AU2006100514B4

AU2006100514B4 - Trafficable waterproof membrane

Info

Publication number: AU2006100514B4
Application number: AU2006100514A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Anthony Edwards
Original assignee: ADCRETE IND Pty Ltd
Current assignee: ADCRETE INDUSTRIES Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2005-06-17
Filing date: 2006-06-16
Publication date: 2007-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2014-06-16
Also published as: AU2006100514A4

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "TRAFFICABLE WATERPROOF MEMBRANE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: TITLE: TRAFFICABLE WATERPROOF MEMBRANE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention THIS INVENTION relates to a trafficable waterproof membrane.

The invention particularly relates, but is not limited to, a trafficable waterproof membrane which may be laid over a concrete slab, such as a floor slab, roof slab or the like.

The invention also relates to a method of forming a trafficable surface on substrates such as concrete, asphalt and timber.

2. Prior Art In many trafficable areas in buildings, eg., balconies, bathrooms, shower recesses, water closets and the like, a waterproof membrane is laid over the concrete slab, or other floor surface, to seal the slab or floor surface against leaking, eg., to the building level below.

In many installations, a cementitious layer is laid over the waterproof membrane and is topped with grouted tiles to form the completed floor surface.

Usually, the person who applies the waterproof membrane, and is liable for its effectiveness, is not the person a tiler) who lays the cementitious layer and the tiles.

It has not been unknown for the tiler to inadvertently damage the waterproof membrane, allowing water to leak therethrough.

Furthermore, when the floor has been completed, any damage 2 to the underlying slab or floor which damages or breaches the waterproof membrane is not visible and the damage to the waterproof membrane can be difficult, and often expensive, to locate and repair.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of applying a trafficable surface directly to the waterproof membrane.

It is a preferred object to provide such a method where any damage to the waterproof membrane is visible and easily detectable.

It is a further preferred object to provide a method where alternative finishes can be provided, including patterned surfaces and nonslip surfaces.

It is a still further preferred object of the present invention to provide a method where the trafficable surface can be sealed with a protective sealing cover.

It is a still further preferred object of the present invention to provide a method where a trafficable surface can be applied to other floor or building substrates, including concrete, asphalt and timber.

In one aspect, the present invention resides in a method of forming a trafficable waterproof membrane, including the steps of: applying a waterproof membrane to a supporting substrate; mixing a powder blend with a liquid emulsion and applying at least one coat of the mixture to the waterproof membrane; and allowing the mixture to set to form a first coating.

Preferably, a second mixture of powder blend and liquid emulsion is prepared and laid over the first coat and allowed to set to form a second coat.

Preferably, optional pigments are incorporated in the mixtures so that the first and second coats are of different colours.

One or more stencils may be laid over the first coat, before the second mixture is applied, so that the second coat has a patterned appearance.

An optional speckled coat, preferably incorporating relatively coarse powders, may be applied over the second coat to provide a non-slip surface.

Preferably, the sealing coat is laid over the uppermost coat to seal the trafficable surface.

The (Part A) powder blend, or blends, may incorporate a blend of specialty cements, graded aggregates, wetting agents and/or super plasticisers and an example of a suitable powder blend is sold under the trade mark "DP BASE" by Adcrete Industries Pty Ltd, Clontarf, Queensland, Australia.

Preferably, the (Part B) liquid emulsion is primarily acrylicbased, but latex-, polyurethane- or styrene-based emulsions may also be used to vary performance. Suitable liquid emulsions are sold by Adcrete Industries Pty Ltd under the trade marks "DP MODIFIER", "IMPACT MODIFIER" and "SUPER M".

The pigments preferably comprise pre-blended pigment dispersions or pigment powders.

The speckled coat may incorporate the powder blend and liquid emulsion as hereinbefore described, together with coarser powders or pigments to generate a relatively rough, non-slip surface; and the powder(s) may have light reflective qualities.

Preferably, the sealing coat is a clear, acrylic resin-based coating. However, the resin may be solvent or water-based, may be polyurethane or polyurethane/acrylic-based, and may be of single or multicomponent form. A suitable sealing coat is sold by Adcrete Industries Pty Ltd under the trade mark "GUARDSEAL".

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a trafficable surface for a floor substrate, such as concrete, asphalt or timber, where the first coat is applied to an exposed surface of the substrate, and the second coat, optional speckled coat and sealing coat are applied as hereinbefore described.

The first and second coats may be applied by spreading, eg., with a roller or "squeegee" spreader, or by spraying. Preferably, the speckled coat is applied by spraying; and preferably the sealing coat is applied either via a spray gun or paint roller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a trafficable waterproof membrane, applied on a concrete floor slab, in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The waterproof membrane 10, eg., of the type sold under the "ADFLEX" or "ADFLEX FR" trade marks by Adcrete Industries Pty Ltd, is laid over the concrete floor or roof slab 100 and is allowed to set.

