Joints, coves and drains: the details that make a resin floor last

The short answerMost resin floor failures start at joints, edges and drains. ASP recommends anchor grooves saw-cut at terminations and joints, a radius cove from floor to wall, movement joints with backing cord and sealant, and fully formed drains where the floor is anchored and sealed to the drain body.

The key to a successful floor is the quality of its joint and termination details. ASP's product selector sets out recommended details for specialist applicators to follow. Get these right and the floor will look better and is far less likely to fail at the edges.

Cove to wall

A cove forms a curved, seamless junction between floor and wall, so there is no corner for dirt and bacteria to collect. The build-up is: prepared concrete, ASP primer, the ASP-crete floor, anchor grooves saw-cut into the substrate, and the cove formed in ASP-creteVS. In epoxy systems the cove is formed with ASP-epoxyCove at about 1.8 litre per linear metre for a 75 × 75 mm cove.

Movement joints

Movement joints in the slab must carry through the floor. The detail uses anchor grooves either side, a backing cord, a joint sealant, the ASP primer and the ASP top coat over prepared concrete.

Fully formed drains

Drains are the hardest-working detail in a wet area. ASP's detail anchors the floor with saw-cut grooves, uses a backing cord and joint sealant at the drain edge, runs the ASP-crete floor and an ASP-creteVS render into the drain, and finishes with ASP-creteCoat under the grating.

Terminations

Where a floor stops, at a door, a change of finish or the edge of a bay, the ASP-crete layer is locked into an anchor groove cut into the prepared, primed concrete, so the edge cannot lift.

Anchor groove sizes

For polyurethane and vinyl ester screeds, cut anchor grooves about 6 mm deep × 6 mm wide for a 6 mm system and 9 mm × 9 mm for a 9 mm system, 25 mm either side of expansion joints, saw cuts and floor edges.

Frequently asked questions

Why do resin floors need coves?

A radius cove creates a seamless, curved junction between floor and wall, so there is no corner where dirt and bacteria can collect. It is essential in hygienic areas.

What size anchor grooves does a polyurethane floor need?

Around 6 mm deep × 6 mm wide for a 6 mm system and 9 mm × 9 mm for a 9 mm system, cut 25 mm either side of expansion joints, saw cuts and floor edges.

How much material does a resin cove need?

A 75 × 75 mm cove uses about 1.8 litres per linear metre of ASP-creteVS or ASP-epoxyCove.