Any leaks or ground water could cause major problems with papercrete. Vermiculite is a "puffed" rock and inorganic, so it gives insulation value and lightness to the concrete as paper would, without anything for mold to eat. Not only do you not want papercrete to wick moisture up into walls, you also don't want it to be moist and moldy under your floor. My opinion is that papercrete would not be suitable for this application unless you find a way to completely waterproof it or ventilate it.
Spaceman
caroline659 wrote:
Okay, I have been lurking in the group for a couple of years now and I ventured to ask a question sometime last year about using papercrete as an alternative to "Poolcrete". No one had a reply at the time so I thought I would try again. I am installing an above ground pool and the pool installer I am consulting advises me to put in a solid floor composed of something he calls "Poolcrete". This Poolcrete is made up of Portland cement and vermiculite. The finished product creates a solid surface that is slightly softer than a solid concrete and is less abrasive to the pool liner. My question is this: Could papercrete be substituted for the more expensive Poolcrete? If so, would it need any kind of reinforcing mesh? I realize that papercrete is generally not feasible for use directly on the ground but my assumption is that the reason for that is that you don't want mositure wicking up into the walls of a structure. That would not be a problem in this appl ication. So, is there anyone out there willing to take a stab at an answer? Any discussion yea or nay would be appreciated. Thanks. ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:papercreters-digest@yahoogroups.com mailto:papercreters-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: papercreters-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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