Industrial Flooring Installation Challenges
---SSPC 2003 Publication (PDF FIle)

No two projects are the same. Preventing problems from arising during and after an installation is dependent upon pre-job evaluation, system recommendations and application expertise. Even with the best products in the world, failures can happen if the substrate is not good, the product is wrong for the application or if the installation is not controlled. Avoiding these issues and preventing problems increases your profitability and distinguishes your company as an industry expert.

Substrate Evaluation

Concrete is the primary substrate upon which seamless flooring systems are applied. Understanding concrete will reduce the risk of unexpected problems. Concrete is a porous substrate which breathes and absorbs liquids when open to the environment. During your evaluation process you need to understand whether there is a vapor barrier below the slab, what potential contaminants are in the concrete and evaluate the soundness of the concrete including joint and crack movements. If you cannot confirm there is a vapor barrier in place, it is best to assume that none exists. Even so, it is prudent to evaluate the moisture vapor emissions prior to beginning the installation.

Contaminants will act as a bond breaker and need to be removed prior to placing the flooring system. Mechanical abrasion will frequently remove all surface contamination but chemicals and oils can penetrate the slab and must be removed or neutralized. Poor concrete must be replaced and cracks must be treated. Use an epoxy mortar to repair divots or spalls to expedite the repair and recoat time frame. Cracks should be cleaned and filled with a flexible epoxy. Depending upon the degree of movement there is no guarantee that the crack will not telegraph through the flooring system. In these cases it is better to treat the crack as an expansion joint and honor it through the flooring system.

Selecting the Right System

Recommending the right flooring system will depend upon the traffic conditions during use, the physical and chemical exposure, and finally the time frame allotted for installation. After satisfying the performance demands of the installation, aesthetic options can be reviewed. General Polymers has a complete line of performance based and decorative systems available. It is frequently beneficial to offer several options to your end-user customer using a good, better and best approach. Consult with your sales representative or the General Polymers office if you need assistance in selecting the correct systems.

Preventing Installation Problems

Professional flooring installation contractors take their responsibility of preventing installation related problems seriously. There are a number of factors that can lead to unacceptable installations and all can be prevented. In construction, the finishes receive the most attention and critique because they are the last to be installed and are highly visible.

Some problems can occur during the installation, including outgassing from the slab, and bubbles or fisheyes in the coating. Outgassing is caused by a difference in the temperature and humidity of the air versus the concrete. When the air temperature is warmer than the slab, especially in a low humidity, vapor will leave the slab. This problem can be avoided by checking the conditions and installing during stable or falling temperatures. Double priming or using a higher build primer can help alleviate the problem.

Bubbles in the coating can be caused by the mixing or rolling process. Check to make sure this is not an outgassing problem. Carefully mix components to avoid air entrainment and apply coatings using a squeegee and backrolling process. A spiked roller or a flow control additive can also be used to help remove bubbles in the coating. If bubbles are present in the cured coating, the surface will require sanding and reapplication.

Fisheyes are most frequently caused by a contaminant on the concrete surface. This is a surface preparation issue and the contaminant must be removed before continuing. If fisheyes occur between coats, check for surface contaminants, solvent wipe the surface and add a small amount of flow control agent to the coating.

Surface texture must be agreed upon prior to the installation. Texture can be controlled during the application process through the use of various stippled coatings and/or aggregates. When using 100% solids materials, the "wet" texture will be the same as the cured system. Solvent containing products will tend to become more textured when used with aggregate as the solvent leaves the coating.

Amine blush is a normal chemical reaction of between the amines present in epoxy with CO2 and moisture in the air forming carbamate which appears as a greasy surface film. This is especially true at low temperature and high humidity. Avoid application during these conditions or remove the amine blush using detergent or solvent prior to application of the next coat. The blush will prevent a good intercoat bond and may cause fisheyes during installation of the subsequent coat.

A coating which appears white or cloudy immediately after installation has most likely been exposed to water prior to complete cure. This exposure may be due to moisture from the concrete, moisture from the environmental conditions (Dew Point), or from placing the coating into wet service prior to complete cure. (A coating may appear and feel "dry" but may not be fully cured. Consult product Data Sheets.) All of these conditions can be avoided through surface inspection, controlled installation conditions and protecting the area until the coating is completely cured.

Surface stickiness, difficulty cleaning and poor hardness are symptoms of improper mixing or incomplete cure. Proper mixing is the single most important job during the installation process. Unitize the components prior to mixing as a safety precaution. Do not invert the buckets to try to drain the last drops of materials onto the concrete. If either component has a higher viscosity that the other, there is a risk that the bucket wall will hold a non-mixed component.

Disbonding from the concrete substrate is frequently associated with surface preparation. Mechanical preparation is far superior to acid etching. Disbonding from the substrate at the terminations or transitions is related to installation detail. Traffic edges require a keyed termination. Disbonding in the form of blisters is most likely due to moisture vapor emissions. If this is experienced within several months of the installation it is due to a surface saturation affect from the dew point during installation. Aged floors which develop blisters are due to moisture vapor transmission or alkali aggregate reaction. Blisters can be prevented by conducting installation at "use" temperatures and controlling the environment throughout the process. If the moisture does not move within the slab it will not create a problem.

In summary, seamless flooring requires surface evaluation, accurate system selection, and professional installation to prevent expensive problems. Taking the time and effort to understand the potential problems and implementing the correct measures to prevent them is the hallmark of a successful professional flooring installer.