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2.3.1 Mortar for pointing shall be Type N, as 3.2.2 Some slight lippage and variation is
defined in ASTM C270 (Standard Specification natural and unavoidable where the natural-cleft
for Mortar for Unit Masonry). All mixing, face comes together at the sawed joints.
handling, and placing procedures shall be in
accordance with ASTM C270. 3.2.3 Joints 3/8" or ½" are recommended
between standard size panels, and ¼" and 3/8"
2.4 Sealants and Backup joints at abutting masonry. All joints are to be
water- and moisture-tight and caulked with a
Material (If Applicable)
proper sealant.
2.4.1 Where specified, (state type or name of
sealant) shall be used for the pointing of joints. 3.3 Backs of Pieces
The backup material used with the sealant shall
be (identify material) 3.3.1 Backs of pieces shall be sawn or roughly
dressed to approximately true planes. Back
surfaces shall be free of any matter that may
2.5 Anchors, Cramps, and create staining.
Dowels
3.4 Moldings, Washes, and Drips
2.5.1 All wire anchors, cramps, dowels, and
other anchoring devices shall be nonferrous 3.4.1 Moldings, washes, and drips shall be
metal of the types and sizes shown on approved constant in profile throughout their entire
shop drawings. Doweling natural-cleft slate to length, in strict conformity with details shown
slate is not acceptable. on approved shop drawings. The finish quality
3.5 Back-checking and Fitting to 3.7.2 Incidental cutting such as for window
Structure or Frame frame clips, etc., which is normally not
considered to be the responsibility of the Stone
3.5.1 Stone coming in contact with structural Supplier, will be provided only by arrangement
work shall be back-checked as indicated on the by the General Contractor and Slate
approved shop drawings. Stones resting on Contractor with the Slate Fabricator.
structural work shall have beds shaped to fit the
supports as required.
4.0 SHIPPING AND HANDLING
3.5.2 Maintain a minimum of 1" between
stone backs and adjacent structure. (Note: 4.1 Packing and Loading
many bolted connections will require more
space than this; 2" space may be more 4.1.1 Finished slate shall be carefully packed
desirable. Large-scale details should illustrate and loaded for shipment using all reasonable
and control these conditions.) and customary precautions against damage in
transit. No material which may cause staining
3.6 Cutting for Anchoring, or discoloration shall be used for blocking or
Supporting, and Lifting Devices packing.
3.6.1 Holes and sinkages shall be cut in stones 4.2 Site Storage
for all anchors, cramps, dowels, and other
tieback and support devices per industry 4.2.1 Upon receipt at the building site, the
standard practice or approved shop drawings. slate shall remain in the factory-prepared
However, additional anchor holes shall be bundles until beginning of the installation.
drilled at job site by Slate Contractor to Bundles shall be staged in an area which is least
facilitate alignment. susceptible to damage from ongoing
construction activity. Once unbundled, the
3.6.2 No holes or sinkages will be provided slate shall be stacked on timber or platforms at
for Slate Contractor’s handling devices unless least 2" above the ground, and the utmost care
arrangement for this service is made by the shall be taken to prevent staining or impact
Slate Contractor with the Slate Fabricator. damage of the slate. If storage is to be
prolonged, polyethylene or other suitable,
(NOTE: It is not recommended that lewis pins nonstaining film shall be placed between any
be used for stones less than 3½" thick.) wood and finished surfaces of the slate.
Polyethylene or other suitable, nonstaining
3.7 Cutting and Drilling for film may also be required as protective
covering.
Other Trades
5.4.2 To the furthest extent possible, all 5.8.1 Plastic or other weep tubes shall be
anchor preparations in the slate units shall be placed in joints where moisture may
shop-applied. accumulate within the wall, such as at base of
cavity, continuous angles, flashing, etc., or as
5.4.3 All anchorage devices and anchor shown on architectural drawings.
hole/slot fillers shall be in accordance with
ASTM C1242. Care must be taken to ensure
that any holes capable of retaining water are
6.0 CLEANING AND
filled after use to prevent water collection and
freezing. PROTECTION
5.5.1 Where so specified, joints requiring 6.1.1 The Slate Contractor shall keep the slate
sealant shall be first filled with a closed-cell clean with a sponge and clean water. No
ethafoam rope backer rod. The backer rod mortar drippings shall be allowed to dry on the
shall be installed to a depth that provides face of the slate. Upon completion of various
optimum sealant profile after tooling. portions of work, all mortar stains, grease
marks, and dirt should be removed by washing
5.5.2 If recommended by the Sealant with a good grade of cleaner. Flush and clean
Manufacturer, primers shall be applied to the with clear water.
substrate surfaces according to the
manufacturer’s directions prior to application 6.2 Protection of Finished Work
of the joint sealant.
