Sealant Joints in Granite Wall Panels

[MPHenry]

I would be grateful if anyone out there can help me with the following problem.
I have a building which is cladded with granite panels and the joint sealant has now failed. I wish to re-seal the joints. My problem arises where the existing joint between adjacent panels is TOO NARROW and the joint has to be widened. The panels are fixed in location and cannot be adjusted. How can I achieve this with minimum effort? Is there a special tool or diamond tipped blade that can be used with a standard electrical grinder? In order for the sealant to perform properly a minimum joint width of 10mm is required. The existing granite panels are 30mm thick.

Regards

Mike [sig][/sig]

 

[Ron]

Mike,
There are several ways to achieve this. One is to use a tuck point grinder, designed for tuck pointing mortar joints. This will give you a nice square joint to the depth you want. Another is to use a concrete router bit. This is a high speed bit for routing cracks in concrete, but will work for this application also. A jig will have to be used to make sure you keep a straight cut. A 10mm width should not be a problem, as you can get the bits in different diameters. They come in two styles...v-cut and square. Use the square cut. Finally, you can use a concrete abrasive blade in a circular saw. Use a guide here also. One thing you can do with this technique is to use two blades if your saw will allow or you can adapt. Works like a dado blade in wood. [sig][/sig]