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Old 04-30-17, 11:02 AM   #8
philb
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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For a floor 1 inch thick, I would reconsider using 3/8 rebar. As a rule of thumb, rebar will need concrete 3/8 thick surrounding it, which is more than 1 inch. You could use 6x6 remesh in flat sheets. Remesh will still require some bending to get it flat. Alternatively, you could use metal stucco lath.

I used a mortar mixer to make the 3/4" ferrocement roof on my house. It has no reinforcement other than fiber.

For 6 cubic feet of mix I use 30 lbs portland, 150 lbs sand, 2 lbs dry polymer, 1 ounce of polypropylene fiber, water reducer/plastitizer, and 1.25 gallons of water. The polymer is actually ethylene vinyl acetate (VAE). VAE is found in everything from paints to coatings on solar panels and phones. It's also the main ingredient in Elmers wood glue and Tite Bond 2 glue. 1/2 cup of glue per 6 cubic ft of mix. Avoid paints with poly vinyl alcohol as it won't bond well. 1/2 gallon Latex paint base will work provided it is the last layer. Otherwise, it will cause delamination. I use electronic scales from Walmart to weigh each component.
At this point, I have used this mix for floors, walls and roofs. Water content is the key. You want the mix to be like peanut butter.
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