MRO Today - Floor coatings: Cure what ails you

Cure what ails you
Is your plant floor an eyesore or a safety hazard? Use these tips to choose and apply the right floor coating.

by Erik Van Anglen

Epoxy floor coatings and toppings have been a popular choice in industrial environments for years. One-hundred-percent solids and high solids epoxy coatings hold a unique place in the market due to their inherent advantages, which include:

-- Durability
-- Ease of maintenance
-- Low odor/no fumes
-- Increased safety
-- Cost effectiveness

Epoxy floor toppings and coatings offer many options depending on the service environment, appearance requirements and budget.

Heavy-duty toppings can withstand severe abuse such as steel-wheeled traffic, impact and chemical attack.

Lighter-duty coatings provide a cost-effective means of improving housekeeping conditions and creating a brighter, cleaner work environment.

Slip-resistant coatings are a solution for plant floors that are frequently wet or oily.

This article addresses the most common issues when selecting a light- to medium-duty floor coating that will be applied by an in-house maintenance crew.

The criteria for product selection should include:
Aesthetics: Gloss, color retention, resistance to fading.
Durability: Wear resistance, abrasion resistance.
Corrosion resistance: Resistance to process chemicals, oils, coolants.
Safety: Slip resistance.

More often than not, two or more of these factors must be weighed in the selection process.

Costs, curing time, precautions
Choosing a floor coating or topping can be a confusing process.

There are hundreds of coating and topping systems available.

Coatings may be chosen for a variety of qualities. For example, because they don’t give off harmful vapors or grossly unpleasant odors, high solids and 100-percent solids coating products may be selected when application takes place during normal operating hours.

When pondering the proper coating or topping system for your application, ask some simple questions:

How much time is available (including drying time) to perform the application?

Will plant personnel be subjected to harmful fumes or unpleasant odors?

How much preparation is required?

Are special skills needed?

What is the applied cost of the material?

It is important to know in advance how much time is required to prepare the substrate and perform the application of the product. This calculation must include the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer for complete curing of the product before allowing foot or wheeled traffic.

Remember that for some types of coatings, temperature is an important factor. Curing can take longer in warmer environments.

If you are performing the coating application during normal working hours, it’s vital to factor all health and safety issues not only for the personnel applying the coating, but for plant employees working in the vicinity of the project area.

The majority of the time, the use of 100-percent solids and low volatile organic compound (VOC) products permit application with minimal precaution. However, it is always best to consult material safety data sheets. MSDS outline personnel protective equipment (gloves, goggles, aprons, respirators) recommended or required for selected coatings and applications (i.e. work in confined spaces).

The use of certain materials such as urethanes and solvent-based epoxy coatings can pose significant health risks if applied in the vicinity of unprotected workers.

Besides PPE, proper ventilation is always recommended.

Preparation of the concrete substrate is of primary importance. Inadequate preparation of the surface to be coated is probably the most common cause of premature coating failure and shortened service life.

Almost all polymer floor coatings, regardless of type, require preparation of the concrete surface in a manner that removes all existing or unsound coatings, oil or grease contamination, as well as the finished surface of the concrete to provide a suitable surface for coating.

This often requires the use of specialized preparation equipment such as recirculating shotblast machines, scarifiers, and other grinding and abrading equipment.

You may consider procuring the services of a professional concrete preparation firm to facilitate the complete and proper preparation of the surface. Keep in mind that surface preparation constitutes a significant portion of the time allotted to complete the project.

In-plant personnel can successfully apply most types of floor coatings, provided that the proper tools and equipment are available. While most products require only basic trade tools (paint rollers, squeegees, etc.), high-quality tools and equipment insure high-quality results.

Actual material cost is only a portion of the total applied cost of the project. Factor in plant labor, contract floor preparation, equipment purchase or rental costs to calculate total cost.

Remember that floor coating projects typically close significant areas of the facility for several days, preventing personnel and materials from passing and possibly affecting production and other plant operations. Take all these indirect costs into account.

Attractive floor advantages
One-hundred-percent solids and high solids epoxy coatings offer ease and safety of application combined with a durable, attractive finish. A variety of surface finishes are also available to suit virtually any industrial environment.

The advantages of these products are improved housekeeping and safety, which enhances the workplace and contributes to increased productivity.

Erik Van Anglen is senior technical advisor for Rust-Oleum Corporation.

This article appeared in the October/November 1999 issue of MRO Today magazine. Copyright, 1999.