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DaveyGall - 2/6/2018 9:26:18 AM

Hi , I'm a landscape garden and have a garden design about to undergo in a primary school  within it is a pebble river around 8m x 0.5m and I'm after advice if polyester resin is suitable  to pour over the pebbles to act as artificial water , this will be open to the elements so could it be recommended? Many thanks in advance

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Matt (Staff) - 2/6/2018 9:40:31 AM

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DaveyGall - 2/6/2018 9:26:18 AM

Hi , I'm a landscape garden and have a garden design about to undergo in a primary school  within it is a pebble river around 8m x 0.5m and I'm after advice if polyester resin is suitable  to pour over the pebbles to act as artificial water , this will be open to the elements so could it be recommended? Many thanks in advance

Hi Davey,

Our water clear polyester resin probably wouldn't be a bad choice in this application. Polyester resin has excellent UV stability (generally better than epoxies for example) so it's a better choice for outdoor applications. It does have some drawbacks though which will need some consideration - the main one being the potential for some shrinkage during cure potentially causing some delamination from the pebbles. You should be able to avoid this though by building up the thickness you need in a number of thinner pours, starting with a pour so thin that it's more like a thick coating and then building up to thicker pours (I'm not sure how thick you want to go with your artificial water).

When you get to your last pour you will need to add some 'Solution MW' wax in styrene additive. This additive will rise to the top of the resin during the cure and mean that the curing resin is not in contact with the air. This will allow the last layer to cure properly without the surface remaining tacky, which is something that will happen without the addition of the wax additive.

Other things to keep in mind are that you'll need a dry substrate and consistently dry conditions whilst you undertake the work. You'll also need some sensible temperatures, at least 10+ deg C during the cure which means if you're working outside without any temperature control then you could have a problem, certainly in the colder months.

I hope this helps.

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DaveyGall - 2/6/2018 9:49:53 AM

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Matt (Staff) - 2/6/2018 9:40:31 AM

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DaveyGall - 2/6/2018 9:26:18 AM

Hi , I'm a landscape garden and have a garden design about to undergo in a primary school  within it is a pebble river around 8m x 0.5m and I'm after advice if polyester resin is suitable  to pour over the pebbles to act as artificial water , this will be open to the elements so could it be recommended? Many thanks in advance

Hi Davey,

Our water clear polyester resin probably wouldn't be a bad choice in this application. Polyester resin has excellent UV stability (generally better than epoxies for example) so it's a better choice for outdoor applications. It does have some drawbacks though which will need some consideration - the main one being the potential for some shrinkage during cure potentially causing some delamination from the pebbles. You should be able to avoid this though by building up the thickness you need in a number of thinner pours, starting with a pour so thin that it's more like a thick coating and then building up to thicker pours (I'm not sure how thick you want to go with your artificial water).

When you get to your last pour you will need to add some 'Solution MW' wax in styrene additive. This additive will rise to the top of the resin during the cure and mean that the curing resin is not in contact with the air. This will allow the last layer to cure properly without the surface remaining tacky, which is something that will happen without the addition of the wax additive.

Other things to keep in mind are that you'll need a dry substrate and consistently dry conditions whilst you undertake the work. You'll also need some sensible temperatures, at least 10+ deg C during the cure which means if you're working outside without any temperature control then you could have a problem, certainly in the colder months.

I hope this helps.

Brilliant Matt thanks so much for your help , I start the job next week so I think the resin will have to go on at a later date due to the cold weather we are having  in the Northeast  at the mo , but definitely interested at a later date , it will only be going In at about an inch or so deep I only want to add the effect of water , its only about 8m x 0.5m so hoping one of the 25kg drums will do it