How Are Glow Stones Best Applied In Concrete Substrates?
Similar to the way other decorative aggregates such as sea shells and tumbled beach glass are applied, glow stones are hand broadcasted onto the curing concrete surface and then lightly troweled in. The glow stone should be just under the surface covered by a thin film of cement. (Recommended glow stone size for flatwork - ½”) Once the glow stone is seeded and worked in, they need to be exposed either chemically or mechanically.
Application – 1: Use of Chemical Retarders to Expose Glow Stones
Chemical exposure of the glow stone is achieved by lightly spraying a concrete retarding agent over the curing concrete. The concrete retarder slows down the chemical curing process on the surface, allowing it to remain uncured so that a 1/32” – 1/4” of the concrete cream can be pressure washed off. This process will expose the glow stones to the surface allowing them to charge by day and glow by night.
Exposed aggregate concrete surface Powered By: AGT™ Sky Blue Commercial Grade Glow Stones
Application – 2: Use of Polishing Machines to Expose Glow Stones
The second, more labor-intensive approach is to expose the glow stones mechanically using diamond-laden polishing pads mounted on either hand-held polishers or heavy-duty concrete floor polishing machines. This form of glow in the dark concrete finishing creates a smooth, magical surface - resembling the sky at night…
White polished concrete floor Powered By: ½” Aqua Blue Glow Stones.
Application of high performance glow stones on fresh concrete.
- Seed glow stone on final finish of fresh concrete by hand or using a hand-fertilizing tool.
- Work the glow stone into the slab with a trowel so they are just covered by the cream of the concrete.
- Apply a concrete retarder and let concrete cure (follow retarder product directions).
- Pressure wash the surface to remove any concrete residue covering the glow stones and if necessary – apply a light acid wash to fully expose AGT™ glow stones to sunlight.
- Let dry and seal if required.
- DONE!
Application on Loose Gravel
AGT™ glow stones can also be seeded on top of existing gravel surfaces such as driveways or walkways to create a magical – walking on the stars effect. To achieve this effect, simply seed the glows stones all over the gravel surface. If you do not want excited visitors to collect all the loose glow stones – we recommend going with our ¼” size glow in the dark rock… A little harder to pick up :P
