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A chat with my neighbor in Boise about his cracked patio made me rethink expansion joints.

He pointed out a hairline crack running across his slab and said, 'I thought the guys who poured this just did a bad job.' I explained it was likely from not putting in enough control joints for the size of the pad. Seeing it from a homeowner's view made me realize we don't always explain why we cut where we do. How do you guys figure your joint spacing on residential pours?
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3 Comments
jamieh76
jamieh761mo agoMost Upvoted
We usually go with a simple rule of thumb for joint spacing. Take the slab thickness in inches and multiply by 24 to 30 for the spacing in feet. It's kept cracks in check on our jobs.
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oscarthompson
Seriously, that's it? I've seen way more complex formulas for something this basic.
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beth559
beth5598d ago
That rule of thumb can still let cracks sneak in.
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