Is there a cement mortar mix that will stick to GRP ? I need to cover the outside steps leading up to my back door with GRP anti-slip treads, but don't know the best way to fix them. I'd prefer not to use screw fixing. Alternatively, I've wondered if the sort of adhesive used to stick flooring tiles would be suitable. Anyone been there, done that ?
Jim Hawkins
What's GRP?
And would an epoxy resis (eg araldite) work?
Glass reinforced plastic, aka fibreglass.
Glass-Reinforced Plastic. The stuff yachts and cruisers - and even minehunters - are made of.
Only suitable for very small jobs.
Try epoxy mortar.
Its expensive, but it sticks like shit and looks like mortar.
You wont get cement to stick well to GRP.
Glass reinforced plastic = fibreglass
The following works when you want to bond mortar onto GRP.
Make sure the GRP surface is clean. Mix up some resin (the sort normally used with glass matting for car body repairs). Paint this onto the GRP and sprinkle dry sharp sand onto it, so that the resin sets with the sharp sand partly embedded into it, and partly exposed. Leave the resin to fully set. (If you buy a GRP valley gutter, it comes with these sand strips already down the sides, ready for the pointing mortar.)
Mortar will stick to the sand strips, but you should use an additional bonding agent to improve the bond. This is a slurry of pure cement mixed with PVA, painted onto the sand strip. The mortar is then applied whilst the slurry is still tacky. For outside use, you need to use waterproof PVA (EVA) or better still, SBR. You can also use a small amount of this in the mortar mix to improve the tensile strength of the mortar (which is basically what tile cement is), or use tile cement.
You will need to modify this technique to allow for doing it all upside down, i.e. with the GPR on the top, rather than the bottom. Also, can't help wondering if just applying the mortar/render without bothering with the GRP at all would solve the problem?
Pretty sure one of the new MS polymer grab adhesives would do the job. Sticks Like Sh*t for example.
I'd be inclined to use Stixall
Yes - I didn't make the connection out of contexts I personally associate fiberglass with...
That's another thing - how big are these treads? Are they just strips and how many - in which case, I might be looking at buying a more industrial container of araldite - or doing some tests with car body filler.
I'm struggling to see what the reason to do that might be. If you want nonstick, thats reaily achieved with an unsmoothed sand surface. Eg brush on cement slurry or varnish and sprinkle on sand.
NT
Glass reinforced plastic when I last looked, but I guess it could be something else.
Seems an odd choice for steps. Brian
I assume you meant non-slip, not non-stick! ;)
D
oops :)
NT
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