Epoxy Riverstone Decking
Understanding how Epoxy Riverstone Decking (Epoxy Rock) works and how it should be installed
This will explain how Epoxy Riverstone Decking works, proper application techniques, the products offered by Precision Epoxy Products and the benefits gained both structurally and cosmetically when properly installed. Rock Art's Epoxy Riverstone Decking is suitable for pool decks, walkways, patios, driveways, porches, landings or just about anywhere exterior or wooden substrates need to be attractive and functional. Riverstone Decking is achieved by blending a natural rounded river gravel, generally 1/8 to 3/8 inch in size, with one of the six formulations that make up the Stone Bond Series epoxy binders. This creates a wet mix which is hand troweled to a smooth finish over a properly prepared substrate to a thickness of generally 3/8 to 5/8 of an inch. Epoxy Rock overlays can be applied as thick as needed to satisfy unusual structural or cosmetic requirements such as wheelchair ramps, leveling uneven substrates, drainage channels and so on. This overlay when properly installed has a strength that is generally 1½ to 2 times greater than concrete. The strength of the epoxy rock overlay depends on the quality of the epoxy binder being used, the proper amount of epoxy binder coating the stones and the tightness of the stones to each other when troweled into place. Riverstone Decking is purposely designed to be a porous overlay and relies on substrate drainage. The porosity of the epoxy rock overlay will depend on the size of the stone being used and should have a void percentage of between 18% to 33%. This allows ground slab concrete without a vapor barrier to 'Breath' or release ground moisture migration which would normally damage or lift solid bond type coatings that create a vapor barrier on top of the concrete. The bonding of Epoxy Rock to the concrete substrate is accomplished by the run-off of the epoxy binder from the stone aggregate as it is troweled into place. This run-off is referred to as a 'Self-Priming' action. The Self-Priming is controlled by the proper Stone Bond Epoxy™ selection for the current application temperature of the installation which yields the correct viscosity. This allows for the proper amount of run-off from the wet aggregate to the substrate to properly bond without totally coating the concrete with epoxy.
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