Moulding Installation in Perth
One of the huge benefits of Arostone products is the ease of installation. You don’t have to be a qualified tradesperson to be able to successfully install mouldings on your home. For the best results we recommend that Aerostone products be installed on clean masonry or render, free from paints, sealers and other coatings. And it is important to always use Aerostone adhesives and recommended finishes for a solid result.
The Aerostone adhesives have an initial hold after 15 minutes, and temporary support may be required until the initial set occurs. Depending on the size and weight of the product to be installed, the adhesive will have an amount of suction to the surface of the wall. The support is mainly used to prevent the product from sliding and moving. If the material is light enough, the suction of adhesive may be sufficient to hold in place.
To make things easier for you, we have included a list of the tools you will need for installing your moulds and a step by step process for you to follow.
Basic tools required for installation
- Bucket or container to mix the adhesive in.
- Spatula, broad knife or pointing trowel to apply the adhesive.
- Hand saw or hacksaw to cut the Aerostone product.
- Concrete nails, standard nails, and hammer to pin into the render or mortar joins.
- Tape measure and pencil to set out placement of the mould.
- Paint brush and water to wash any adhesive that may smear onto face brick work.
Optional tools, recommended for sizable projects
- Mixing tool and drill; this will ensure you achieve an even consistency with minimal lumps.
- Rasp or course sanding block; to shape and sand uneven surfaces.
- Small tool; excellent for fiddly filling and patching
Installation Process
- Work out where the product is to be installed. Set to top or bottom for alignment.
- Set out how the product is to be supported until initial set e.g. pin or prop
- Mix adhesive: start with 2cm of water in the bottom of a bucket or container, add powder Aerostone adhesive until a small island is formed in the centre of the bucket (approximately half of the area).
- Allow to soak for a few minutes.
- Mix by hand or mixer; add powder until the consistency is achieved. The mix should not run off your spatula, but should slowly slump. If it doesn’t move it is too dry and additional water needs to be added.
- Apply the adhesive to the perimeter of the piece to be installed. This should be in a continuous bead. Additional adhesive can be added in the way of dobs in the centre of the piece.
- Place the piece to the wall, pressing evenly and firmly, and squeezing the adhesive. The perfect amount of adhesive to the perimeter will seal the edges and not excessively ooze out.
- Repeat the process with subsequent pieces, applying adhesive between the ends of the product as well.
- Any adhesive that has oozed out and has smeared onto face brick work can be cut back with the corner of you spatula and cleaned off with clean water a brush.
- Fill in any holes or gaps against the wall with a spatula or small tool to prevent water from getting behind the mould.
- Allow 2-3 hours for drying, depending on the weather.
- The product can then be sanded with an off-cut of Aerostone, sanding block or something similar.
- Any defects or joins that have shrunk back can be filled and sanded after 20 minutes.
- Any excess or overhang on external corners can be cut back and sanded.
- All Aerostone products are strongly recommended to be painted or under coated with Acrylic Render Finish paint, such as Dulux Acrasand from the Acratex range.
Please view our introductory video on Installing Aerostone Moulds.
Handy tips for the perfect result
- Always minimise moisture getting in or behind the product. This will prevent your paint and coatings from peeling over time.
- If you are installing on a hot day, hose down the wall that will be having the product applied. This will stop the adhesive from drying out before a good adhesion is achieved.
- Always try to keep joins between moulds 2-3mm thick. This will stop joins from shrinking back.
- For maximum strength, joins should not exceed 6mm thick.
- Avoid any adverse pressure on the product for three days in good weather.
- If product is applied and then moved after a 10-20 seconds, scrape off the old adhesive and apply new adhesive.
- Do not add more water to a mix of adhesive in the bucket to try and prolong the glue life. Discard and mix a new batch.
- For smaller delicate pieces, don’t have the adhesive too thick. Otherwise the piece will break up with the amount of pressure require to press onto the background.
- Always sand in strokes away from external corners, and back along the line of the mould.