Polyaspartic Garage Floor Problems

It is obvious that you desire the utmost service from your garage, right? For this to be achieved, the floor of your garage is a section that is of paramount concern. Employing garage floor coatings like polyaspartic has been an auspicious resort for many. However, this resort is not immune to setbacks ranging from slipping risks, delamination, alteration by acid, scratches and indentations, and multiple installation issues. On this score, an in-depth look at polyaspartic garage floor problems has been carried out with the aim of acquainting you with commonly encountered setbacks.

Opting to employ polyaspartic floor coating on your garage floor is unquestionably a rewarding venture. This is because of the ascertained numerous benefits this coating comes with, including durability, versatility, elegance, and style, among others. This venture, however, is not exempted from facing problems and thus the essence of this compilation.

Tag along and get to know how to identify and tackle polyaspartic garage floor problems, which include;

1.Delamination

This problem refers to the fracturing of polyaspartic floor coatings into layers. There are several causes to this, with high moisture levels being the principal cause. For instance, surface preparation through acid etching in the installation process results in moisture addition to the concrete.

This, as a result, leads to a lower pH and therefore result in delamination. Another instance is a concrete floor that yields moisture or bears contaminants and therefore predisposes a polyaspartic coated floor to delamination.

This problem is common for new concrete floors that are not given enough time to dry up before the installation of polyaspartic material. For this reason, adequate drying time should be accorded to new floors for periods ranging from the least 28 days, 60 days, or up to 90 days. Also, other measures of getting the surface ready, like diamond grinding followed by vacuuming to get rid of contaminants, are highly regarded.

2.Debonding

This could be a potential problem that can be rooted back to issues with the installation process. Application of polyaspartic coatings on a concrete floor that gives off moisture is unsuitable as chances of alteration of the adherence of the coating to the floor are affirmative.

This occurs through the loss of bond between the concrete floor and polyaspartic coating and, therefore, can even result in peeling off of the coating from the floor. Apart from moisture, negligence of contaminants like grease, oil, or other chemicals present in concrete will almost definitely result in debonding issues in the future.

The remedy for this is conducting the surface preparation process meticulously. Testing for moisture levels before application of the coating material is a highly recommended move.

3.Ephemeral pot life

Polyaspartic material bears a phenomenal quick curing trait that depends on the formulation ranging from five to 120 minutes. On the upside, this trait enables you to utilize the new floor in 2 to 3 hours for foot traffic and as early as 24 hours for cars.

On the downside, this trait could pose a problem for you as there is a likelihood for the material to dry in the bucket or on the floor before the accomplishment of the application.

If this problem occurs, it is not only a loss for you through wastage of the expensive polyaspartic material, but also it can result in the entrapment of bubbles and other blemishes on the surface. This setback can be resolved by ensuring installation accuracy; thus, professional assistance is highly preferred.

4.Slipping risks

A polyaspartic coated floor that is void of non-skid additives can pose slipping risks to you as a foot trafficker. When wet, this coated floor can be slippery and hence becomes troublesome for you.

You obviously do not wish a floor that does not guarantee your safe ferrying of products from your car, right? For this reason, in order to boost the traction and texture of your floor, the incorporation of traction additives like quartz sand beads or vinyl flecks/chips after the primer coat in the installation process is greatly recommended.

5.Tenacious stains

Having the floor of your garage messy is quite ordinary. The mess may come from car drippings like brake fluid or motor oil, which, if left unchecked, tend to be an unattractive sight on your garage floor.

To tackle the stubborn stains, you can start by sweeping most loose debris and dirt. This is then followed by utilizing a microfiber mop or foam to apply a formulation of 4 to 5 ounces of ammonia mixed with water. You should, however, use protective wear when using this cleaning agent to avoid contact with the skin.

6.Floor scratching

This problem rarely occurs as polyaspartic material bears a durability characteristic that enables it to maintain a scratch-resistant finish. This, however, does not entirely eliminate its possibility of happening.

