DIY: Pebble-Flex

Clear any debris from cracks in concrete floors with a wire brush, or use a nylon brush for wood floors. Sweep away any dirt or debris from the floor with a broom. Mop the floor after sweeping using a pH-neutral cleanser, and then rinse the cleanser away with clean water. Dry the floor by patting the surface with a rag.

Fill any cracks in concrete floor with a two-part epoxy resin. Mix the resin in a small bucket and then pack the cracks to the surface of the surrounding floor with the resin using a putty knife. Level the patch out by scraping over it with the edge of the knife. Use the same process for filling wooden floor cracks, only with wood putty rather than the epoxy resin. Allow the patch to dry overnight.

Run a concrete floor grinder over concrete surfaces or a floor sander over wood surfaces to create a slight texture on the floor where the pebble-flex can adhere. Sweep the floor clear after texturing.

Place a sheet of 6 millimeter plastic over any surface that’s adjacent to the floor area that you’re covering with the pebbles. Cut the edge of the sheet with a utility knife to fit, and then tape the sheet in place with masking tape. If using two or more pebble color mixes to create patterns, divide the floor into sections for each color by using a strip of Styrofoam tape to create borders around the first color that you’re applying.

Cover a small section of the floor surface with a penetrative two-part adhesive urethane primer. Apply the primer with a paint roller, covering a 5- to 10-foot section of the floor. By applying the rubber in sections, you can avoid stepping on the adhesive and destroying the binder layer. If using a patterned placement, then apply the adhesive to the sections that you’re covering with the first color mix. Begin the adhesive application in the corner of the floor farthest from the entrance, and work your way toward the entrance of the floor to avoid blocking yourself.

Mix an equal amount of 4 millimeter and 6 millimeter thermoplastic pebbles with enough aliphatic urethane binder in a cement mixer to cover the pebbles completely. The size mixture will allow the pebbles to bind closer together, creating a more compact covering. Move the mixture to the adhesive-covered surface with a spade and place a layer 3/8-inch thick onto the floor. Level and smooth the mixture out with a soapy-covered steel trowel over the adhesive surface. The soapy water will keep the pebble-flex mix from sticking to the trowel.

Apply more adhesive to the floor surface, and then spread more of the pebble mixture over the surface. Continue to work your way toward the entrance to the room, covering the floor in sections. If you’re working with a pattern, then fill the first colors, and then remove the Styrofoam tape and apply a new batch of the next color rubber mix to the next color sections in the pattern.

Allow the rubber surface to set for 48 hour before using the floor.