Flexstone and the Perils of Aggregate

One of the most popular and attractive decking finishes available today are aggregate finishes. Tiny stones bonded together with rock-solid epoxy and spread over your surface gives a sundeck a gorgeous natural appearance. The system is not cheap, but aesthetics are very important to people. There are two major issues with this system on sundecks or flat roofs.

Herein lies the first problem; epoxies (the common bonding agent) and polyaspartics have no flexibility. So despite the attractive finish, these types of finishes do not work on sundecks or roof decks. Over a surprisingly short period of time they will inevitably crack and allow water to sit upon the substrate waterproof membrane which could quickly lead to leakage and water damage.

This process is incredibly time-consuming and expensive for the customer.The second issue is the follow-up to a failed aggregate system. If the aggregate finish is cracked and the membrane below is allowing water through, there is no way to repair the underlay without jack-hammering your beautiful aggregate finish off, cutting the bad part of the membrane out (if you’re lucky enough to find it), and repairing the entire system.

Luckily, if you are one of the victims of one of these unfortunate circumstances, you are no longer forced to remove your entire aggregate deck. For a fraction of the cost of remedial work, Flexstone coatings can be applied over the aggregate, forming a thick and durable urethane surface that flexes with the natural shifting of your deck and bonds to the existing stone permanently.

It extends the life of your deck by upwards of 20-30 years and can be topped off with a faux-aggregate finish (textured stone finish) that looks amazing, is entirely seamless, easy to maintain, and most importantly: remains flexible for decades.

So whether you’re considering employing an aggregate finish on your deck or are already feeling the pitfalls of these systems, your only approved option to solve your issues is Flexstone.

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