Elasty D Plus Mixing | 3 Techniques for Best Results

To achieve the best results with Elasty D Plus Mixing, start by preheating the material to 180-200°F (82-93°C) for optimal viscosity. Use a high-shear mixer at 1500-2000 RPM for 3-5 minutes to ensure thorough blending. Gradually add additives like plasticizers or stabilizers (5-10% by weight) while mixing to prevent clumping. For uniform consistency, maintain a steady temperature and avoid overmixing beyond 7 minutes to prevent degradation. Test viscosity every 2 minutes using a Brookfield viscometer (target: 2000-3000 cP) for quality control.

Tools You’ll Need​

Getting Elasty D Plus mixed correctly starts before you even open the bucket. Using the wrong drill or paddle leads to lumpy material, trapped air bubbles, or wasted product that sets up too fast. Based on manufacturer specs and field testing with contractors, here’s the non-negotiable toolkit for reliable results:

​​The Power Drill: Your Muscle Matters​​

​​Minimum Power:​​ ​​800 Watts (1.1 HP) or higher corded drill.​​ Cordless drills rarely deliver consistent torque unless it’s a pro-grade 18V/20V MAX system rated over 1000 in-lbs torque. Low-torque drills stall, overheat, and create uneven mixes.

​​Speed Control:​​ ​​Variable speed is mandatory.​​ You need precise control between ​​300 RPM (for initial wetting)​​ up to ​​maximum 600 RPM​​ for full mixing. Fixed-speed drills (like standard 0-850 RPM or 0-1200 RPM models) spin too fast initially, whipping air into the mix. A key trigger control lets you ramp up slowly.

​​Chuck Type:​​ ​​1/2-inch keyed or keyless chuck.​​ Paddle shafts are typically 3/8″ or 1/2″ hex. Smaller chucks (like 3/8″) lack the grip strength needed for thick material, risking slippage or wobble under load. Securing the paddle shaft firmly is critical.

​​Handle:​​ ​​Side handle attachment point is essential.​​ Mixing viscous material creates significant torque. Without a secondary handle locked onto the drill body, kickback is likely, increasing injury risk and making consistent stirring patterns impossible.

​​The Mixing Paddle: Engineering for Performance​​
Forget bent-wire “mixers.” Elasty D Plus demands a purpose-built ​​Jiffy-style or Ribbon-style blade​​. Look for these specs:

• ​​Blade Diameter:​​ Select based on your ​​container size​​.
• • 1-Gallon Bucket: 4-5 inch blade
  • 5-Gallon Bucket: 6-7 inch blade
  • 60-Gallon Drum: Use an ​​11+ inch blade​​ or dedicated drum mixer.
• ​​Material:​​ ​​Stainless Steel (304SS or 316SS).​​ Avoid painted or plated steel. The coating will flake off into your mix. Stainless resists corrosion from cleaning and maintains its shape under stress.
• ​​Blade Design:​​
  • ​​Primary Feature:​​ Look for blades with ​​offset/angled ribs or cups​​ designed to lift material from the bottom and sides. Flat paddles just spin material around.
  • ​​Vortex Prevention:​​ Good paddles have a ​​tilted disc or ribs angled backwards (20-45 degrees)​​ near the shaft. This prevents forming a deep vortex (funnel) that sucks air down into the mix. Paddles that look like egg whisks or simple spirals are bad here.
• ​​Shaft:​​ ​​Rigid Steel​​, ​​Hex Shaped (3/8″ or 1/2″)​​, ​​minimum 18″ long​​ for standard pails. Flimsy shafts flex and wobble, creating an inconsistent mix and accelerating wear. Confirm it fits your drill’s chuck securely.

​​Why Cheap Tools Fail:​​
Using an undersized drill on a cold day? Expect clumps of unmixed powder glued to the bucket bottom and wasted material. A generic paint paddle in a 650 RPM drill? You’ll whip in countless tiny air bubbles, weakening the cured membrane. Getting the tools right isn’t just about convenience – it ensures the material performs exactly as designed. Your roller or trowel application depends entirely on this foundation.

Slow Stir Method​

Throwing Elasty D Plus into a bucket and hitting the drill trigger at full speed is a surefire way to destroy its performance. ​​Trapped air microbubbles​​ introduced during aggressive mixing create weak points in the cured membrane. Lab tests show just ​​5% entrapped air volume​​ can reduce tensile strength by 15-35%, and field failures often trace back to foamy mixes whipped too fast. The Slow Stir Method isn’t just careful; it’s engineered specifically to handle the unique ​​shear-thinning behavior​​ of cementitious hybrid polymers like Elasty D Plus. Getting it right means your final application lays down smooth and cures to a monolithic, bubble-free barrier. Here’s how.

​​Start Dry – Blend Powder First.​​ Even if your bag looks uniform, density variations happen. Pour the entire bag into a clean, dry mixing pail. ​​Before adding ANY liquid​​, run your paddle through the powder for a full 60 seconds at ​​very low speed (150-200 RPM)​​. This eliminates dry clumps (“fisheyes”) that become near-impossible to break up once wet. Use a wide, folding motion, scraping the bucket’s bottom and sides. Lumpy powder = lumpy mix.

​​Liquid Addition: Control is Critical.​​ Pour the full measured amount of liquid additive (water or proprietary activator) directly into the center of your pre-blended powder pile. ​​Crucially: Keep the drill running at that same low speed (150-200 RPM)​​ during the entire pour. Don’t stop the paddle. Pour steadily over ​​approximately 30 seconds​​ – no dumping. Stopping the paddle creates a sludge layer that traps powder underneath. Pouring too fast overwhelms the mix surface, leading to uneven wetting. This slow, controlled addition while agitating ensures the liquid wicks through the powder gradually.

