Expansion Joints

[chicohuahua]

Hi guys, I'm really considering finally getting my floors done (some sort of epoxy w/topcoat).

I partially use my garage as a gym, so i'm constantly dropping rubber bumper plates from waist level or higher. As you can see from the pic, I do use horse stall mats to help deaden the sound. I don't want to build a lifting platform bc i still wrench on my cars from time to time.

I have noticed that when I drop the plates near the expansion joints, the thud is very loud/strong and causes a lot of vibration thru the house. When I drop the weight near the edges of the garage (close to walls, or garage entrance where expansion joints are far), the thud is much quieter and doesn't shake the house.

I'm assuming that it's due to these expansion joints that cause this issue?

• Will filling the expansion joints solve this problem?
• Will cracks come back if i continue to lift weights in this manner?
• What product will need to be used to fill the cracks/joints?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Here is our product: http://www.legacyindustrial.net/pro...atings/xtreme-set-100-crack-joint-filler.html

I am fairly certain the walls are helping to stabilize the slab. However, our product will bond the slabs back together, so it might a help a bit.

 

[Armorpoxy]

A flexible joint filler which we carry may help somewhat.

 

[bczygan]

Expansion joints should be called "crack here" joints.

If they are working correctly, the slab sections crack down in the bottom of them. Thus the different sound.

Bill

 

[chicohuahua]

It's recommended to fill the cracks/expansion joints? Is there a maximum crack/joint size? What about future cracking once the coating is put on?

 

[Shea]

It's recommended to fill the cracks/expansion joints? Is there a maximum crack/joint size? What about future cracking once the coating is put on?

No, it is not recommended to fill these joints. However, some like to fill them in order to create a seamless look to the floor. You do run a small risk of cracking within the joint being telegraphed right through the coating. It really depends on how much the joints move. This is why it is important to use a proper filler that has some elongation to it. Most of the vendors here sell the proper joint fillers for this. You generally don't want to fill a joint that is more than 1/2" wide.

 

[Kaizen]

In your case I doubt filling them will help with the thud reverberation. Most likely the difference has to do with the rebar placement anchoring to the house. As said earlier the more solid near the walls is due to more mass and probably more concrete. The ground under the vibrating part also could have settled leaving a small gap and the noise variation. Or it could just be thin concrete.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[audioworks04]

Those are actually control joints installed to “tell” the floor where to shrinkage crack as it cures. As mentioned above as the activate the will allow the slab to crack following it. You can fill it with a flexible joint filler, but if you use something rigid it will likely telegraph back through.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk