Picked a 3/8 inch joint over a 1/2 inch on a Denver patio job last month

I was laying a small patio in Denver and had to decide between a 3/8 inch mortar joint or a 1/2 inch one. Went with the 3/8 because the customer wanted a tighter look and the bricks were pretty uniform. It came out clean but I had to be careful with my consistency since there's less room for error. Has anyone else had issues with smaller joints cracking in freeze-thaw climates like Colorado?

3 comments

3 Comments

victor_robinson3d ago

My last 3/8 cracked so fast I told the guy it was a feature lol.

davis.noah10h ago

Used to think 3/8 was the right call for everything because it looks cleaner. This Denver job changed my mind though. The bricks were super uniform but I still had a few hairline cracks show up by spring. Freeze-thaw cycles are brutal here and that little bit of extra room in a 1/2 inch joint gives the mortar somewhere to move. Now I'll only go 3/8 if it's a covered patio or something out of direct weather.

nathan9013d ago

My last 3/8 joint cracked so fast I told the customer it was a feature.