How to cope with coping stones

[Pocster]

See what I did there in the title 😁

 

Anyway ! They finally turned up . The big ones are big and heavy . Don’t fancy my chances mixing sand/cement to bed these . I know you can get pre mix or indeed glue for these - any recommendations? 
Secondly as you can see the only ‘roughly’ level bit are the bricks down the centre . Do I just bed on these then ‘fill’ on either side with cement to fill the gap between coping and stone facework ? . Or should I ‘somehow’ make a wider level ‘platform’ for the copings to sit on ??

[Pocster]

[markc]

Assuming you have no high side bits And the centre is your level and guide then a bed on these as if you were laying bricks and some good “dolops on the side bits to add stability, bed down to level and then afterwards go back and point the sides up

[Pocster]

1 minute ago, markc said:

Assuming you have no high side bits And the centre is your level and guide then a bed on these as if you were laying bricks and some good “dolops on the side bits to add stability, bed down to level and then afterwards go back and point the sides up

Ok . I was worried as the big copes are 48cm wide and of course my ‘semi level ‘ brick line is just the width of a brick . But yes ; I can do that . Any pre mixed ( make my life easy ) you recommend???

[Pocster]

This type of thing from Amazon ?

 

Bostik 30812809 Cementone Rapid Setting Cement, For Interior & Exterior Use, Waterproof, Colour: Grey, 10kg

[Pocster]

Actually … not rapid set ! Otherwise I’ll have to work quickly!!

[Mr Punter]

If you want this to look uniform you could spend a while and cut cement board to the width of the wall, pack it to your desired line and fix it down, then some DPC slightly overhanging on a thin bed of mortar then your coping stones.  As per @markc point up the gaps between.  Not a quick job but you are starting with a sow's ear, so to speak.

[markc]

1 hour ago, Mr Punter said:

If you want this to look uniform you could spend a while and cut cement board to the width of the wall, pack it to your desired line and fix it down, then some DPC slightly overhanging on a thin bed of mortar then your coping stones.  As per @markc point up the gaps between.  Not a quick job but you are starting with a sow's ear, so to speak.

This is just the sort of job that is easier to do than explain 

[Pocster]

2 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

If you want this to look uniform you could spend a while and cut cement board to the width of the wall, pack it to your desired line and fix it down, then some DPC slightly overhanging on a thin bed of mortar then your coping stones.  As per @markc point up the gaps between.  Not a quick job but you are starting with a sow's ear, so to speak.

Sow's ear?; you saying it looks rough by any chance? 😶

 

Could I use tile backboard? ( that's cement board based isn't it?).Could fix/pack into the centre line of bricks. Is the DPC necessary under coping stones?. If I did do dpc then the coping technically is not bonded to the wall... ( just worried if it get's knocked/pushed ).

[Pocster]

I'm tempted to "somehow" shutter the centre of the wall. Then I can mix concrete into it and get a nice level. Quite what I fix the shuttering to I'm not sure. The stone work is random so no flat surface....

Edited April 1, 2022 by pocster

[Mr Punter]

I think tile backer would work fine.  Once you get it to a nice line it will be plain sailing (possibly).  You could use a string line.  You may want some more random stone to fill the bigger gaps or there will be too much mortar.  I guess it is quite tricky to marry the factory produced copings with the rustic artisanal charm of the rubble wall but I have every faith in you.

[Pocster]

1 minute ago, Mr Punter said:

I think tile backer would work fine.  Once you get it to a nice line it will be plain sailing (possibly).  You could use a string line.  You may want some more random stone to fill the bigger gaps or there will be too much mortar.  I guess it is quite tricky to marry the factory produced copings with the rustic artisanal charm of the rubble wall but I have every faith in you.

Then dear @Mr Punter your faith maybe wildly misplaced !

My view on these things is your option requires some skill and capability . I think I’ve worked out a good way to shutter the top section . Then I can just slop and level concrete in I.e skill required = less .

[Pocster]

Btw ! I forgot it’s April 1st . My post is no joke . It’s April 1st everyday on my site !

[Declan52]

Use something like 9*1 on the both outside skins of the stone wall with some fixings into the mortar to hold it. It's fairly bendy so will adapt to the stone face. 