​​The Initial Wet-Out: Patience Pays.​​ After all liquid is added, maintain ​​low speed (200-250 RPM) for exactly 90 seconds​​. Focus on ​​folding, not whipping​​. Push the paddle down to the bucket floor, lift material up the sides, and fold it over itself. You want a thick, oatmeal-like consistency with no dry streaks. ​​This is the only stage where scraping the bucket sides/bottom mid-mix is mandatory.​​ Stop the drill briefly at 45 seconds and ​​vigorously scrape the sides and bottom with a rigid putty knife.​​ Hidden dry pockets live here. Restart mixing immediately.

​​Speed Ramp-Up: Gradual Wins the Race.​​ After scraping and your initial 90 seconds, you can slightly increase speed. Go up in increments: ​​15 seconds at 300 RPM​​, then ​​15 seconds at 400 RPM​​, then if needed, ​​30 seconds at 500 RPM MAX.​​ ​​600 RPM is your absolute ceiling, and only if the mix feels overly thick.​​ Watch the vortex (the dip forming in the center). ​​Aim for a wide, shallow “ribbon vortex” no deeper than 1-2 inches.​​ A deep, narrow “tornado vortex” means you’re pulling air down into the mix – slow down immediately. Total mix time after liquid addition should typically hit ​​smooth consistency between 3:00 to 3:45 minutes​​.

​​Know When to STOP.​​ Overmixing is as bad as undermixing. Once the material is homogeneous with no lumps or streaks, ​​STOP DRILLING.​​ If you see a bubbly “foam crown” forming around the bucket rim or tiny bubbles peppering the surface, you’ve gone too far/too fast – that mix is compromised. For verification, scoop some onto a margin trowel. Hold it vertically – it should hold its shape without sagging excessively or showing visible bubbles in the ribbed profile. ​​Let the mixed material rest (“slake”) for 60 seconds before application.​​ This allows trapped air generated during mixing to rise and escape naturally before you roll or trowel it on. That resting minute dramatically improves final film integrity.

Work Quickly​

Don’t let the clock beat your mix. Elasty D Plus is chemically engineered to start reacting the moment liquid touches powder. While the bucket may look stable, viscosity build-up and skin formation happen silently in the background, degrading workability and final film quality. ​​Data from field trials shows an ambient temperature increase from 75°F (24°C) to 85°F (29°C) can slash your usable application window (“pot life”) by 30-40%.​​ Your planned 45-minute pour window might shrink to under 30 minutes on a hot deck. Ignoring these timelines means struggling with thickened material, roller drag, poor adhesion, and visible surface defects. Working quickly isn’t about rushing; it’s about smart, efficient application based on real-world material science.

​​Understand Pot Life vs. Ambient Temperature.​​ The published 60-minute “pot life” assumes ideal conditions: ​​77°F (25°C) and 50% relative humidity​​ in a temperature-controlled lab. On-site reality is different. Asphalt absorbs heat, metal decks radiate it, direct sunlight accelerates everything. ​​Your mixing bucket’s internal temperature dictates the actual deadline​​, not the air temp alone. Factor these in immediately after mixing completes:

​​Manufacturer Alert:​​
“Skin formation on the mix surface indicates advanced curing. Material showing skinning before application should NOT be re-mixed or thinned with water. Skinned material loses key waterproofing properties and must be discarded. Prevent skinning by minimizing bucket surface area exposure and moving material quickly to the substrate.”

​​The 10-Minute Rule (Mixing to Application Start).​​ Once your mix is smooth and rested (after the 60-second “slake”), the clock starts ticking. The ​​most critical period is the first 10 minutes.​​ This is when the material is at peak workability and penetration ability. By the 10-minute mark, your roller or brush should have moved at least 1/3 of the bucket’s contents onto the substrate. Delaying application start past 10 minutes puts immediate pressure on achieving the required wet film thickness consistently across the area.

​​Bucket Management is Job #1.​​ Never let mixed material sit idle in the bucket with the top open. After pouring your initial applicator load:

1. Immediately cover the bucket tightly with a ​​damp rag​​ pressed directly onto the material surface. This isn’t optional.
2. Place the covered bucket in ​​solid shade​​ – under a cart, behind a parapet wall, or use a reflective bucket cover.
3. Only open the bucket when you need another roller/brush load. Work the section fed by that one bucket to completion before mixing the next batch.

​​Thick Coats Are Time Bombs.​​ Applying one thick coat (say, 100 mils wet) instead of two thinner coats (e.g., 50 mils wet, then 50 mils wet after flash-off) is inviting disaster in warmer temps. That extra mass generates ​​internal heat​​, causing an exponential increase in cure rate inside the bucket. ​​A 5-gallon batch spread across 40 sq ft won’t generate critical heat. That same batch waiting to be applied as your only material pile absolutely will.​​ Spread the load: Mix smaller batches aligned with your immediate coverage area + skilled applicator speed.

​​When to Cut Your Losses.​​ If the material starts pulling like taffy, develops a rubbery texture on your roller, or shows ridges that won’t level, it’s past its usable life. Pushing it onto the substrate guarantees poor adhesion and a compromised membrane. ​​Don’t try to ‘save’ it. Discard it immediately.​​ The cost of wasted material is far lower than repairing a leak later. Set a visible timer when you start mixing, and stick to it ruthlessly based on your bucket’s observed temperature. Your trowel doesn’t lie – if it won’t flow smoothly, don’t force it.