Posted by Gary Dodge on March 29, 2002 at 00:40:45:
In Reply to: Re: stained glass stepping stones posted by Carol Segura on March 25, 2002 at 15:16:32:
Hi Again,
Sorry I didn't notice your reply sooner.
I am far from an expert in concrete and generally just use diamondcrete myself, but here is some of what it is about.
Many of the reinforcing additives add fibers to the mix that tie the concrete together much like the way the paper in paper mache gives strength to the flour that is used as the binder.
The acrylic additives add some elasticity that helps to resist cracking.
A great deal of resistance to cracking can also be achieved by adding a wire lattice of sorts, like mesh in the middle of the stone. This will do a lot to insure survival of your work and will not be visible or change the appearance of the stones.
: : Hi Carol,
: : I'm pretty sure that as long as you lay the stones flush to the ground so they will not be hit by the blades and have a nicely packed sand bed for them to rest on you will not have any problems.
: : You did not mention what you are using for the stones, but DiamondCrete has incredible compressive strength and should easily resist the weight of a mower rolling across it.
: : If you are working with concrete or some other mix, make sure you add a lot of reinforcing wire or fibers and use one of the acrylic strengthening additives as well.
: :
: : : I am working on a project which involves several
: : : stained glass stepping stones. They are for our
: : : school grounds. Last week, as I was picking my
: : : kids up from school, I noticed the ground keeper
: : : was mowing the grass using a riding lawn mower.
: : : Now, I am concerned whether my stones will survive
: : : a riding lawn mower and what other choices do I
: : : have for their placement & preservation? Please
: : : advise with options.
: Thank you for your answer. I am planning to use
: a combination of mortar, concrete mix, cement and
: water. It is what I've used for the other stones.
: (I have 6 made in the set of 9. I am thinking
: I need to stay close to the original recipe as
: they may look too different if I change anything
: now. I went to Lowe's and saw "reinforced concrete mix" and I saw "concrete mix with glass
: additives". What is the difference and what are
: they needed for? Please let me know.