How Polyaspartics and Polyureas Are Revolutionizing Industrial Flooring

Polyureas and Polyaspartics were originally developed for coating steel to prevent corrosion. The outstanding qualities such as fast cure and durability led to experimenting for use on concrete industrial flooring.

What Are Polyaspartic and Polyurea Coatings

Simply they are an advanced version of concrete floor paint. They are a two component product that are mixed together prior to application and are rolled on the surface. They come in clear but are usually pigmented with gray or tan but any color can be created. Vinyl colored chips can be broadcast into the surface while wet. Either a full broadcast can be applied which looks like a terrazzo finish or chips can be lightly sprinkled to give a little more character.

Benefits of Polyureas Over Epoxy Coatings

1. Rapid Cure - Polyureas can dry in an hour so multiple coats can be applied in a day. For businesses that cannot allow for downtime this solves a big problem. An example is a company that can only allow for downtime over a weekend. With the right surface prep equipment the concrete can be ground smooth over a Friday night, cracks and spalling fixed the next morning with two coats applied on a Saturday, two on Sunday and in service for Monday morning.

2. Adhesion To Concrete - Polyureas have the unique ability to "wet" into concrete. This means they absorb into the concrete after the surface is ground smooth with industrial floor grinding equipment, diamond blades and a dustless vacuum system. The benefit is that the polyureas cure as part of the concrete rather than sticking to the surface like an epoxy. This substantially alleviates risk of delamination. Highly skilled professionals will test the density of the concrete and adjust the"wetting" for a particular surface.

3. Cold Weather Application - It has been reported that polyureas can be applied at below zero temperatures. Though few would attempt in extreme cold a coating can be applied on a cold concrete floor. This means projects can completed year round.

How Polyaspartic and Poyurea Coatings are Applied

1. Grinding The Concrete Surface - This requires specialized equipment, diamond blades and a dustless vacuum system. The applicator will adjust the speed of the diamonds which circulate over the surface grinding the top layer of the concrete. This creates a lot of dust which is contained in specialized high power vacuum systems. The grinding process removes the highs and lows in the surface creating a flat floor.

2. Crack Repair - Because polyureas can be thinned, they can fill a crack all the way to the bottom about 4 inches. Most crack fillers only fill what you can see and really just serve as a bridge in the crack penetrating 1/4" to one inch. The most effective crack repair will flow to the bottom, cure below the surface and "wet" into the wall of the crack with flexibility. Polyureas do it all. They block moisture vapor pressure that can delaminate a coating.

3. Application of Polyurea Industrial Flooring - Once the surface is ground smooth and flat the coatings are rolled on the surface. Since the floor was ground smooth the coatings are applied at an even depth throughout the floor.

4. Rapid Cure and Fast Return To Service - In new construction or remodels a fast coating application is a money saver. Most coatings take a week to apply and cure. With the proper surface preparation equipment and manpower a 10,000 square foot floor can be applied in 3 days and used on the fourth. It is even possible to complete larger floors with enough equipment.

Slip Resistance, Recoat, Durability and Ease of Maintenance

An advanced professional will use a specific size non slip aggregate in each coating layer. Aggregate size is critical to function. Too large and it will sink to the bottom of the bucket during mixing. Too small and it will be lost in the mix and become ineffective. Building the right size into each layer ensures slip resistance above the legal standards for the life of the floor.

Floors will wear from use. Excessive wear will require a recoat and not all coatings can be recoated. Most will require complete removal with excessive wear. Polyureas on the contrary can be lightly sanded and resurfaced to look and perform like new. Again a feature that outperforms other systems.

Polyasparics and polyureas are extremely durable like epoxies while being easier to maintain. Epoxies and polyureas will get scratched. The difference is that a scratch in epoxies gets frayed, trapping dirt and bacteria. Polyureas get a straight scratch which means routine cleaning removes dirt and bacteria while prolonging life of the floor.

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