How to make a stone carpet floor?

A stone carpet is made by combining aggregate (river, marble or virtually any other) with epoxy resins. This combination creates an exceptionally durable and aesthetic base. Additionally, the final effect is limited only by your imagination. In fact, you can get any shape and look you want.  

In theory, making a stone carpet floor may seem uncomplicated, but in this case it is best to rely on the knowledge and experience of the contractors. The most important steps that should be followed when installing a stone carpet floor are described below.

Preparing the ground for a stone carpet

For aesthetic and waterproofing reasons, stone carpet is most often used on balconies and terraces. In the case of new surfaces on balconies and terraces, grinding or shot-blasting of the concrete substrate is required. This treatment is performed to increase the adhesion of the waterproofing layers and the stone carpet itself.

The situation is different in the case of renovation of balconies and terraces . The most popular finishes are tiles and stoneware. If we decide to renovate these surfaces, the most common reason is leaking tiles or stoneware.

Unfortunately, if the waterproofing on the balcony leaks, most often the concrete slab of the balcony is also damp. In such a case, the necessary steps are to completely remove the tiles and all remnants of tile adhesive. If, after this treatment, it turns out that the concrete substrate has a humidity above 4%, it should be brought to a humidity below 4%, or a dedicated primer for wet substrates, Neopox Primer WS , which accepts the substrate humidity below 100%. Of course, you should not forget about grinding or shot-blasting the concrete substrate.

Waterproofing the subfloor for a stone carpet

A stone carpet floor is water-permeable (drainage), therefore it is required to apply waterproofing before applying the aggregate with resin. The most frequently used product for waterproofing under a stone carpet is Neolastik 1K . It is a flexible, waterproofing, fiber-reinforced cementitious material. Thanks to the powdered activator, the product has the properties of two-component mixtures. After adding the appropriate amount of water (approx. 5 liters of water per 20 kg of product) and mixing, the mass is ready for use. Neolastik 1K can be applied with a roller or brush. Preferably in two layers of 2 mm each.

Construction of a stone carpet-type floor

The construction of a layer of aggregate mixed with resin should begin with calculating the demand for Epoxol RM, Epoxol RM-YR and Neodur Polyurea . Theoretical demand depends on two factors. The first one is the maximum diameter of the aggregate that we want to use for our dream floor. Another factor that depends on the diameter of the aggregate is the minimum thickness of the stone carpet.

Example:

For example, if our aggregate has a maximum diameter of 5 mm, the minimum thickness of the stone carpet must be above 15 mm (the thickness of the stone carpet should be equal to three times the diameter of the aggregate). In this particular case, for an aggregate with a diameter of 5 mm and a stone carpet thickness of 15 mm, the theoretical demand for Epoxol RM or RM-YR per 1 m 2 is from 2.3 kg to 2.8 kg. In turn, for aggregate it is 23 kg/m 2 .

Neodur Polyurea resin, the resin requirement is lower. The weight ratio of resin to aggregate is very favorable and amounts to 1:12. For the example described above, the theoretical resin requirement will be from 1.5kg to 1.9kg.

The next step is to thoroughly prepare the resin, i.e. mixing both components separately, then combining them and mixing them again using a low-speed device (about 400 rpm). It is worth remembering that two-component products are characterized by the suitability of the mixture for use , so after mixing we have 1 hour to work. Now it's time to thoroughly mix the resin and aggregate, and then we finally start laying the stone carpet. Pour the aggregate with resin and spread it to the appropriate thickness using a trowel or squeegee. In some cases, eaves profiles that are dedicated to stone carpets should be used. For thicker stone carpets, it may be necessary to build formwork.

The most important features of products for making stone carpets:

Neodur Polyurea S polyurea sealing varnish . It is a two-component varnish based on aliphatic resins. This means that it is fully resistant to solar radiation and does not turn yellow even after many years. It gives the stone carpet a "wet" appearance, bringing out the color of the aggregate (for this reason, we do not recommend using it on stone carpets made only of light aggregate).

Stone carpet floors have many uses and advantages. They can be used to create highly decorative floors indoors and outdoors. The application itself, although it may seem easy and pleasant, requires a lot of knowledge and experience. Another advantage of this solution is high mechanical and chemical resistance.