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Home / Planning / Which joint mortar is right?

Which joint mortar is right for my project?

Decision guide for paving and slab joints: by traffic load, paving type, joint type and joint width

Four details determine which vdw joint mortar is suitable. The table and lists on this page follow exactly the selection logic of our product planner, just without clicking.

  1. Traffic load Is the surface pedestrian only, occasionally driven on by cars, regularly trafficked or heavily loaded, for example by trucks? The higher the load, the stronger the mortar must be.
  2. Paving type Mosaic and small setts, large setts, slabs or polygonal slabs behave differently in the joint.
  3. Joint type Should the joint be water-permeable (draining) or sealed? The joint should match the base course: on a non-permeable base course we advise against a permeable joint.
  4. Joint width Each mortar needs a minimum width so that it can be worked in completely. For joints up to 3 mm we recommend consulting our technical advisers.
Overview

The vdw joint mortars compared

All values are taken from the technical data sheets and the product planner's selection matrix.

Product Joint type Load up to Paving types Joint width Colours
vdw 400Cement Joint Mortar non-permeable heavy traffic load Mosaic / small setts, Large setts, Polygonal slabs 5 to 50 mm Cement grey
vdw 415Cement Joint Mortar Color non-permeable Pedestrian traffic Slabs 2 to 20 mm Beige, Grey, Anthracite
vdw 8002K Paving Joint Mortar Water-permeable light vehicular traffic Mosaic / small setts From 5 mm Natural, Stone grey, Basalt
vdw 815 ultra2K Slab Joint Mortar Top recommendation Water-permeable light vehicular traffic Mosaic / small setts, Slabs From 4 mm Natural, Stone grey, Basalt
vdw 840 plus1K Joint Mortar Water-permeable Pedestrian traffic Mosaic / small setts, Slabs 3 to 20 mm Natural, Stone grey, Silver grey, Basalt
vdw 850 plus2K Self-Compacting Joint Mortar Top recommendation Water-permeable normal vehicular traffic Mosaic / small setts, Large setts From 5 mm Natural, Stone grey, Basalt
vdw 8552K High-Density Joint Mortar Slightly permeable to water-impermeable heavy traffic load Large setts, Slabs From 8 mm Sand-coloured, Stone grey, Basalt
Criterion 1

Joint mortar by traffic load

Pedestrian traffic

light vehicular traffic

normal vehicular traffic

heavy traffic load

Criterion 2

Joint mortar by paving type

Mosaic / small setts

Large setts

Slabs

Polygonal slabs

Criterion 3

Permeable or non-permeable?

Permeable joints let rainwater drain into the base course and prevent puddles and frost damage. Non-permeable cement joints seal the surface and carry higher loads.

permeable

non-permeable

Practice

Typical jobs and the matching products

Patio with slabs, pedestrian only

Pedestrian traffic · Slabs · joint permeable · 5 mm

Garden path in small setts

Pedestrian traffic · Mosaic / small setts · joint permeable · 5 mm

Driveway with occasional car traffic

light vehicular traffic · Large setts · joint permeable · 8 mm

Parking space or access road, regular traffic

normal vehicular traffic · Large setts · joint permeable · 10 mm

Heavily trafficked, non-permeable surface

heavy traffic load · Large setts · joint non-permeable · 10 mm

Polygonal slabs in the garden

Pedestrian traffic · Polygonal slabs · joint non-permeable · 10 mm

Narrow slab joint from 4 mm, pedestrian

Pedestrian traffic · Slabs · joint permeable · 4 mm

Before you decide

Go to product planner Calculate consumption

Or ask us directly: free technical hotline 0800 800 850 800 · technik@gftk-info.de

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