Safety Direct Egypt Blog

SDE Cool deck.

One of the coolest options for pool deck surfaces are textured acrylic coatings. A coating that’s made of concrete and acrylic will absorb less heat than other materials. Texture also makes the surface feel cooler to the touch because when a person walks on it, their bare feet are exposed to less surface area.

In addition to keeping your pool deck cool, a textured surface is also slip resistant when the proper sealer is applied.

Polyaspartic trans antislip

Polyaspartic Antislip coatings

Technical Benefits of Polyaspartic Floors: 100% U.V. stability – they will never yellow. Super fast drying times (1/2 hour to 1 hour) Crystal clear finish that won’t blush from moisture in the concrete High abrasion and scratch resistance to polyurethane High tolerance to heat, meaning hot tire pick up is a non-issue High gloss finish High solids content with little to no VOC’s in most applications. High stain and chemical resistance. This includes salts for winter climates Good flexibility for higher impact resistance Excellent wetting characteristics allowing for good penetration into the concrete for a strong bond, and can even be applied to wood substrates Decreased chance of bubbles from out-gassing due to the faster cure rate. Available in all RAL colours

Comparing Polyaspartic Polyurea, polyurethane & Epoxy Floor Coating

 

Characteristics

Polyurethane

Polyaspartic Polyurea

Epoxy

Strength of bond when applied directly to concrete

Usually used as a top-coat with an epoxy-based primer

Very Strong

Very strong

Durability

Must be top-coated every 4-

7 years

Lasts indefinitely – even in challenging environments

Known to last indefinitely if properly applied in the right

environment

Elongation (stretch) properties

Similar to Polyaspartic polyurea

Excellent – 50 times the elongation properties of

epoxy – making it highly crack – resistance

Poor – cures to a very hard surface, so can`t withstand

expansion and contraction,

especially with the outdoor concrete surface

Use indoors & outdoors

yes

Yes – it works well indoors and outdoors and can be

applied in very challenging, extreme conditions

No – can`t withstand the extremes of outdoor

conditions, and is not UV

resistance

Application temprature

7 °C to 43 °C

-7 °C to 54 °C

Over  10 °C

Curing time (after application)

2-4 days

One day

6 to 8 days

Odour while curing

Strong

Virtually none

Strong

Resistance to oil and most contaminates

Highly resistant

Highly resistant Spills wipe-up with no trace

very resistant

(not big box store products)

UV Resistance (fading)

More resist than epoxy

Will not fade 100% UVprotected

Not UV resistant

Will not fade if exposed to sunlight

Susceptibility to hot-tire pick-up

moderately resistant

 

Highly resistant

 

Highly resistant when properly applied (not big box

store products)

Levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC`S)

MODERATE

No or extremely low VOC`S

yes

 

What are polyaspartic coatings?

  • From a technical perspective, the term “polyaspartic” refers to an “aliphatic polyurea”. Today the general public is somewhat familiar with polyurea coatings, primarily from their uses in such applications as spray down truck bed liners and tank coatings. Polyaspartic coatings are often viewed as a variation or type of a polyurea coating. Today, polyaspartic coatings are widely used in protective resinous concrete floor coating applications.

How are Polyaspartic Concrete Floor Coatings applied?

  • Polyaspartic coatings may be applied with a squeegee, seal-coat broom or even a simple 18” long 3/8” nap roller. Common methods include the Dip and Roll Method as well as the Ribbon and Roll method.

Can I apply Polyaspartic Coatings in cold temperatures?

  • Yes, depending on the formulation, polyaspartics may be applied in extremely low temperatures below 0º Centigrade.

How long do Polyaspartic Concrete Coatings take to Dry?

  • Polyaspartic coatings are designed to exhibit rapid curing capabilities, and may dry in a matter of hours or less. Often these concrete floor coating systems provide for next-day return to service. Rapid cure is one of the primary benefits over traditional epoxy coating technology.

What types of floor coating systems are available with Polyaspartics?

  • One of the primary benefits to polyaspartic coatings is the material’s versatility. Standard solid color industrial floor coatings, Seamless Flake and Monolithic Quartz flooring systems are common polyaspartic concrete coating systems. Recently, new decorative floor coating applications such as dye and seal and metallic floor coating systems have been developed with polyaspartic coating technology.

Are Polyaspartic Coatings as durable as Epoxy Coatings?

  • Yes, and then some. Based on empirical testing data, polyaspartic coatings offer abrasion resistant capabilities that actually exceed those of typical epoxy systems.

Can Polyaspartic coatings be used outside?

  • Yes, most polyaspartics are UV stable and are suitable for exterior applications. Some manufacturers incorporate excessive additives to augment solids content, which diminishes the integrity of the coating and can lead to problems, such as yellowing in the sun. All SDE polyaspartic  coatings are completely UV stable.

What types of environments can Polyaspartic Coatings be applied?

  • Generally, any type of an environment where a resinous concrete floor coating is called for, a polyaspartic coating system may be used. This includes heavy traffic industrial and commercial flooring as well as residential garage floor coatings.