Set it so it's an inch above the face of the stone and then fill the gap between both lengths of 9*1 with concrete/mortar and use a straight edge and drag it along leaving you a lovely flat surface to place the copings. 

[Pocster]

4 minutes ago, Declan52 said:

Use something like 9*1 on the both outside skins of the stone wall with some fixings into the mortar to hold it. It's fairly bendy so will adapt to the stone face. 

Set it so it's an inch above the face of the stone and then fill the gap between both lengths of 9*1 with concrete/mortar and use a straight edge and drag it along leaving you a lovely flat surface to place the copings. 

Think I’ve got what you are saying . I was going to put Scaff board horizontal down each side of the wall then bolted across to each other . Then put another line of timber inside as there would be gaps due to the random stone . Foam the gaps from inside the shuttering . Once cured cut the excess foam out . In theory a nice neat trough for cement 😁

Edited April 1, 2022 by pocster

[Declan52]

Scaffold boards won't bend like 9*1. Use something like rockwool insulation and jam it into any big gaps. Foam will work for bigger gaps but might stain the stone work. 

[Faz]

Don't want to be cruel but you might be wanting to have another go at that wall to level it up before chucking a load of expensive wet cast stone on top - the thing might get on your tits in the days / weeks/ months to come....

 

Don't know how visible the thing is but, if it were me, I would sort it.

 

If the bodge is the only way to go then concrete and cement haunch the thing to a level - wet cast stone tends to crack if not set level as it is soft as butter.  It will look horrible.

[ETC]

8 minutes ago, Faz said:

Don't want to be cruel but you might be wanting to have another go at that wall to level it up before chucking a load of expensive wet cast stone on top - the thing might get on your tits in the days / weeks/ months to come....

 

Don't know how visible the thing is but, if it were me, I would sort it.

 

If the bodge is the only way to go then concrete and cement haunch the thing to a level - wet cast stone tends to crack if not set level as it is soft as butter.  It will look horrible.

Absolutely….get that wall level with a masonry base before you even think of putting on those coping stones. Don’t even think of glue or foam!

[Pocster]

11 hours ago, Faz said:

Don't want to be cruel but you might be wanting to have another go at that wall to level it up before chucking a load of expensive wet cast stone on top - the thing might get on your tits in the days / weeks/ months to come....

 

Don't know how visible the thing is but, if it were me, I would sort it.

 

If the bodge is the only way to go then concrete and cement haunch the thing to a level - wet cast stone tends to crack if not set level as it is soft as butter.  It will look horrible.

This walls high maybe 8 ft - so you never really see the copings . Will look at it in more detail today . I will level the centre bit no matter what otherwise it will look like a dog .

[Radian]

20 hours ago, pocster said:

Don’t fancy my chances mixing sand/cement to bed these

What makes you say that? I'd say it's absolutely the best way to bed them. If you used a 4:1 sharp sand/cement mix it would be more supportive and still 'point up' neatly. An important thing to do would be to brush a slurry of SBR/cement to the underside of the capping to ensure a good bond just before you lay them. In fact, what I'm describing is the best way to lay patio slabs.

 

To address the wibbly masonry I'd twang a chalk line near  the top and trim down with a diamond disc cutter to get a uniform bedding  level.

[ETC]

13 hours ago, pocster said:

This walls high maybe 8 ft - so you never really see the copings . Will look at it in more detail today . I will level the centre bit no matter what otherwise it will look like a dog .

If you never see the copings why bother?

[Pocster]

10 hours ago, ETC said:

If you never see the copings why bother?

Must admit I was just thinking that yesterday. I have others to do around the site and ordered them ages ago . So probably could of got away without them on this bit of wall .

Edited April 3, 2022 by pocster

[Onoff]

I'd first identify the high point on those walls.

 

Foam fill the gaps and or wedge foam packing down there.

 

Get some big, long clamps.

 

Clamp long boards either side and concrete level.

 

I squared all my bathroom walls off by shuttering / casting. Same deal. Where your walls are a bit more wiggly you'll need to gun foam the gaps and clean it off afterwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pocster]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 

 

She’s an ugly dog .

Initially I just foamed the gaps . But then a precise breeze decided to blow the foam down the lane - hence the cardboard …

Edited April 4, 2022 by pocster

[Pocster]

Always get issues with multiple file uploads