MY DIY cement background

[Gruntking]

O ok i get you. Yea i was spritzing it as well, but i guess in the miami heat outside it drys super fast so 4 spritz over 24hrs wasn't enough.. on the next coat ill bring it inside and spritz it more often.. is the background suppose to get rock hard because i feel like if i wanted to i could easily break it in half, ( still feels weak like styro).... Also has anyone had any problems with the cement crumbling in the tank or like peeling of the styro

Im pretty sure no matter how much of that quickrete you put on there you can snap it if you wanted to.

 

[WeeNe858]

yea, the concrete is just think layers so it will be easily cracked. dont assume its gonna be sidewalk hard.

the background is also cracking because its drying to fast (as stated) spray it down more often you might even wanna cover it and vent it just a little

 

[305phins]

I dont know why but the cement is like when you pick up a dirt rock, like if you squeeze it it pops into sand.. why is it not getting rock hard .. But if its not hard wont it slowly come off in the water thats what im scared of.

 

[seedubs1]

Personally, I'd take a brush or something and brush off all that you can.

Then start applying the concrete curing correctly.

Otherwise, you're just putting concrete onto an already not so great surface, and it won't adhere to anything but stuff that already wants to flake off.

Just my .02

 

[305phins]

I just sanded on down so that theres no cracks, just smooth surface. it looks better now, ill probably do it to the other one now as well. Is there any other concrete i can use besides this quickcrete hydrolic stuff..

 

[seedubs1]

I've had success with Sika Top Seal 107. It's expensive though.

It's safe for potable drinking water as well, so more safe for fish. Don't have to soak and rinse so many times like quickcrete. Just gives me better peace of mind overall. But definitely more $.

 

[305phins]

Ok i sanded it down and removed all the chips that fell of very easy. Its raining in miami today so its very humid out and im spraying it with water every thirty mins it looks way better now. no cracks but its still wet im trying to dry it very slowww.. Hopefully this works out.

 

[Rev_Jim_Jones]

You are using Hydro Crete. It Cures under Pressure to seal Leaks. It is meant to be forced into a Crack or Penetration and held with a trowel on one side and Water pressure on the other to force it into all the voids. It Cures way too fast for applying it as a thin coat over Styrofoam.

 

[305phins]

^ interesting.. thats what everyone uses.. Any suggestions for another cement product i could use for the next and last two coats..

 

[ruggles531]

Just saw your email now, and saw your posting. You used the same cement that I used on mine. I guess the only difference is the temperature. I built mine in the fall in Canada (in my garage) so it was a bit chilly outside. I sprayed it 5 or 6 times within a 24 hour period to try and ensure the cement didn't dry to quickly. That seemed to do the trick for me as the cement dried quite hard, with no cracks. As others have mentioned, I'm sure I could still break it by snapping it in half as there are only a few layers of cement on top of the foam.

I would just ensure you are spraying it often, don't let it dry out too quickly. My first coat was a one to one mix of cement and water to ensure the subsequent coats had something to stick to. The second and third quotes were a lot thicker, but again, they were sprayed 5 to 6 times over the 24 hour cure cycle. I think you're on the right track by spraying it often...in the long run it will cure much harder. After about 6 months with mine I have noticed no chipping.