# Forum Home Renovation Paving  Pool coping grout

## DavidC

Im Having trouble with 
1. choosing a colour grout to suit the pool coping stone ?
2. When laying grout after it starts to dry it sinks just below surface about 3 - 4 mm I have even tried soaking paving gap with water before putting grout in ?? 
The stone I laid aroung pool was Quantum stone 400x900x50 cement based 
with 30mm over hang
I have just purchased the Grout which is a Davco product "Slate and Quarry" powder form able to be used with Saltwater/chlorine pools
Its recommended by manufacturer to use a elastisizer called Davlastic and the mix is substitute Davlastic instead of water. 
Anyway I tried the Neutral colour which is basically dries as Grey like - grey cement
As shown in photos I thought it made the paving too boxed and highlited.
I then triend a Sandblast colour which almost maches paver when wet 
Im not sure I like either of these colours  :Doh:  
on the Davco site they have the colour choice for Slate and Quarry grouts 
Im now thingking of mixing 4 parts clean white sand and 1 part offwhite cement with Davlastic this is reckomended on back of the Davlastic bottle for sand based grout. 
The only other colour which I think maybe a better choice is Light grey or Ivory  :Rolleyes:  
Any suggestion would be welcome After all it is a feature area

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## cherub65

When grouting these pavers just damp them first then fill joints. Not to much water
Try off white cement mixed 1 : 4 with sharp sand.
When cleaning off don't have too much water on sponge, thats when youll wipe out too much mortar. Should have expansion joint every 4000 mm use sikaflex

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## DavidC

ok what do you mean Sharp Sand

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## cherub65

Just washed use either Sydney (not much left  :Shock: ) or Newcastle
I just say that so people don't use brickies sand

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## DavidC

Still open to anyones opinion on what would be best colour choice

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## Bloss

cherub65's right about sand type (he could have said don't use 'fatty sand' and caused similar confusion  :Biggrin:  ) and water - colour is such a personal thing, but I reckon the matching one looks better than the others. In use the coping will be often wet and when not in use people will not be around the pool to see . . .  :Smilie:  
Another option although dear is to choose the 'Sikaflex' colour you like and use the suitable chlorine resistant pool product on all.

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## DavidC

Yeah Thanks Guys 
I chose another colour which is called sandblast and after it dries its almost a perfect colour match. I found I could remove grout smears on paver with a bit of metho spirits 
Anyway the grout drys and both the edges seem to get hairline cracks which Im not sure is it worth worrying about, is this a normal problem with grouts or mortar cement 
Cheers David

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## Bloss

yep - all but impossible to not get hairline cracks in coping - unless it is a polymer fill of some sort not a regular cementitious grout.

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