The heavy weight of cars may force dust or dirt into the coating, causing iota scratches. This can be countered through routine maintenance activities like sweeping the floor with a microfiber dust mop or a soft bristle broom.

Scratches may also arise from dragging heavy machinery or other sharp-edged equipment across the garage floor. To avoid this, a moving dolly can be employed when ferrying heavy equipment across the room.

7.Alteration by battery acid

Despite polyaspartic coatings having exceptional durability traits, they do not exactly hold up well against battery acid. In this case, mechanics owning garages expecting to deal with more cases of battery leaks can commonly encounter this problem; therefore, polyaspartic floor coating is not considered suitable.

8.Intricacy in application

This problem tends to be common for DIY enthusiasts. This is because the short pot life trait of polyaspartic material requires exceptional levels of accuracy and speed. Failure to execute the installation process in a precise and quick manner means that all the investment of the cash, labor, and material goes down the drain. If you highly doubt your expertise, it is recommended that you seek professional installation.

How to install polyaspartic coatings

The installation process of polyaspartic coatings tends to be a task that can be a source of garage floor problems when conducted inappropriately. Thereupon, a succinct overview of the installation process has been explicated below in a stepwise manner.

Step 1: Surface preparation

Polyaspartic is a material of low viscosity, and therefore its penetration is of utter essence. Preparation involves clearing contaminants and laitance from the surface through dry diamond grinding at a 60 to 80 grit or shot blasting.

A surface profile of CSP 2 to CSP 4 should be the result. The final move in this step should be rigorous vacuuming to rid the surface of any dust.

Step 2: Moisture level testing

This step is essential, especially for new concrete floors. Two parameters can be utilized in moisture testing, moisture vapor emission rate (MVER) or internal relative humidity (RH).

The recommended levels are 3 to 3.5 pounds/1,000 square feet for MVER and less than 75% for internal RH. Moisture mitigation system should be employed where the recommended levels become higher.

Step 3: Reparation of defects

Surface defects like cracks and joints can pose dire problems if neglected hence the need to correct them. For cracks, this is done through a fast-curing process (20 minutes) that involves filling the cracks with sand followed by wetting of the sand with polyurea.

For joints, you can ground flush with the concrete surface. These approaches are favorable because polyaspartic coatings boast remarkable elongation traits, allowing you to apply the coating right above the repaired cracks without the worry of reflection.

Step 4: Mixing and priming

Equal amounts of part A and part B are mixed to come up with polyaspartic, meaning these coatings are a two-part system. The primer coat that bears pigment is employed after addition to part A. This is followed by using a notched squeegee to backroll the regarded number of coats, beginning with the self-priming coat of polyaspartic.

The primer coat can vary in thickness based on the manufacturer. Through the self-priming coat, you get to observe the wetting of the material and its absorption into concrete.

Step 5: Subsequent coat(s) application

This step elaborates the application of the bed coat/ build coat (second coat). This is the step that allows the application of additives like quartz sand, vinyl chips, or color. For color application, both of the first two coats include a pigment.

For decorative quartz or vinyl chips application, incorporation of that material is done immediately into the bed coat while it is still wet to refusal. You should then obtain a laminar effect after the wetting out of the chips.

Step 6: Application of topcoat and cleaning up

If you had incorporated additives, you ought to scrape the surface followed by vacuuming to make it smoother. You should then apply a ribbon of polyaspartic coatings close to the edges, followed by a rolling out of the topcoat. The thickness of the topcoat varies from 6 mils to 18 mils and is clear.

Conclusion

A garage is inarguably a fundamental housing that serves multiple key functions. The central goal of having a garage in your home is to obtain as much service from it as possible. In an effort to achieve long service life from your garage, the installation of polyaspartic floor coatings is one of the most sought and certain means to do so.

However, despite having exemplary advantages, polyaspartic floor coatings also have pitfalls, with most originating from the installation process. It is then essential to conduct the installation process in an extremely diligent manner, with professional assistance more preferred. When appropriately installed, you can be confident that you will not encounter most if not all of the elaborated polyaspartic garage floor problems.