pool was finished in 2021. I will continue to monitor this and a claim has been filed should further issues arise.
Open to other suggestions though if this doesn’t seem above board.
Yes this is what my maintenance company said when they came by. They said they have seen this on several pools this week?
Tap on the stones with a plastic handle like from a screwdriver to see if they sound solid or hollow.
A hollow sound means that the stones are not mortared.
Check the stones that popped up compared to the coping stones and the other deck stones that did not pop up.
A hollow sound means that the stones are not mortared.
Check the stones that popped up compared to the coping stones and the other deck stones that did not pop up.
