Florothane MC Hangar Flooring with embedded squadron logos, beautifully installed by RP Coatings of CA.

When embedding graphics or epoxy logos into resinous flooring, every seasoned professional installer has his or her own secrets for achieving the crisp, clean-edged result desired. It takes significant technique and skill to get it right and the different shapes, sizes, color combinations and other factors can play a role, challenging even the most experienced pros.

In general, one of four different methods is typically employed when adding unique graphics to polymer flooring systems:

1) Logo or message pre-printed on special perforated mesh

2) Logo or message pre-printed as an adhesive decal

3) Logo or message cut out of coated paper in the form of a stencil.

4) Freehand drawing and painting

How to Choose a Logo Method

The reasons for using one method over another are varied and many. The size, shape and number of colors involved in a given graphic design can play a roll, as can the installation crew’s preference and experience in using a specific material.

In addition, the thickness, cure time and composition of the floor coating system can influence which logo application technique gets employed.

Common to all methods of floor graphics installation is the need for meticulous planning. Decisions about the logo’s design and size, as well as its location on the floor must be carefully made.

An appropriate background for the graphic can then be selected from an almost unlimited number of offerings, ranging from solid colors to blends of multi-colored chips or quartz, or even one of the new shimmering “metallic” floors.

When using a pre-printed design or stencil, ordering the graphic as early as possible can be important. Using the services of a reputable specialty printer may cost a bit more, but can save time and headaches at the job-site.

Once the graphic is delivered, getting the facility manager’s approval on the final printed or cut-out design before installation onto the industrial floor is always good practice.

Preserving the Graphic

After the logo or message is embedded into the resinous flooring system, one or more topcoats of clear, non-yellowing epoxy, urethane or other high performance resin helps ensure that the beautiful graphic and floor design will adorn the facility for years to come.

Floropoxy ESD, correctly installed and grounded by National Engineering of FL

As electronic devices become more powerful, facilities have experienced a greater need for static control flooring. Consider this excerpt from an article published in the July/August 2014 edition of Facilities Engineering Journal:

“A person walking across an insulative tile floor can build-up static electricity resulting in electrostatic discharges (ESD). When a hand touches a doorknob, it can take 3000 to 3500 volts to feel a sudden shock. In 1971, Intel’s 4004 microprocessor equaled about 2300 transistors. At the end of 2008, Intel’s Dual Core Itanium 2 smashed the 2 billion transistor equivalency barrier.

In 2011, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin commented that today’s hand held smartphone has more processing speed than NASA’s Apollo 11 guidance system computer. Hand held touch screen phones are much faster, with colossal memory in comparison to the lunar bound Apollo 11 computer.”

Without the proper static control flooring and epoxy coatings, any facility that deals with active electronic equipment and components, volatile gases, powders, liquids, or other substances may be exposing themselves to adverse ESD-related events.

Minimize the Risks of ESD

Our proven static control flooring and coatings provide the additional safeguards you need to help protect your employees and your facility. They’re frequently chosen by industries such as:

Semi-conductor and electronics Aerospace and avionics Data centers and mission critical operations Pharmaceutical plants and biotechnology labs Healthcare, hospitals and medical research Automotive and other high-tech manufacturing

We occasionally receive inquiries from customers regarding the static control capabilities of unsealed concrete. There are several potential problems with the presence of an untreated concrete floor in static risk environment. Most of these issues lie in lack of control over the floor’s properties, for example:

A facility’s Safety Manager may test the concrete and get a result deemed acceptable (resistance in the range of 1.0 x 106) However, this result can be greatly altered as people move across the floor. In many instances, the body voltage generation test over bare concrete flooring will fall outside the allowable range. In general, tests for body voltage generation are better indicators of floor performance in a critical space. The moisture content of concrete can vary greatly over time. Since the electrostatic resistance of concrete strongly depends upon its moisture content, ESD tests of concrete slabs can vary from day to day, from rainy season to rainy season. And more recently poured slabs will generally have lower resistance than decades old concrete. Uncoated concrete flooring, due to sheer size, layout and internal metal reinforcement is difficult to ground properly, even if moisture could be completely controlled.

