Expansion joint material

[Diesel Dan]

Getting ready to pour the floor Monday.
Have heard of two ways to pour this with and without perimeter expansion joint material between the slab and walls. Personally I don't recall ever seeing a residential build with the material in this application.

Lets here some thoughts, opinions, scientific journal reports etc.

 

[MagKarl]

My opinion is concrete shrinks a bit as it cures and you will probably be fine without a perimeter expansion joint. I went without on my slabs.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Agreed, most garage floors we see have a 1/8" or better gap at the wall.

 

[Cave Creek Ray]

What they said.

I am prepping my old garage floor and the floor was poured with joint material in a couple of areas. What hasn't been eaten by termites has shrunk and started migrating up in a sine wave along the wall.

Skip it. You'll be better off.

Ray

 

[usa#1]

I would run a piece of plastic up the wall a little higher than the pour and then cut it flush to the concrete after the concrete has hardened. It will prevent concrete slab from trying to bond to block work.

 

[DTE]

I used this product and glued it to the wall. I prepped my own floor and set the grade how I wanted it . So I used this as the screed point around the perimeter and when finished you can pull the top 1/2 inch off and fill the void with sealer. Plus I wanted to allow for the floor to move little.http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflecti...bpGzTktmnW9qByYciqYwMaAu538P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds