evolution Stone Resin DIY Kit Instructions

evolution Stone Resin DIY Kit

Specifications

• Product Name: Stone Resin DIY Kit
• Components: 2 component kit
• Aggregate Blending Ratios: 75%:25% 25mm:1-3mm or 50%:50% 2-5mm:1-3mm
• Depth Guide:
  • 1-3mm Aggregate size: 15mm Screed Depth (12mm minimum)
  • 2-5mm Aggregate size: 15mm Screed Depth (12mm minimum)
  • 6-10mm Aggregate size: 30mm Screed Depth (12mm minimum)
• Binder Grades: Poly Std Binder, Poly Pro Binder

Product Usage Instructions

Aggregate Selection
The choice of decorative aggregates should be based on the intended use of the installation. For areas with no traffic like tree pits, use 6-10mm or 2-5mm aggregates. For pedestrian or vehicular traffic areas, blend different aggregate sizes for strength.

Adding Fines for Anti-Slip Properties
Slowly add 5% coarse silica sand or ground glass to the screed during mixing to enhance anti-slip properties. Avoid dumping the full amount at once to prevent bumps on the surface.

Blending Colours
Experiment with blending different aggregates for a range of colors, but ensure compatibility and conduct trials before using new blends. Mix aggregates evenly to avoid uneven textured surfaces.

STONE RESIN DIY KIT INSTALLATION

• The stone binder system is supplied as a 2-component kit and each kit has been designed to be mixed with 100kg of decorative aggregate blended at 75%:25% 2-5mm:1-3mm or 50%:50% 2-5mm:1-3mm. 5% by weight. Coarse silica sand or ground glass can be slowly added to the screed during mixing to enhance the anti-slip properties of the finished screed.

• Whilst the depth of the screed used for an installation is determined by several factors such as sub-base, intended use, aggregate size, etc, there are minimum depths that should be considered particularly if the finished screed is intended to bear some element of loading be that pedestrian, vehicular or even ornamental objects.

• A general rule is to make the nominal depth of the screed at least 3 times thicker than the size of the largest aggregate being used with a minimum depth of 15mm. Therefore a minimum depth for 1-3mm aggregate should be 15mm, 2-5mm aggregate should be 15mm and 6-10mm aggregate should be 30mm. This guideline ensures that each aggregate particle has a good chance of having the maximum number of bonding points to its neighboring aggregate particles. The blending of aggregate sizes as recommended in the previous paragraph will also give the screed components greater bonding opportunities and increased strength whilst remaining porous.

POLY STD BINDER
Standard Binder is the standard grade of stone binder. This grade is not UV stable and will gradually give the finished screed a permanent golden/honey- coloured hue over the first few months after installation. As a consequence, it is best to limit this product to use with buff/yellow/golden/brown aggregates like Golden Pea or Golden Quartz. Red Granite seems to complement Poly PRO well and Green Granite gives a dark almost black appearance as the resin matures.  It is recommended that before using unfamiliar aggregates, installers should trial the screeds by making sample slabs and leaving them outside in a sunny aspect for a few months so the final effect can be realized.

POLY PRO BINDER
Poly Pro is a premium-grade stone binder. This grade is UV stable and will not change color over time. As a consequence, the installer can offer a greater range of aggregate colors and designs always paying attention to what the intended use of the installation will be. It can be tempting to get carried away with fabulous-looking aggregates and glass which may not offer the correct level of performance that the finished surface needs to provide.

AGGREGATES
Only use aggregates that have been specifically sourced for use in resin-bound screed from a company that specializes in the supply of decorative aggregates. You should always tell the supplier that you intend to use the aggregate in a resin-bound system when you order. They will ensure that the aggregate is dry, correctly sized, and dust-free. They will also have information regarding the suitability of specific aggregates for certain applications e.g. not all aggregates should be used for driveways or areas of heavy traffic. All these factors will affect the look, durability, and longevity of the finished install.

