When it comes to using two-part epoxy paint and resin systems, several issues can potentially occur if the project is not properly planned. We will go over two of the more common issues that may occur, and offer solutions on how to prevent them for the most professional job possible. Remember, it’s essential to read all product technical data and installation instructions in their entirety before beginning any project.

Issue: Bubbles in Cured Coating

Bubbles (or craters that result from popped bubbles) can be up to 2 centimeters in diameter or as small as a pinhead. Whether they appear in clusters or throughout the entire coating, the cause is always the same: trapped air. This air entrapment may be the result of a number of factors, including:

Concrete Outgassing

All concrete is porous, but depending upon its composition and condition, some slabs have more microscopic pockets of air than others. Evidence of the air being released from the slab, aka outgassing, is seen after the floor is properly mechanically prepared and “opened up”. After a coating is applied and begins to cure, the trapped air can begin to heat up and expand.

Preventative Measure: Prime porous concrete with a low viscosity, fast-curing, penetrating primer. Occasionally, more than one primer coat may be needed.

Incorrect Mixing Technique

Mixing components at super high speed can cause air to become trapped in the liquid coating.

Preventative Measure: Use a drill speed of 100-300 rpm for best results. Move the mixing blade in circles from the outer edge of the container to the inner edge.

Inadequate Roller Covers

The quality of the tool determines the quality of the job. A fiber roller cover with a nap that is too dense or too sparse can also introduce air to the coating, resulting in bubbles.

Preventative Measure: Do not roll too aggressively or quickly. Use long strokes and even pressure. Look for a short nap, lint-free roller that is high quality and remove excess product before rolling.

Repairing Bubbles in Floor Coatings

Using a rotary disc scrubber with 60-80 grit sandpaper, remove bubbles, ridges and protrusions, vacuum up all dust and use Xylene or Xylol to wipe the surface thoroughly. Recoat the floor at a rate of 150 square feet per gallon of product if manufacturer’s tech data allows. Always feather the edge of any imperfections. Depending on the severity of the bubbles, one may have to first use a thixotropic patching material and then re-sand certain areas before recoating. For extremely porous slabs, additional coats of primer may be needed before the finish coat(s) can be applied.

Issue: Cured Coating is Soft or Gooey

When the 24-hour cure time has passed and the epoxy coating is tacky, has not hardened in spots, or does not have the high-gloss, durable surface expected, examine the following factors.

Gooey or Messy Coating

This typically happens when the person in charge of the mixing station adds an incorrect amount of the Part B catalyst to a two-component system – or forgets to add Part B altogether.

Sticky Areas in Cured Coating

Tacky spots are usually the result of improperly mixed liquids. Either the individual used an improper ratio of Parts A & B or did not mix thoroughly enough. Another way small areas of the floor remain sticky is when a mixing bucket is turned over and left on the floor to empty out. Unblended components on the sides of the container will drip down onto the floor, causing the area to cure improperly.

Uniform Surface that Resists Hardening

A slightly soft but otherwise even surface is usually the result of curing in temperatures that are too cold. However, the possibility of an incorrect mix ratio cannot be discounted.

Repairing Gummy Flooring

Before beginning, mark the spots that need repair so as to not waste time and materials repairing the entire surface if it is not necessary.

 

If it is determined that the problem was caused by an error in mixing, use a scraper or mechanized tool to scrape away the uncured coating. Most likely a strong solvent (Xylene or Xylol) will be needed to thoroughly clean the concrete surface and remove any particles that may be left behind. Note that the patches created will not always seamlessly blend, so the floor may require another complete topcoat to achieve a uniform look.

Flooring Solutions for Any Facility

 

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.

 

FloroCrete RT with FloroSpartic 5 topcoat, expertly installed by Floorcare USA of WI, cleans up quickly and easily, even in extreme environments.

Epoxy flooring and other seamless commercial, industrial and institutional systems provide durable surfaces that are not only attractive, but also very simple to maintain. With just a few steps, keeping a facility’s resinous or epoxy flooring investment in top condition is easy and inexpensive. A regular schedule of routine sweeping and occasional light scrubbing will help preserve the floor’s striking appearance and excellent performance for many years.

These include everything from smooth high gloss surfaces, monolithic satin finishes, stippled “orange peel” effects, and slip-resistance ranging from extremely mild to more aggressive profiles for areas with excessive grease or oil.

Depending upon the formulation of the protective resinous or epoxy flooring topcoat, as well as the level of skid-inhibiting aggregate, cleaning and maintenance procedures may vary. However, the basics apply to all.

Sweep Daily

As with any surface in an public setting, coated concrete floors will gather loose debris and dust. Make sure to sweep resinous flooring well at the end of each workday.

Wash Weekly

When washing resin-coated concrete floors, whether using a mop-and-bucket or soft bristle mechanical scrubber, employ a dilute solution of warm water and mild detergent cleaner. Note that strong acidic substances, such as vinegar, or highly alkaline cleaners, such as ammonia, are neither recommended nor needed. And depending upon the floor type and composition, these extreme pH liquids may actually damage the topcoat.

If required, give extra care to areas subject to heavy traffic, hard rubber wheels or any type of machinery that leaves marks.

Remove Abrasives & Contaminants Promptly

Any abrasive particles should be swept or vacuumed up as soon as possible. Liquid contaminants should be removed by mopping or light scrubbing using the solution described above. Make sure to rinse thoroughly with clean water, multiple times if needed.

Guard Against Staining

Epoxy and resinous flooring is available in a broad spectrum of high performance protective finishes. Proper selection for a specific facility takes the operation’s daily activities and chemical use into account. It is therefore unlikely that a carefully chosen and properly installed resin-based floor system will get damaged by everyday spills. However, prompt cleanup of liquids is a good practice for both the sake of the floor, as well as occupants’ safety. In the event that a substance does leave a shadow or stain after cleaning, it’s best to consult your flooring representative rather than immediately proceeding with untried cleaners.

Optional Occasional Buffing Refinish if Necessary

When a resinous or epoxy floor nears the end of its useful life, it can be professionally refinished with the same look relatively quickly. Alternatively, an entirely different type of fluid-applied flooring system may be installed over the existing material. The selection is unlimited!