November 16, 2016
How to Simulate a River Bed in Epoxy
A customer asks, “I recently saw what looks like a creek bed built out of epoxy with stones in it. How is this done in epoxy?”
Here are the steps to do it:
- Choose your stone. The stone that you choose can be uniform in size or a blend of stone sizes and shapes. If bigger stone is going to be used, it is recommended that you use a blend of larger stone with smaller stone. Variations in shape will also help to increase the amount of surface area holding the system together, making it stronger. Be sure the stone is clean and completely dry before attempting any of the steps below.
- Make a mock-up of the complete system below in a small box made out of plywood or similar material. This will verify everything from stone selection, to aesthetics, to stone durability. It is also gives you a chance to practice your procedure,and get additional phone tech support from us if required before you proceed with your project.
- Construct the recessed area that your river will “flow”. That could be a recessed area in a concrete floor, a wooded shadow box or some other “box” to hold your river. Be sure the box is watertight and that the surface is properly prepared before proceeding –www.epoxy.com/surfaceprep.aspx
- Prime the area created in step 3 with Epoxy.com Product #12 – www.epoxy.com/12.aspx at a rate of 250-300SF per gallon. Allow to cure until hard to the touch, typically 6-8 hours
- After the Primer in Step 4 is hard to the touch and before 24 hours has passed, apply a coat of Epoxy.com Product #1 – http://www.epoxy.com/1.aspx – 100% solids General Purpose Epoxy Coating to the bottom of the box created in Step 3. This will help to give you a consistent background color. Black helps give you the illusion of infinite depth.
- Optionally you can add a second coat of the #1 Pigmented Epoxy Coating to increase color intensity.
- On the other hand if the stone in Step 6 is so deep that you will not be able to see through it you can skip this step and proceed to step 6.
- Allow the epoxy in Step 5 to cure hard to the touch before proceeding, typically 10-12 hours. Do not wait more than 24 hours before moving on to Step 6.
- Properly mix Epoxy.com Product #17 – www.epoxy.com/17.aspx – Epoxy Stone Adhesive Part A and Part B. Add your stone into the mixed stone adhesive. The amount of stone that you will be able to add to it will vary depending on size and how clean the stone is. 100 lbs per 3 quart batch (2 QT “A” and 1 QT “B”) is a good starting point. This ratio should be verified in a mockup before proceeding to this step. Mix in the stone until a uniform shine can be see on all the stone. Install this mix into your “box” at the desired thickness. Be sure to pack it in tightly and level to the desired surface. Allow to harden overnight. Do not wait more than 24 hours before moving on to Step 7.
- Properly mix and pour Epoxy.com Product #214 – www.epoxy.com/214.aspx – Table Top and Casting Epoxy into the spaces between the rock in step 6. You typically will want to pour a minimum of 1/8 inch or not more than 1/2 inch at a time. Take care to break any bubbles as you go early and often. This is typically easy to do using a hair dryer and/or Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol mist). Allow each layer to harden and cool before adding another lift. Never wait more than 24 hours in between coats and/or pours of epoxy.
When you complete this project it will look like a stone riverbed filled with \ water. You can also experiment with other objects in your stone mix. Contact Epoxy.com Technical Support with your questions: info@epoxy.com or 352-533-2167
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Posted by Norm Lambert
May 5, 2016
Bonding stone together with Product #17 – Epoxy Stone Adhesive is attractive and functional. It allows you to have the look of natural rock. This “natural rock” will let water pass through it just like its non-epoxied counterparts. It is however a good choice when you don’t want that stone to be moved, accidentally or on purpose.
This function is so nice that I am seeing projects where larger and larger stone is being utilized for the same reasons (above) as the small stone. There are a few shortcomings that should be avoided when bonding larger stones.
You want to make sure when selecting your stone that it is not too round. Round stone reduces the square inches of surfaces touching each other that are bonded together. That reduces the strength of the material, by reducing the square inches of bonding surface. If angular stone is used (as in the picture above) you increase the surface area touching each other and increase the strength.
If you want larger stones in the mix, I suggest you use a variety of smaller stone to fill in the large gaps between the bigger stone. If you combine a mixed gradation of stone that is also angular (not round) you can get an excellent compromise of strength and large stone beauty.
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Posted by Norm Lambert
August 18, 2015
My company has many different products and systems. I often get asked, “What is the best epoxy?” I need details about the
Clear Chemical Resistant Epoxy #15 over Stained concrete
job to answer that question. The best epoxy is the one that is right for the specific job. That is where our company’s motto “The Right Product for the Right Job” came from. This is the driving force of our company and our technical support department. This has been our driving force for 35 years.
Perhaps the real question is, “What is the most versatile epoxy?” That is an easier question to answer. It is Epoxy.com Product #15 – www.epoxy.com/15.aspx. When I was an epoxy installer I always had Product #15 Clear Chemical Resistant Epoxy Resin on my jobsite.
Advantages
- Clear Chemical Resistant
- Can be applied as thin as 5/1000 inch or less and as thick as 1/32 (without Filler) or more
- Can be applied as an aggregate filled system at a thickness of 12 inches or more.
- Excellent wetting properties
- Good temperature resistance
- Low Viscosity
- Non-shrink
- Slower than other clear epoxies to oxidize outdoor in direct sunlight
- Strong and durable
- Virtually non-yellowing indoors
Uses
- Acid Stain Concrete Floor Sealer
- Base Coving Material for seamless flooring (when mixed with fumed silica and silica sand)
- Clear coating over most porous materials
- Chemical resistant primer
- Chemical resistant mortar when mixed with silica sand
- Chemical resistant top coating
- Clear epoxy sealer for concrete
- Clear epoxy sealer for wood, and other porous materials
- Counter top coating
- Epoxy quartz flooring
- Pothole repair in concrete (when mixed with silica sand)
- Sealing of stone that has been previously epoxied together (aka epoxy-rock, stone carpet etc.)
- Surface sealing concrete cracks and joints (when mixed with fumed silica thickener)
- Use with fiberglass or Kevlar to make strong composite members
- Waterproof wood joint sealer (when mixed with fumed silica thickener)
- Wood bonding as neat material or mixed with fumed silica thickener
- Wood Floor Coating
Product #15 – www.epoxy.com/15.aspx – is a great product to have around for any number of emergency situations. Please address your questions to Epoxy.com Technical Support at 352-533-2167 or email me at norm@epoxy.com.
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Posted by Norm Lambert
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