Usage

• The intended use of the finished installation must be considered when deciding upon which decorative aggregates to use in the screed. For installations that will not be subject to any traffic and are relatively small in size such as tree pits then a 6-10 mm or a 2-5 mm aggregate should be ideal as these screeds are very porous thus allowing quick flow through of water into the subsoil.

• For installations that will be subject to pedestrian or vehicular traffic and consequently will cover larger areas, then a blend of aggregate size is essential. This is to give the finished screed the strength and durability required
  for such heavy-duty applications.

• Most installers will use 75% of 2-5 mm aggregate with 25% of 1-3 mm aggregate. 5% coarse silica sand or fine ground glass can be added to the screed during mixing to help with the anti-slip properties of the finished installation. Adding these fines to the mix is preferable to broadcasting them as it is difficult to broadcast the fines evenly. This can lead to a variation in appearance on the surface of the screed which appears to the eye as shade differences across the surface.

• The fines should be added slowly and evenly to the mixer after the resin has evenly coated the aggregate. Do not dump the full amount in one hit as this will lead to concentrations of fines and resin which will cause small or wormcast-type bumps on the screed as it sets.

Blending Colours

• Blending different aggregates can allow the installer to offer a greater range of colors or shades but it is recommended that installers carry out careful trials before trying any new blends. Make sure that the aggregates are all rated for the intended use and make sure that the shapes are compatible. Some rounded aggregates will not mix well with angular aggregates and are difficult to trowel evenly making it difficult to get an even textured surface.
• Certain aggregates such as some flint-type stones contain small but varying concentrations of iron minerals which can leach out of the aggregate when the screed is subjected to weathering and can lead to brown-colored spots on the screed. These spots are difficult if impossible to remove. Because the aggregate is a natural material the occurrence of iron staining is random and variable and cannot be predicted or guaranteed against. However, aggregate suppliers will rate an aggregate with its risk of iron staining based on whether iron is known to be present in the aggregate type and whether there have been any reported occurrences of iron staining when the aggregate has been used in resin-bound aggregate screed.
• Installers should ensure they are satisfied with the suitability of an aggregate as part of the suitability checks when choosing an aggregate for an installation. If a customer insists on an aggregate that could be at risk from iron staining, then they must be made aware of the staining issue as neither the supplier of the aggregate nor the resin supplier can be responsible if this entirely natural phenomenon occurs.

INSTALLATION CONDITIONS
Always pay close attention to the local weather forecast. Installations using Poly Resin should not be attempted if temperatures are likely to be outside of the range of 5 – 25°C. If this is the case, please contact the office for guidance. Likewise, do not attempt to install if it is damp or raining as doing so can lead to long-term underlying effects that may affect the look, durability, and longevity of the finished surfacing.

Storage
The best conditions for an installation are a dry, mild, cloudy day where there is no threat of rain and the temperature is around 12 -18°C such as we get in late spring, summer, or early autumn. Under these conditions, the screed will have a pot life of 20 -30 minutes (STD) or 30- 40 minutes (PRO) and be cured/tack-free after 6 hours (ARO) or 8-10 hours (PRO). If the conditions are outside of this ‘perfect window’ then certain considerations will need to be made. On hot, cloudless, sunny days objects in direct sunlight can get considerably warmer than air temperature, anything up to 50- 60°C i.e. consider the temperature it can get to inside a vehicle or the surface of anything dark coloured such as tarmac. As with all chemical reactions the speed at which Poly Resin cures increases with temperature. If the resin kits and the aggregate are not kept in a shady well-ventilated place (pop-up gazebos are a great daytime storage option) then they will get well more than the 12-18°C ideal during the day. Add to this the impact of a hot black top sub-base and the pot life of the screed will be greatly reduced.

