Am going to have my first crack at overlaying the concrete path in my garden with a resin bound surface.
The path is made up of about five separate sections with day joints in between and have slightly differing longitudinal gradients to each other. The joints all meet at the same level and I'm confident that they wont show once I've filled them but I'm concerned the new resin bound aggregate surface will take on the same profile if floated in at the same thickness all over.
So the question is this...
Do I simply make the coating thicker in places in an attempt to level off the surface or is there some sort of self leveling compound, screed mix or cementitious overlay I can apply to the area first? Any advice on products would be much appreciated.
Have included a pic. Please excuse the fence and wall.It's already gone and all set up to be replaced with new feather edged fence with tegula retaining wall.
have you found a supplier willing to sell you the resin and grit?
you will be shocked at the cost
far easier to hook that path out and relay with block paving or flags and cheaper
AFAIK it will not look right done over cracks
LLL
lutonlagerlout wrote:have you found a supplier willing to sell you the resin and grit?
you will be shocked at the cost
far easier to hook that path out and relay with block paving or flags and cheaper
AFAIK it will not look right done over cracks
LLL
Hello mate,
I appreciate the reply, I really, do but I already know the cracks will show through. What I was asking is whether there's a self levelling compound or other cementitious product that I can lay down in prep for the resin?
There are a lot of products on the market for levlling. Grano is the cheapest way but will need to be minimum 20 ml. That concrete will need power washing, scabbling and the joints clesarng out before you can start. There is a guy calked SImeon who specialises in resins but hasn'nt been on for a while you might find some of his posts on the atvhives. I personally would tear it up and pave it.
seanandruby wrote:There are a lot of products on the market for levlling. Grano is the cheapest way but will need to be minimum 20 ml. That concrete will need power washing, scabbling and the joints clesarng out before you can start. There is a guy calked SImeon who specialises in resins but hasn'nt been on for a while you might find some of his posts on the atvhives. I personally would tear it up and pave it.
Cheers for the reply mate. So you reckon a grano slurry mix troweled in will give me a smooth base to lay on?
There are polymers for thin layers. Not slurry mix with grano, it has to be mixed right not to wet. It should show you on the morter mix page. Stuff like renderock are also good but all need the existing prepping right otherwise massive fail.
seanandruby wrote:There are polymers for thin layers. Not slurry mix with grano, it has to be mixed right not to wet. It should show you on the morter mix page. Stuff like renderock are also good but all need the existing prepping right otherwise massive fail.
In terms of polymers, are we talking about latex self levelling compound type products?
As i said there are numerous products on the market so you need to take a look at what suits your pocket, it can work out quite expensive. There are different mixes for different thicknesses on some materials. I would only think about overlaying if it was for instance a set of stairs that can't be removed, or structural floors etc:
seanandruby wrote:As i said there are numerous products on the market so you need to take a look at what suits your pocket, it can work out quite expensive. There are different mixes for different thicknesses on some materials. I would only think about overlaying if it was for instance a set of stairs that can't be removed, or structural floors etc:
Well I've already got a pallet of Brittany bronze aggregate and the resin sat on me drive so no going back now. I'll post pics on this thread over the next couple of weeks and then again in a few months whether good or bad. Never know, it may be of help to someone else.
As you have already pulled the trigger on the other materials may as well break out that old concrete and put some fresh stuff down it will be a better finish no point doing a bodge job of levelling it for it to fail as it will look terrible cracked or with patchy repairs
I am a bit late in my reply (just back off holiday).
I am an Approved Installer for SureSet Resin Bound. I have done a couple of overlays before, but there are things that you need to do before installing the resin
I would not bother making up the levels with anything - just use the resin bound to an average thickness of 16mm and install it thicker where necessary, but keeping the top surface as flat as possible
If you do build up the levels with grano or another compound, then you must wait at least 7 days before installing the Resin Bound. Make sure that you prime the concrete before building up the levels.
Water will drain through the Resin Bound and onto the concrete surface, so you must make sure that there is somewhere for the water to go
You will however, have to install some CRM - Crack Reduction Membrane over any cracks in the concrete, including expansion joints. This will ensure that the cracks do not show through the surface of the resin bound
Ensure that the area is fully cleaned with a power washer and all weeds removed. The concrete must be primed first and then install the CRM over the cracks and any bad areas of concrete
Then install your Resin Bound to the correct depth.
If you have not done it before - beware. It goes off very quick. You do not have much working time with it.
Once you start, you cannot stop, unless you have a pre determined stopping point like a drain, a kerb etc.
You will need 2 people minimum - 1 person to mix and 1 to lay
I am a bit late in my reply (just back off holiday).
I am an Approved Installer for SureSet Resin Bound. I have done a couple of overlays before, but there are things that you need to do before installing the resin
I would not bother making up the levels with anything - just use the resin bound to an average thickness of 16mm and install it thicker where necessary, but keeping the top surface as flat as possible
If you do build up the levels with grano or another compound, then you must wait at least 7 days before installing the Resin Bound. Make sure that you prime the concrete before building up the levels.
Water will drain through the Resin Bound and onto the concrete surface, so you must make sure that there is somewhere for the water to go
You will however, have to install some CRM - Crack Reduction Membrane over any cracks in the concrete, including expansion joints. This will ensure that the cracks do not show through the surface of the resin bound
Ensure that the area is fully cleaned with a power washer and all weeds removed. The concrete must be primed first and then install the CRM over the cracks and any bad areas of concrete
Then install your Resin Bound to the correct depth.
If you have not done it before - beware. It goes off very quick. You do not have much working time with it.
Once you start, you cannot stop, unless you have a pre determined stopping point like a drain, a kerb etc.
You will need 2 people minimum - 1 person to mix and 1 to lay
Good luck
Nigel
Cheers for the reply mate,
Some very helpful info for the future there. I laid the gear in the end before I read your post.
I called the manufacturers of the resin I bought (boundtex) who said for small projects I'd get away with a cement mixer as opposed to a forced action. The recommendations for their product is to just lay it with no surface primer straight onto either concrete or macadam.
I mixed and laid it on my own but the working time wasn't too bad (probably due to the more temperate climate in late autumn). I'm a groundworker by trade so trowelling, floating and raking is in my comfort zone. For those not in the trade I'd definitely say to have someone helping.
Including what you can't see in the starting pic there was 28m2 and wow, I didn't dare stop. Finished it up under worklights and was worried my eyes were playing tricks on me under false light but the finish is great and I'm more than happy.
Only time will tell if the concrete moves any more and breaks the surface but that can happen to any concrete old or new and I think the sections have done all the moving/drifting they're ever going to do - hopefully!
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