When you lay paving stones or slabs, it is easy to forget the joints and their importance. The joints between the stones/slabs are not important just aesthetically. They also have several technical functions. Joints play a major role in achieving good results (exactly the same as do the choice of stones/slabs and correctly executed ground preparation).
Joint filler serves to lock what you lay and reduce the growth of weeds between stones/slabs. A well-filled joint is both attractive and practical. When you have laid and jointed your stones/slabs, you can advantageously leave excess joint filler on the surface for a time. Rain and wind will gradually wash it down into the joints. When a stone or slab surface is subjected to a load, force is transferred across the stones/slabs via the joints. That is why it is important that joints are well-filled with joint filler so that the forces are transferred in the correct way. If the joints are insufficiently filled or too narrow, there is a risk of the stones/slabs banging against each other. This can damage the edges of the stones/slabs. A too wide joint that is not stabilised by well-executed ground preparation and edge guards can result in forces being transferred incorrectly. This is why we recommend a 3 mm joint for paving stones and slabs. As previously mentioned, after you have filled the joints for the first time, you can advantageously leave excess joint filler on the surface. After some time, it may also be necessary to refill the joints so that they still work as they should.
Benders has three different types of joint filler. They are available in different colours. Our traditional joint filler is 0 – 2 mm grade. It easily and effectively runs down into the joints. To give a personal touch to your paving stone/slab system, select any of the three different colours (sand, grey and black). Benders’ Lithomex Easy is a polymeric filler. It thus contains a hardener. Once the joints have been filled, use water to activate the hardener (for further details, see the separate user instructions). As Lithomex Easy sets once the hardener has been activated, the surface is locked even more strongly. The harder joints are also more weed-resistant. Lithomex Easy is suitable for joints up to 10 mm and is available in two different colours (grey and graphite). For surfaces subject to higher loads, we recommend our heavy-duty Lithomex Heavy, a three-component filler that, unlike Lithomex Easy, is mixed to a wet paste before use. For more information about our various joint fillers, please contact your Benders representative.
Picture: When combining different construction dimensions in the laying of paving stones and slabs, joint width may have to be adapted.
