– Polyaspartic / Polyurea Coatings –
Welcome to the future! Polyaspartic / polyurea coatings have become the industry standard for floor coatings. This is because of their UV stability, chemical and scratch resistance, and high tolerance to heat. Sweet Concrete has released our own brand of polyaspartic / polyurea coatings specifically for our client base. These coatings are great for indoor and outdoor applications. Consequently, they are most popularly used for garage floor coatings including flake / chip and quartz systems.
Polyaspartic / polyurea coatings are usually compared to epoxy coatings. Epoxy coatings have been used for decades but because they chip easily, aren’t flexible, and yellow in sunlight, their use had dwindled in recent years. One of the biggest benefits of epoxies is that certain epoxies can hold back hydrostatic pressure. Even though certain epoxies can hold back hydrostatic pressure, it still leaves that moisture trapped in the concrete which can slowly deteriorate the slab over time. Sweet Concrete applies a deep penetrating sealer to the concrete prior to applying our floor coatings, which permanently waterproofs the slab and eliminates any hydrostatic pressure in the concrete.
Urethane Family
Polyaspartic / polyurea coatings are technically a subgroup of the urethane family. They are formed when an isocyanate reacts with a polyetheramine to create a urea linkage. Polyureas are a two part coating that mixes a resin with a hardening catalyst that begins the curing reaction. These coatings are known for their fast curing, cutting back application time and thus labor costs. Polyaspartic coatings on the other hand are a type of aliphatic polyurea. A polyaspartic coating is a single component without the hardening agent which means it has a longer pot-life, therefore slightly extending the application time.
Both products have an elongation rate that exceeds 300% making them far more flexible than an epoxy. This characteristic makes them ideal for industrial pipe coatings, spray-on bed liners and joint fillers. Because of their extremely fast cure rate and application window, most polyaspartic / polyurea coatings require a professional installer who has experience using these products.
Quick Application Time
One of the many benefits of these systems is the one day application. Older epoxy systems would take three days to complete, one coat per day, day by day. Polyaspartic / polyurea coatings can have multiple coats applied all in a one day which drastically cuts back labor costs and travel expenses. Their fast curing times mean you are back on your floors quicker, usually by the following day.
Three days is required before heavy traffic is allowed like vehicles driving over the newly laid surfaces.
Other benefits are UV stability (they won’t yellow over time), they’re crystal clear, and are super glossy.In addition, they’re high impact resistance, high chemical and stain resistance, high abrasion and scratch resistance, and high heat resistance. Wow, that’s a lot of resistance! Moreover, they won’t chip or peel like epoxies, and have anti-microbial and anti-bacterial qualities. Sweet Concrete’s polyaspartic coating is acceptable for use in floors subject to USDA / FDA inspections and regulations. An anti-slip media can also be added to the final coat to increase the slip coefficient properties of the floor.
Give us a call today for your free concrete audit which will give you a better idea if your concrete is right for these amazing coatings. Sweet Concrete services the greater Treasure Valley area including but not limited to Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell, and many other areas.