Temperature
At colder times of the year, it is common for the resin and aggregate to get very cold especially if kept in an unheated warehouse or overnight in a van or lorry. Also, the ground temperature is very often well below 10°C and literally will draw the heat from anything placed upon it. Consequently, although the air temperature may feel relatively warm the three main components of the installation (resin, aggregate, and sub-base) may be very close to the minimum recommended installation temperature of 5°C. The closer to this temperature the resin gets then the slower it will cure and below this temperature the reaction does not occur at all, leaving the hardener component susceptible to moisture. This can lead to long-term underlying effects on the screed. Make sure the resin and aggregate are as close to the recommended temperatures as possible. Remember that at cooler times of the year clear skies may give us relatively warm days but by late afternoon temperatures will drop below freezing. Any screed that has not been laid early enough may not have been cured by the time the temperature drops below 5°C this is especially true for Poly Resin PRO which naturally cures slowly.

SUB-BASE CONDITION
One of the motivations for laying a resin-bound surface
is to revitalize an older path or driveway. The success of the installation is reliant upon the sub-base being suitable for overlaying with resin-bound aggregate.

Sub-base
Solid monolithic sub-bases like recently laid and cured concrete or Tarmac are the best surfaces to install on providing that the underlying layers of the surfacing are stable and have sufficient load-spreading capabilities to support the screed during the installation and its working lifetime. Some installers have successfully laid screed over very well-compacted granular sub-bases such as a layer of Type 1. We would not recommend this as the bond at the interface between the screed and the sub-base can never be as strong as with monolithic surfaces. Inevitably there will be movement and settlement of the granular sub-base over time and this will be reflected through to the screed causing stresses and weak points and a reduction of the strength and durability. Damp rising from a base which is often sodden can affect the resin long-term sometimes causing opaqueness. For the same reason monolithic sub- bases should have a fall to drain and no potholes so there are no areas of standing water. Under no circumstances do we endorse the laying of screed over paving stones or block paving. Due to the nature of reflective cracking, the gaps between the flags/ blocks will inevitably transfer through to the surface of the screed causing wholesale cracking of the surface.
Installation

• Before starting the installation the sub-base must be dry, fit for purpose, fully intact, and free of dust, dirt, and loose material. Any cracks in the sub-base must be chased out and repaired otherwise the newly laid screed will be susceptible to reflective cracking within a relatively short time. Reflective cracking is a phenomenon that affects all surfacing types. The new screed will have a certain level of flexibility which will help it cope with the stresses induced by underlying cracks but
  the crack will inevitably reflect through over time leading to expensive return visits to the site. Cracking of the screed due to poor sub-base conditions is the number one cause of return visits to an installation.

• Before any work is carried out the existing area will offer clues as to which sections have been a problem in the past e.g., cracks, puddles (dry or wet), patches of different surfacing, slumping or voids, etc. These problematic areas should be rectified and stabilized before overlaying with screed.

• It is recommended that large areas of screed are sympathetically designed and installed in sections using either expansion strips contrasting screed boarders or other surfacing materials. This approach will offer several advantages to the installer. The biggest advantage is that the installation can then be done in sections thus allowing the installation team time to approach the job in stages. This is important when a small team is being used, but even large well-drilled teams have their work cut out trying to maintain a wet edge and consistent surface texture, especially during the height of summer when the increased temperatures mean that there is less time to manipulate the screed before it sets. Another advantage is to minimize or mitigate the risk of problems due to unknown areas of instability in the sub-base. Should a reflective crack appear or a problem with subsidence causes stress to the screed then the repair is isolated to a smaller section and this can if necessary be replaced in its entirety and the underlying problem rectified without affecting the rest of the installation. The same approach will help limit repair work necessary if the screed is damaged in some other way at a later date, say if an area has to be dug up to access gas/water/electricity pipes and cables.

CROSS SECTION OF SURFACES:

USEFUL INSTALLATION LINK: CLICK HERE

FAQ:

Q: What should be considered when choosing decorative aggregates?
A: Consider the intended use of the installation – non-traffic areas may require different aggregates compared to high-traffic areas.

Q: How can I enhance the anti-slip properties of the finished installation?
A: Slowly add coarse silica sand or ground glass during mixing to improve anti-slip properties, ensuring even distribution.

Q: Can I mix different colored aggregates?
A: Yes, blending different aggregates can create a variety of colors, but ensure compatibility and conduct trials beforehand.

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