Stone and Epoxy Deck

[SherrySt]

Has anyone ever heard of a product that looks like little pebbles in epoxy that can be applied on a sidewalk, pool deck, etc? Locally, there is a company called Beauti-Stone that does it, but it is about $7 sq. ft. My husband is a real do-it-yourselfer, but we cannot find out where to buy the product. I have searched the internet but can only find people who actually do the installation. There is also a company called Sierra Stone that looks the same, but I can't access their website. Any help would be SO appreciated! Thanks.

[South_Texas_Sun]

Hi Sherry, try this:

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:DvKpGUR7WhMJ:www.sierra-stone.com/+sierra+stone&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2

This is a google "cache" link but once you get to this page, some of the other site links seem to work.

$7/sq. ft. sounds high, but we're getting a stamped concrete deck to replace our "rainbow" aggregate deck and that's $8/sq. ft here in Texas. I saw the reciept for materials only, and it was around $600, just for stain and release agent, etc.

I'm an avid DIY'er too, but jobs like this can really teach you a lesson about the laws of "diminishing returns" if not done right the first time. The material cost is not going to be cheap, I'd bet, and if it doesn't bond correctly and starts coming up.. ugh .... Let's just say I can think of things I'd rather do than try to scrape off a few hundred square feet of epoxy off of concrete.....lol

Best of luck, though. Looks like a beautiful finish in the pictures.

[SherrySt]

Thank you! Your link worked. I don't know if their site was down yesterday or what, but I couldn't get in. Hopefully we can do this!!

[SherrySt]

I contacted the company. The wrote back quickly, but said they do no sell to DIY homeowners, they only sell installed. Does anyone know of anything like this that I can buy and we can do ourselves? Thanks!

[South_Texas_Sun]

I contacted the company. The wrote back quickly, but said they do no sell to DIY homeowners, they only sell installed. Does anyone know of anything like this that I can buy and we can do ourselves? Thanks!

Sherry, we had a fellow out here to stamp our concrete with a pattern and color, etc. I talked to his supplier and they offer a course for concrete stamping for $350.00 which then allows one to purchase the materials.

I wonder if your supplier offers a similar course and supply?

If it's just epoxy and pebbles, it's probably not too hard to find a supply copycat. If it's really hard, maybe there's a "home business" opportunity lurking here! :)

[CallMeIshmael]

Hi Sherry,
Here's an idea that might come in handy... As a past contractor, I'm also a driven DIYer, and have found a middle-road that works for me. Have a few contractors/ installers out to look at your deck project, with the finish/es your considering. Share with them your & your husband's desire to be a part of the process & a bit about your backgrounds in working with concrete/ coatings/ etc. They may be willing to offer a break if your work alongside their crew actually saves them time/ labor. I've done this with several projects which involved contractors, and never had a problem with it- This is most often a "fit" for smaller companies that know they're backlogged, and appreciate a qualified homeowner who's willing to help. The crew saved some man-hours to tend to other jobs, and I got be a part of the process while saving a share of the cost- a Win-Win. Meanwhile, you still get a professional product with warranties intact.

Last thing: There are a few forums online with "horror stories" about DIY concrete & epoxy jobs. They're exactly like the "Algae Crisis" posts here, except about a material that's built to last for decades!! I'm not trying to discourage you- just to say there could be solid reasons they don't sell to DIYers for a specific product line. As posted above, an epoxy layer would be a real pain to pull out, or an extra hassle & expense to re-coat.
Good luck.

[SherrySt]

When the company I emailed contacted me, they said that they used to sell it to homeowners, but "they made such a mess of it, we discontinued it". It's not very popular around here. I don't know if it's a cost issue or something else. We are actually building a new front porch and curved sidewalk that we want to use it on. The porch itself is going to be slate (under a roof) and we wanted something other than a plain concrete sidewalk. We are also considering E-Z stone, but it's not the same. I am a little discouraged that the materials are not available to the home consumer. I still think they must be, just not under the name I am looking for.

[SherrySt]

South_Texas, I did find that you can purchase a franchise of Sierra Stone for $27,000!!!:rolleyes:

[Trish29]

I'm looking for deck ideas myself and want to use pavers with some other type of deck blend. I remember this type of stone deck at the pools I frequented when I was a kid living in Florida. If it's still the same stuff, it's hard on bare feet. Just an FYI

[SherrySt]

Trish, this stuff is very smooth. It looks almost like tiny pepples encased in glass. According to the manufacturer, it is skid resistant.

[South_Texas_Sun]

South_Texas, I did find that you can purchase a franchise of Sierra Stone for $27,000!!!:rolleyes:

Lol, Sherry, you just found the "keys to the kingdom". They're selling franchises, not stone walkways!

You ought to find out how they do it and put up a "Sherrystone Terracing" webpage, sell "franchises" then use the money to pay someone to come out and do your patio work. :)

The reason I'm sitting here giggling about the prospect, is that I've encountered a couple of "contractors" in our area that seem to have done just that. (but not with sierra stone)

Take a look at this webpage:
http://www.hydropoxy.com/

Some of the DIY'er websites are very helpful, then if you can find the right kind of epoxy for your application, some one is bound to know where to get the pebbles. They probably get some granite pebbles and throw them in a cement mixer drum, just to round them off. Edit: Another idea, just find a stream bed and use a screen to sort the pebbles to the size you want?

Btw, Sierra stone looks like it might be located in Canada, hence the lack of local knowledge/use/interest?

[SherrySt]

Sherrystone Terracing - that has a catchy ring to it! lol I think I might just take your advice and pay the money, buy the franchise, sell my own and then pay one of the people who bought from me to install it. Sounds pretty simple, huh?