A blend of 1-3mm quartz and stone (coloured or natural) aggregate combined with a polyurethan or epoxy binding agent. Generally installed at a depth of 6-9mm and can be finished with a transparent pore filler and protective top coat.
This system is ideal for indoor areas where surface contamination is higher, such as kitchens, offices, automotive showrooms and toilets.
There are many different types of natural and coloured aggregates on the market. Each aggregate has its own unique properties, such as hardness, skid resistance, abrasion value etc.
Coloured aggregate is coloured with various organic and/or inorganic pigments and is heat treated and coated with an epoxy or polyurethane system.
Depending on the selected pigments and/or resins, the quartz will be more or less sensitive to UV. For applications that are exposed to direct UV light, we recommend that a PU-coloured system be used.
For external installations we would always advise a UV stable (aliphatic) polyurethane binder. Polyurethane binders can also be used indoors, and have a certain amount of flexibility that will allow for a small amount of movement in the sub base.
An alternative binder is an epoxy binder. These binders cure very hard which although means they are much harder than a polyurethane, also means that they will not cope with much, if any, movement in the sub base. Epoxy binders will also yellow over time when exposed to UV light.
In an indoor environment we would recommend that a Stonex Quartz Carpet floor is pore filled. When the floor is installed there will exist a number of tiny pores between the stones, where dirt and small debris can become lodged.
A pore filler can be forced into these pores. The picture shows a Stonex Quartz Carpet floor during the pore fill. The white grout material fills the pores and then cures clear, giving a closed pore finish. This will also make the surface easier to clean.