Preparation for FS Epoxy Coatings

In my last blog I talked about our FS Epoxy Coating products and touched on the matter of preparing the floor prior to any product or material being laid. As I said, preparation is the key to all flooring works. Before undertaking any flooring project it’s important to make sure that the floor is clean, dry and dust free. It makes sense, you wouldn’t redecorate at home or lay a new carpet or new tiles for instance without first clearing and cleaning the floor and walls and laying a new epoxy resin floor is no different. In a nice brand new complex where the concrete is newly laid and bare, this ideally needs to be down for at least 4 – 6 weeks before applying an FS Epoxy Coating and should generally be prepared by mechanical means prior to coating. The concrete needs to dry and a moisture content of 5% or less is required prior to applying a solvent free coating. Some concrete sealers applied at the time the concrete is laid will also prevent adequate adhesion of coatings. FS Epoxy Sealer can however be applied after only 7 – 10 days and can then be over coated with our FS Epoxy Coating or a second coat of FS Epoxy Sealer can be applied. To prepare your floor, whether a brand spanking newly laid concrete or an old floor, it is essential that all areas to be coated are thoroughly clean and if the floor is older, do not have any flaking paint prior to coating. It’s generally preferable to mechanically prepare surfaces prior to coating them and we would recommend using one of the following methods. STR machine with carborundum blocks attached. A vacuum can be attached to pick up the dust but as the machine head spins slowly the dust is not thrown in the air but sits on the floor. The dust can then be vacuumed up later if preferred. Even if a vacuum is attached the floor should be vacuumed in any case. Sweeping with a brush will make the dust airborne unless you are extremely careful. STR machines can be hired from many hire shops although not all branches have these. National companies can generally source from another branch. A 110volt version (not petrol) plus a vacuum is required with 10kva transformer and power cable. These machines are ideal for smaller areas or for light preparation over existing epoxy coatings. Diamond Grinders. Single head and two-headed machines are available. A vacuum MUST be attached. These are ideal for removing existing coatings and adhesives left following the removal of vinyl tiles or vinyl sheet. DO NOT operate in a single spot or you will create swirls in the floor. These machines are also available for hire from some hire shops or for larger areas we can arrange for a contractor to carry out this preparation for you. These are 3-phase machines and you will require a suitable power source and cables. Blastrac Machines. These are large enclosed machines that blast steel shot at the floor and recover the shot to prepare concrete and remove old coatings etc. These machines are not available to hire but come on a lorry complete with operators, power source and vacuums. With newly laid concrete the above one of the above methods will be necessary, however how do you know whether your existing floors are already sealed or whether there is moisture in the concrete or indeed whether the floor is solid? The following suggestions may help. To find out if the concrete is already sealed, drip a small amount of water onto the surface. If the water beads, a sealer is present and paint may not adhere properly. The Solution – mechanically prepare the floor as above. To find out if moisture is present or if you do not know whether there is a damp proof membrane laid, apply a sheet of plastic to the floor and tape the edges down. Leave in place for 24 hours. Check to see if there are any water droplets or if the concrete appears wet in colour. The Solution – Use a liquid DPM such as our FS Epoxy DPM Primer prior to coating. Note one or two coats may be required. To check whether the concrete is loose, gently tap any area of floor which looks as if it may be damaged or loose with a hammer – if the concrete is loose it will sound hollow – if it is breaking up and concrete dust is present the coating will not perform properly. The Solution – remove all loose material, vacuum to remove the dust and repair with FS Epoxy Patch Repair Mortar or FS Rapid Polymer Modified Patch Repair. If the floor has latex levelling mortar or anhydride screed, these must not be coated. I have only touched on the basics with regard to preparation which will give you some idea of what to expect when embarking on such a project. Don’t be put off though – it isn’t as daunting as it may at first seem to coat your floor using our products. They are specifically designed for ease of application. When we supply any of our FS Epoxy Coating products we always include both the Data and COSHH Sheets with all paperwork. We also have what we call our “Idiot Sheet” for want of a better word!! It gives details of what to expect and how to deal with some of the more basic problems that you can experience. We’re always available by phone if something unexpected arises during normal working hours, or you can ring a mobile number that will be supplied for out of hours support, and will always try to help wherever possible. We encourage anyone who is going to use our products to read the information we send out. You will agree that it makes sense. If you would like to chat to us about any of our FS Epoxy Coating products or any of the flooring products that we sell please don’t hesitate to give us a call and we can talk you through the whole process. As always the number to call is 01380 831299 or email us at info@firstsolutiononline.co.uk We’re here to help!