POLYESTER
MEMBRANE
FOR BEGINNERS
mixing ratio of catalyst to Polyester resin is between 1 and 4% of resin volume. For example, 1 litre of Polyester resin will require 10-40 mls of catalyst.
GENERAL PURPOSE
APPLICATION
OF
POLYESTER MEMBRANE
Before mixing any resins or catalyst/hardeners ensure that you are using the correct
PPE equipment recommended.
• Safety glasses
• Breathing respirator
• Latex/Nitrile disposable gloves
• Create a well-ventilated work area by using an extraction fan in confined spaces.
• Always use ventilation and a combination filtered mask that is approved for Organic Peroxide when mixing and applying Resin/MEKP Catalyst with fiberglass in confined space.
• If contact is made with skin clean off excess resin/MEKP Catalyst with rag and wash skin with soap and water to prevent burns.
• If contact is made with eyes immediately flush out resin/MEKP Catalyst with water for up to 10 minutes or as long as it takes.
• If swallowed do not induce vomiting, rinse mouth out with water and call a physician immediately.
• If overcome by fumes, move persons into fresh air.
• Resin spills: Clean up with inert absorbent material.
Caution:
It is important that the catalyst and resin is mixed thoroughly before use to reach a full thermoset cure!
Pot life of mixed resin and MEKP catalyst is around 20 minutes, (Meaning) only mix what you can use in that time frame, starting with a small roller, wet out perimetres and then continue to pass over the area a second time wetting out and mold the softening fibreglass with roller and brush.
• DISPERSE MIXED RESIN PROMPTLY TO AVOID HEAT DEVELOPMENT
• MIXED MATERIAL LEFT IN THE CONTAINER WILL RAPIDLY HARDEN
The basic waterproofing process
from start to finnish
Step 1. The area to be waterproofed must be dry and clean. Door threshold water stop is to be set with fall to drainage as requirements per AS-3740 and installed with FC polyurethane sealant.
All lumps and bumps must be removed and voids must be filled to create a smooth surface for membrane installation with no sharp edges.
Floor to wall sheet junctions are to be caulked with construction grade Fast Cure polyurethane sealant.
The 225g fibreglass lineal strip roll that we can supply shall be bedded into the polyurethane sealant cove of the wall to floor junction with the upturn of 150 mm.
Step 2. Measure and cut 300g Meter wide fiberglass matting from your roll that we can also supply to fit the area, laying the matting so that the fibreglass overlaps itself by 70 mm and return the metre wide overlap up the wall to floor junction by 30 mm.
Step 3. Mix the M.E.K.P hardener ratio according to room substrate temperature, thoroughly into resin in a container and apply the resin to the fibreglass matting, carefully but thoroughly wetting out and molding the resin into the fibreglass using a roller and brush.
Hot temperatures require 1 % Catalyst ratio to resin volume.
Cold temperatures require 2 - 4 % Catalyst ratio to resin volume.
Step 4. Once the fibreglass and resin has hardened - Usually within 60 minutes depending on substrate temperature, check your waterproofing for consistency and remove any daggs, lumps or bumps.
Step 5. Apply the finnish coat or simply repeat the process to re-layer the vessel.
(Builders plastic placed over the cured inter laminate polyester is one of several methods to prevent shoes sticking and maintain the inter laminate surface when re- dressing the next fibreglass layer).
The Finished Product
HANDY TIPS:
Always squeeze out catalysed resin from rollers and brushes before mixing the next container of resin to ensure the resin filled brush/ rollers remain at the beginning of the exothermic reaction cycle.
The exothermic reaction between the mixed hardener and resin causes the fibreglass to soften, usually within a few minutes of wetting out the fibreglass matting reinforcement.
Use the roller to saturate the resin through the fibreglass and use a brush to shape the fiberglass matting tightly into the edges/corners, taking care to remove entrapped air bubbles.
The subsequent layering of fiberglass will give the installer a higher degree of membrane strength.
On point waterproofing