The mixture for the first coat 20 is then prepared.

For a roll-on or squeegee application, eg., by a paint roller, the recommended mixing ratio is as follows: 7-8 litres Part B liquid emulsion, eg., Adcrete "DP MODIFIER" or Adcrete "IMPACT MODIFIER"; Part A powder blend, eg., Adcrete "DP BASE"; 1 pigmentation colour pack.

Approximately 6 litres of the Part B liquid modifier are added to a clean 20 litre bucket and agitated with a variable speed agitator and the contents of the pigment pack colour dispersant until the colour is completely dispersed. The powder blend is slowly added until completely mixed. To achieve a rollable consistency, add an additional 1-2 litres of the Part B liquid modifier.

(ii) For a spray application, the recommended mixing ratio is as follows: 5-6 litres Part B liquid modifier; Part A powder blend; 1 pigment pack.

6 Add approximately 5 litres of the Part B liquid modifier to a clean, 20 litre bucket and agitate with a variable speed agitator and add the contents of the pigment pack colour dispersant. Once the colour is completely dispersed, slowly add the Part A powder blend and continue to mix for at least 2 minutes until fully mixed. Add the remainder of the liquid modifier to attain the required mixture. Filter the mixture through a 1-2 mesh filter, such as flyscreen or shadecloth, into another 20 litre bucket to eliminate any possible lumps of unmixed product.

The mixture is applied to the waterproof membrane to fully cover the membrane, eg., by the paint roller or spray gun, and is allowed to dry to form the first coat.

When dry, stencil strips or pre-formed stencils may be laid over the first coat; and a second mixture prepared as hereinbefore described and applied to the top of the first coat and the second coat 30 is allowed to dry.

The stencil strips or pre-formed stencils will create a pattern in the second coat 30 where the colour of the first coat will be visible, ie., at 31.

When the second coat 30 is dry, a mixture for a speckled coat may be prepared, having recommended mix ratios of: 4 litres Part B liquid modifier; 20kg Part A powder blend; 1 pigment pack.

The mixture is preferably mixed using the same method (ii) as the mixtures for the first and second coats applied by spray application and the speckled coat 40 is applied by spray gun. Different speckled effects can be achieved by changing the air pressure and nozzle of the spray gun, and the coarser powder(s) will create a rougher, non-slip surface, while reflective powders will reflect the sun/lighting.

When the speckled coat 40 has dried, the stencil strips or preformed stencils are removed and sealing coat 50, preferably of clear gloss acrylic resin, is applied by spray gun or paint roller to fully cover the coated area.

NB: If a speckled coat 40 is not required, then the sealing coat will be applied after the second coat 30 has dried.

The resultant trafficable surface is fully waterproof, with an attractive aesthetic appearance. If, at any time, the waterproof membrane should be damaged, eg., by a crack in the concrete substrate 100, any damage to the waterproof membrane 10 will be readily visible and necessary remedial action can be taken.

As hereinbefore described, in certain applications, the waterproof membrane 10 may be omitted and the first coat 20 may be applied directly to an exposed surface of a concrete, asphalt or timber substrate, and the second coat 30/speckled coat 40/sealing coat 50 applied as required.

The selection of materials and the range of colours/patterns/ finishes can be varied to suit the particular intended applications.

The stencils may be placed to produce a tile-like appearance, or to provide regular geometric) or random patterns in the trafficable surface. Should the sealing coat 50 become worn/damaged, it may be 8 recoated to restore the appearance of the surface.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of forming a trafficable waterproof membrane, including the steps of: applying a waterproof membrane to a supporting substrate; mixing a powder blend with a liquid emulsion and applying at least one coat of the mixture to the waterproof membrane; and allowing the mixture to set to form a first coating.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein: a second mixture of powder blend and liquid emulsion is prepared and laid over the first coat and allowed to set to form a second coat; and optional pigments are incorporated in the mixtures so that the first and second coats are of different colours.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, whreein: one or more stencils are laid over the first coat, before the second mixture is applied, so that the second coat has a patterned appearance; an optional speckled coat, incorporating relatively coarse powders, is applied over the second coat to provide a non-slip surface; and a sealing coat is laid over the uppermost coat to seal the trafficable surface, where the sealing coat is a clear, acrylic resin-based coating, and where the resin is solvent or water-base, or polyurethane or polyurethane/acrylic-based, and is of single or multi-component form.

4. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein: the powder blend, or blends, incorporates a blend of specialty cements, graded aggregates, wetting agents and/or super plasticisers; and the liquid emulsion is primarily acrylic-based, but latex-, polyurethane- or styrene-based emulsions can optionally be used to vary performance. A trafficable surface for a floor substrate, such as concrete, asphalt or timber, incorporating a trafficable waterproof membrane formed by the method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4.