questions about EPS cement?

[trojlee]

How many cm of EPS concrete is equivalent to 20cm of cell plastic? It would be convenient to put in the basement if one removes the floor. Is it possible to buy EPS concrete by concrete truck or do you have to mix it yourself? Has anyone laid this and has any experiences/reflections?
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M

 

[Mats]

I believe you need 40 cm EPS to equal 20 cm cellplast.

 

[trojlee]

that was not what they said at the tile company....is it really so?...

 

[Jan-Å]

I did, however, only pour a bathroom floor but it was mixed in buckets just like the leveling compound. Concrete truck? How big are you planning to break???
40 cm sounds like a lot, is that really right? I have a maximum of 8-9 where it is thinnest and 20 where it is thickest, the warmest room in the house as I wrote earlier.

 

[trojlee]

was the bathroom in a basement?... that's where I plan to cast..

 

[Jan-Å]

Was the bathroom in a basement?....that's where I'm planning to cast..

Yep, I've described in another thread that you should be able to find how I did it more exactly, but in short, I broke up the floor and channeled "trenches" down to the ground where the drainage was pulled, poured EPS on it (I recommend 2 rounds where you fill the trenches first casting and lay a "slab" in the second) then a thin layer of leveling compound to attach the underfloor heating, then level again and then tiles on top. In/around the trenches, it was maybe 20 to 30 cm of EPS, but where I only broke to lower the level, much less.

 

[cheetah1]

EPS concrete, important. EPS is by definition cellular plastic, EPS concrete is concrete with cellular plastic beads mixed in as I understand it.

EPS=Expanded PolyStyrene = Styrofoam.

 

[Jan-Å]

EPS concrete, important. EPS is by definition cellular plastic, EPS concrete is concrete with cellular plastic beads mixed in as I understand it.

EPS=Expanded PolyStyrene = Styrofoam.

That's right, that's why you have to float a thin layer on top, EPS barely holds to walk on. But it insulates like hell, at least at my place

 

[jeppeknaster]

Jan-Å, didn't you put any capillary break under the EPS, like gravel/crushed stone?

 

[Jan-Å]

Jan-Å, did you place any capillary-breaking material under the EPS, like gravel/macadame?

No, the slab in our house seems to have been poured in two stages, first a layer on the ground then a layer of coarse gravel (I'm not good with the categorization of gravel and such, but large stones up to 7-8 cm), so where the drainage wouldn't be, I "only" chipped away the upper layer. However, the drainage pipes are basically on macadam with EPS around and over. The upper layer was also thicker in the middle of the room than near the walls, it looked like the first pouring of the slab wasn't equally thick everywhere, which is why the "slab" with EPS was also thinner the closer you got to the wall. But I didn't do anything special before the EPS-pourer came, unfortunately, I delegated that task, didn't really know what EPS was before. The one who did it probably knows how to do it but was (as contractors often are) in too much of a hurry, so I had to adjust some things afterward. But as mentioned, nothing extra for capillary breaking or otherwise.