The bottom line? A properly installed and grounded static control epoxy floor coating (as part of a facility-wide safety program) can help alleviate these issues.

Florock Antimicrobial Flooring, impressively installed by Garcia Smester of Dominican Republic.

Why use an epoxy primer?

It is a common misconception that epoxy primers are an extraneous added cost. However, they provide a variety of important solutions to several widespread problems associated with concrete surfaces. If superior adhesion and endurance is needed, the use of an epoxy primer is a necessity, not an extra. Some benefits provided by epoxy floor primers include:

Penetration into the concrete substrate, providing an overall better mechanical bond to the slab. Superior chemical bond for subsequent epoxy base coats. Because of their lower viscosity, epoxy primers fill the pores of the slab substrate and help to eliminate bubbles and pinholes that can form due to concrete They allow subsequent coats to achieve a higher dry film thickness and uniform finish. Some epoxy primers can serve help mitigate moisture vapor transmission (MVT) from beneath the floor slab. Some are moisture tolerant and work well when being applied over higher relative humidity floors.

Depending on the type of primer used, dry times and recoating windows vary. This includes both fast-curing and slower-curing options, moisture tolerant formulations and moisture vapor mitigating options. Primers may be selected for their ease of handling, lower or higher viscosity, installation temperature range, ability to cure well in a given environment or temperature, pot life, and a host of other reasons.

Compatibility of a given epoxy primer with a chosen flooring system may vary according to resin types and other factors. High performance fluid-applied flooring is intended for use by professionals. Therefore, utilizing a manufacturer-approved installer is the best way to get a correctly applied floor that performs as designed. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer for assistance in selecting a local installation company.

Epoxy Primers Options Floropoxy 4700: A quick-curing 100% solids epoxy primer Floropoxy 4755: A slower-curing, 100% solids, tacky epoxy primer Floropoxy MVT: A 100% solids epoxy primer that can help mitigate lower levels of moisture as part of the FloroProof System FloroCrete P: A moisture tolerant cementitious urethane primer, which is also part of the FloroProof Moisture Mitigation System Prime & Protect

Regardless of the purpose, high quality epoxy primers, applied as the first coat over properly prepared concrete, furnish the best foundation for your polymer flooring systems.

They provide your concrete floor coatings with better adhesion, improved aesthetics and increased durability.

With different formulas available for a variety of needs and applications, our selection of epoxy primers helps ensure the best performance possible from your concrete floor coatings.

 

Florock Floropoxy and Florothane flooring, skillfully installed by Prepco of TX.

The term epoxy flooring is often used to describe a variety of concrete floor coating systems that are composed of a variety of high performance resins. With so many resin coating options to choose from, the question might arise: How is it possible to determine which epoxy flooring option is right for a particular facility?

Every concrete floor is different, and even within a single facility, it might be necessary to install several types of floor coating products, depending on the diverse performance requirements. Even the concrete slabs themselves may present different composition and characteristics from room to room. Regardless of some manufacturers’ claims, no one resin floor type can do it all. Following are the major types of resin-based floors and epoxy flooring, along with their characteristics.

Epoxy Concrete Flooring Systems

Epoxy is one of the most widely known materials among floor coating resins, and is one of the most broadly utilized in the concrete flooring industry. As a concrete covering and protector, appropriately-selected epoxy floor coatings can help preserve the structural integrity of a floor slab and safeguard facility investment.

Cementitious Urethane Mortar Flooring

Our USDA approved, antimicrobial cementitious urethane flooring offers the combination of versatility and strength that many challenging environments rely on. Particularly popular in commercial kitchens and food and beverage processing facilities, our urethane cements and coating systems lend themselves well to a variety of industrial, commercial and institutional floor coating applications.

