Installing an arena (DIY) membrane query

[Pd19]

Anyone who has put in their own arena, please can you tell me if you have heat sealed the membrane where it overlaps the adjacent section, sown the layers together or just left it as a good overlap ie 18"?
Sand going on top.
Thank you.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Not DIY, but our arena construction team (Charles Britton) heat sealed the membrane with a good overlap between rolls. Sand and rubber surface.

 

[Pd19]

Great to see a photo thank you for the info, do you have any idea what the gas wand is called?!

 

[hobo]

Great picture looks like they do a really excellent job.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Sorry, I don’t know the gas wand is called. It does seem to be cobbled together with gaffer tape on a wooden broom handle, but it did the job . This guy walked carefully down the seam line with the flame and his boot marks sealed the heated membrane. The other guy (the gaffer) walked ahead of him and made sure that the membrane was flat and not rucked up.


I do know that not all membranes can be heat sealed, it needs to melt slightly but some just dry singe (we asked another firm about this when they came to quote, they glue theirs).

Great picture looks like they do a really excellent job.

Thanks, Hobo, yes they did, it was fascinating to watch how it all came together.

 

[soloequestrian]

I didn't seal mine. I have a woven layer under the stone base, which probably could have been heat sealed but there would be no point because it wouldn't get moved anyway, then a fleece layer between stone and surface. That one would have had to be sewn I suppose but it's very very rare that a hoof gets anywhere near it so it has been great. You don't want your surface laid on a slippery layer of membrane!

 

[Ownedby4horses]

We used a heavy duty spray adhesive (large spray cans) to stick our membrane together, never came apart again, very strong and worked on both the non woven and woven membranes.

 

[Pd19]

Great thanks for the info, very helpful

 

[Tiddlypom]

Membrane isn’t slippery? It’s always recommended to seal the joins in the membrane whether by heat, glue or other means.

Sand was then tipped onto the membrane and very carefully levelled using laser guides, then compacted right down by the caterpillar tracks on the digger which was driven up and down in it for many hours. Then 2” of rubber crumb went on top.

We’ve not seen a peep of the membrane in the 9 years since the arena was built, except for when the fecking bunnies broke in once . Luckily they stopped digging when they reached the membrane.