Polyaspartic coatings have recently taken the world by storm, and it’s hardly surprising. This upgrade on the traditional epoxy floor cures faster is more robust, lasts longer, and resists fading and yellowing.
Businesses, in particular, rave about these coating systems because they can be ready to use within days rather than weeks.
What Is a Polyaspartic Concrete Floor Coating?
It is a coating made from polyaspartic aliphatic polyurea. The polyaspartic ester forms the compound’s base and represents a revolutionary step in epoxy’s evolution. Today, clients opt for a polyaspartic floor coating in high-traffic areas or where they work in harsh conditions.
How Do We Apply a Polyaspartic Concrete Floor Coating?
Polyaspartic is pricier than its predecessor, polyurea. Fortunately, you only need a thin topcoat to benefit from its use. To make your polyaspartic garage floor more affordable, we lay a base of polyurea first.
We add any decorative elements, such as flakes and pigments, into this base. After that, we brush, roll, or squeegee on the polyaspartic. While this sounds easy, it’s not as simple as pouring on varnish.
The polyaspartic is a sluggish liquid that doesn’t spread as easily as you might think. Therefore, applying it evenly requires a deft touch.
When applying the topcoat, our professionals seek to achieve strong adhesion. To ensure that we do, we sand the polyurea layer to roughen it. We then clean away all the dirt before laying the top coat.
How Long Does It Take Polyaspartic To Cure?
One of the downsides of using traditional epoxy lies in its lengthy curing time, which can take two weeks. With polyaspartic, you can cut that time to 24 hours. One of the most significant benefits of this top coat is that you have a move-in ready floor within 24 hours.
This factor helped polyaspartic blossom into one of the top choices for businesses. With such short curing times, companies could approach renovations without worrying about closing for too long.
What To Expect After Installation
Here we’ll give you a rough guide of what to expect. With warm weather, the process speeds up, and your floor will be ready sooner. If the weather is cold, we recommend giving it the full 24 hours, as we outline below:
- After we install your new coating, we recommend staying out of the room for 12 to 24 hours, as the smell will be pretty intense.
- Open the doors and windows to speed up the outgassing process and clear the air. You must do this for at least half an hour, but we recommend airing it for two to four hours.
- When the weather is warmer than 76° F, give the floor about two to four hours to dry. Extend this period by another two hours for temperatures below this range.
- Do not walk on the polyaspartic for at least six hours, preferably eight hours. You may then allow light foot traffic on the coating.
- You may increase the traffic after eight to 12 hours.
- You should allow the floor to cure for 24 hours before driving or placing heavy machinery on it when warmer than 76° F. When the weather is cooler, wait 48 hours.
- At this stage, you may park a vehicle on the floor for 12 hours at a time. You may extend this time after 72 hours.
- In temperatures warmer than 76°F, the floor will cure entirely within five to seven days. In cooler weather, it will take seven to ten days.
- If you plan to coat a garage floor, we recommend guarding against “hot tires.” To do so, park outside for half an hour before entering the garage. (Until the top coat cures completely, there’s a chance that the contraction of the tires will pull it up.)
The above-mentioned time frames are guidelines. We recommend waiting the maximum allowable time for the very best results. If you have concerns about remembering this data, don’t worry.
Our contractor will explain this to you again when they lay your floor. They’ll give you a firm indication of how long you should wait based on the time of year and the immediate weather forecast.
Contact Concrete Coatings GA for Your Free Quote Today!
Is your business in Locust Grove or the surrounding areas? Would you like to revamp your flooring and experience the benefits of using polyaspartic first-hand? Turn to the concrete coating experts.
Contact Concrete Coatings GA at (678) 782-7580 to receive your free estimate on a new fast-cure polyaspartic coating.