MMA Acrylic Flooring Thin film Urethane Floor Coatings

When you need your flooring to have some of the best chemical, stain and abrasion resistance available, our urethane floor coating systems are the answer. For a high performance topcoat, the array of unique benefits offered by our thin film urethanes is hard to beat.

Polyaspartic Floor Finishes

You don’t always have the time or the ability to shut down your facility—not even for critical maintenance like floor installation. Institutions like schools and universities, 24-hour hospitals and public safety facilities, and even retail and grocery stores sometimes need to get back onto their new floor in a matter of hours. When timing is critical, and especially when air management is not possible, Florospartic polyspartic floor coating is the way to go. With its excellent resistance to chemicals and abrasion as well as its fast, very low-odor curing, this flooring gives you the high performance floor finish you need, when you need it.

Each of these resinous epoxy flooring and other polymer floor finishing systems furnishes the end user with a unique set of performance and aesthetic characteristics. Occasionally a single type of resin chemistry is used to coat an industrial, commercial or institutional floor. More commonly, however, several resin systems are installed in layers to provide optimal properties in a customized flooring solution.

Has throwing the big game party fallen upon your shoulders? If so, you need to make sure it’s one to remember.

Do you have everything you’ll need to avoid fumbling on Championship Sunday? If not, this checklist is for you.

Hosting the best game day get-together may seem like a difficult task to pull off. Our ultimate carpet bowl party checklist, however, will lead you to a triumphant game day this year.

Before kickoff, you need to make sure that the house is clean and prepared. Start house cleaning and prepping with these tips in mind:

Has your home been themed with the favorite team branding? Here are some items you’re going to want include: Coasters (make them out of AstroTurf to get creative) Banners Table runners Streamers Are the kids at the babysitters? Let’s face it, you can’t be loud and obnoxious when the little one is taking a nap. How’s the carpet look? If you can’t get the museum of stains out of the old carpeting, you may want to pick up some fresh flooring. Presentation is important after all. Is all the shopping done? Make sure to get all of the food and drink you’ll need prior to Championship Sunday. Has the party room and kitchen been straightened up? You can’t have a messy dining area. Do you have someone to help clean up after? Trust us, it is going to be a pain to clean up on your own.

If you do need to get the carpet changed, we have you covered. Book a free estimate and take advantage of our Carpet Bowl Savings before it’s too late! We will even install it for you the next day, jut in time for the big game.

After the house has been taken care of, it’s time to get the food, drink and items you’ll require. This is what you’re going to need:

Coolers and Buckets – If you have some room to fit them, get some coolers or buckets to store your cold drinks. Make sure to place them in easy access spots for your guests. Ice – This is self-explanatory, but you’ll need ice to keep your drinks cold. Make sure to stock up so you don’t run out. Beer – Please drink responsibly, but beer is a popular beverage at any game day party, especially if you are expecting a big crowd. If you have a home bar in your basement, make sure to stock it up. Soda, Cider and Sparkling Water – There are many great alternative drinks you can serve if you are not into alcoholic beverages. Cider is great for guests who have a gluten allergy and sparkling water can be mixed with flavored syrups to create a variety of delicious beverages. Soda is a give in; we all know it. Serving Trays, Plates, and Dishes – Try to get dishes based off of your preferred football team if possible. For example, silver and blue for the Detroit Lions (hey, we have to show some support). Party Food – Sandwiches, chips and dip, wings, pizza and chili. You can’t go wrong with these. Food Station – Set up a food area for guests to pick and choose what they want. That way everything gets taken and you don’t have to run around serving everyone. You can also place a tablet here with the game on so no one misses a second of the action when filling their plates. Extra Tips

Pace your snacks. The game is going to be long, so bring things out at a steady pace to ensure your guests have room for everything you’ve prepared.

If you plan on promoting your event via ads, flyers and the like, be aware of the patent the NFL has on the event name (super you-know-what). Using the actual title of the game can get you a cease and desist letter in the mail.

Your game day party will be a blast with the help of these guidelines. Hopefully, the team you’re rooting for will win. That will be the perfect finish.

Enjoy the bowl this year and be safe!