The porous surface of concrete flooring allows water and soluble contaminants to penetrate into a structure, which can lead to premature degradation. The degradation of concrete flooring can manifest in efflorescence, laitance and physical defects such as cracking and spalling. Concrete floor coatings can protect it from degradation by providing abrasion, stain, chemical and freeze/thaw protection.
Typical coatings that can be successfully specified and used for concrete floors include acrylics, epoxies, polyurethanes, polyaspartic polyurea and specialized elastomeric coatings. It should be noted that alkyd based coatings should never be specified for application to concrete, since the alkyd resin may chemically react with alkaline concrete compounds and moisture, leading to saponification. This reaction transforms the resin into a soft material that no loner functions as a powder coating suppliers and provides little protection to the concrete substrate.
Acrylic coatings/sealers are generally several mils thick and are applied 2 or 3 mills per coat. They are either water based or solvent based compounds. Usually solvent based acrylic sealers are used in exterior applications whereas water based acrylic sealers are used in interior applications. A variety of epoxy coatings can be used for coating concrete. typical epoxies are multi component materials with a polyamide or amine curing agent. Polyamide epoxies are known for possessing better flexibility and water resistance, while amine-cured epoxies typically offer better chemical resistance. Epoxy systems are usually applied in one to three coats at an application thickness of several mils per coat.
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