6.2.1 After the slate work has been installed,
5.6 Expansion Joints it shall be the responsibility of the General
Contractor to see that it is properly and
5.6.1 It is not the intent of this specification to adequately protected from damage or stains
make control or expansion joint until all trades are finished. This responsibility
recommendations for a specific project. The includes the stone cleaning costs prior to final
Specifying Authority must specify control or inspection. The Slate Contractor will outline
expansion joints and show location and details the needs for protection, in writing, to the
on drawings. General Contractor.
5.7 Caulking
PRODUCT
5.7.1 Where so specified, joints shall be DESCRIPTION - Slate
pointed with the sealant(s) specified in Section
2.4, after first installing the specified backup
material and applying a primer if required, all
1.0 GEOLOGICAL
in strict accordance with the printed CLASSIFICATION
instructions of the Sealant Manufacturer.
1.1 Slate is a fine-grained, metamorphic
rock exhibiting “slaty” cleavage, which allows
1.3 If the resulting shale sequence, a clastic 1.6 Slate quality has been commonly
sedimentary stone, is subjected to regional related to how long it lasts on a roof. Some
compression at a high enough pressure- slates from northern New England are known
temperature-time cycle, then metamorphism to endure at least 250 years. Slate roofs from
occurs. Regional pressure at this level usually Vermont dwellings constructed circa 1740
folds the entire sedimentary sequence, thus the have been recycled to new homes and remain
bedding surfaces will generally, but not always, in good condition, exhibiting only some fading
be at some angle to the pressure. Pressure from surface oxidation of carbonaceous matter
causes the small, flat sheets of clay minerals in that once gave the slate its dark gray hue. Slate
the shale to always realign normal from areas of less intense metamorphism or
(perpendicular to the direction of pressure). slightly less optimal parent rock composition
The metamorphic pressure can be from any several states to the south of Vermont are
direction and may have no relation to former reported to be good for 75 to 100 years.
bedding, only coinciding with bedding as an
accident of fold geometry. 1.7 Phyllite. If the metamorphic pressures
are more intense, the time under pressure is
1 Ref: American Geological Institute. The Glossary of same structure as mica. Clay mineral sheets are carried
Geology, 2nd ed., 1980, Bates and Jackson, eds. in suspension by water, and deposition from suspension
2 Clay, the word, has two distinct meanings: Clay when turbidity ends. Clay is also a size term defined as
minerals are complex silicates, the products of chemical particles less than 1/256 mm or 0.00016" in size.
weathering of feldspar and other silicate minerals. Clay Particles can also be ground-up mineral crystals, rock
minerals have a sheet-like molecular structure, the fragments, and colloidal lithic material, as well as clay
minerals.
6.2 Within the accepted limits of safe design 8.0 EFFLORESCENCE AND
practice, the closer the allowable load is to the STAINING
ultimate failure load, the more efficient is the
use of the material and the less the cost of the 8.1 Efflorescence is a salt deposit, usually
construction. white in color that appears on exterior surfaces
of masonry walls. The efflorescence-producing
6.3 Contemporary building design does not salts found in masonry are usually sulfates of
usually employ slate as part of the structural sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and
frame, but rather as an independent unit, a iron. Salts which are chlorides of sodium,
curtain wall, or veneer. Therefore, the calcium, and potassium will sometimes appear,
primary concern in such cases is with wind or but they are so highly soluble in water that they
seismic loads, and a safety factor of 5.0 is will be washed off by rain.
recommended. Where the slate is to be
subjected to concentrated loading, such as stair 8.2 The water-soluble salts causing
treads or lintels supported only at the ends, a efflorescence come from other materials in the
factor of 10.0 should be used. These safety wall. The salts exist in small amounts and are
factors may be adjusted using sound leached to the surface by water percolating
engineering principles and judgment. through the walls. The most feasible means of
prevention is to stop the entrance of large
6.4 As buildings become taller and amounts of water. Absorption from the face
individual slate slab veneer becomes larger in