PAINTED TO James Burton of leading coatings manufacturer, Bradite examines what is involv
Before
Whether you’re painting flooring in a warehouse, a workshop, a school or hospital kitchen, an underground car park or something a little more challenging like an aircraft hangar or helipad, site preparation and product selection are the keys to success.
It is important to remember that not all floor paints are the same. Generic products include alkyds, polyurethanes, epoxies, single pack, twin pack, water-based, solvent-free, moisture cure, chlorinated rubber and more. They may be described as domestic, industrial, garage, hardwearing, tough and flexible. However, it’s crucial that the correct product is selected for the job at hand.
For domestic use, you may require a quick drying, low-odour product that is easy to apply such as a single pack, cross linking water-based paint. For a light industrial situation, the coating should be hardwearing, grease resistant and able to cope with light to medium traffic. A single pack polyurethane, or a water-based cross-linking product may work well.
For heavier traffic areas, such as a workshop floor where oil and grease are present, you could try a moisture cure, chlorinated rubber or twin pack epoxy. To achieve quick-drying and recoat times, try a water-based cross linking moisture cure or chlorinated rubber.
In a working environment, such as an area for food preparation, you should use an odour and solvent-free product. Consider water-based cross linking or twin pack water-based epoxies.
There are certain circumstances where the coating must resist specific chemicals. In these cases, identify the chemicals and check the coating suitability directly with the product manufacturer.
In settings where regular deep cleaning is required such as 20 | INDUSTRIAL FLOORING
Application
a brewery or kennels, consider chlorinated rubber or twin- pack epoxies.
SUBSTRATES Whether it’s concrete, steel, timber, or something else, the substrate upon which the coating is to be applied is critical. When choosing a coating, consider whether the substrate is new or aged, inside or outside, or previously covered with a different coating.
New concrete should be left for a minimum of 30 days before painting to allow time for it to completely dry out. This can be checked by laying a rubber mat on the floor and leaving it overnight. When removed, if the floor is discoloured or condensation is still visible, then moisture is still present, and the floor should be left until fully cured.
New concrete should also be checked for laitance, a milky deposit on the surface usually caused by excess water in the mix. If painted, it could act as a crust and detach from the base causing premature failure of any coating. This can be removed by blasting or acid etching.
Power floated, shiny or unpainted nonporous concrete flooring should be thoroughly blast cleaned, ground, acid etched or primed using an adhesion promoting floor primer before applying floor paint. The correct application of screeds is important so check with the manufacturer to ensure the screed is suitable for overcoating.
The correct preparation of steel substrate depends on whether it is ferrous or non-ferrous. Remove corrosion to brighten the steel, treating any stubborn spots or marks with rust converter before applying a primer. If previously painted, all coatings must be well adhered.
Turning to timber, softwood knots should be wiped and sealed using knotting compound or aluminium primer. Resinous
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
