Primer Technology - from the Manufacturers

A number of companies are using misleading information and slick marketing to potentially take advantage of Florida homeowners. They make inaccurate statements about the nature of polyaspartics and epoxy technologies that could end up costing you.

Below is an article from Sika (The world’s largest producer of resinous flooring materials) and one of the top manufacturers of epoxy coatings and polyaspartic coatings used throughout the industry. We are sharing this information to help homeowners be better informed and less likely to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous sales people.

Sika – On Primer Technology

As a result of the technical knowledge that comes with being the largest producer of resinous flooring materials in the world, Sika recommends the use of high solids epoxy technology as the direct to slab primer coat for our flooring systems.

There is a common misconception that other resin technologies such as polyapartic urethanes or polyureas meet or exceed the performance characteristics of epoxy primers. Epoxy primers provide the best solutions to the challenges associated with superior adhesion to a variety of concrete surfaces. Some of the benefits provided by epoxy primers are:

• Superior adhesion due to increased ability to fully wet out the substrate
• No adverse reaction to moisture intrinsic to concrete substrates (Polyaspartic urethanes and polyureas are extremely sensitive to moisture. Contact with moisture or high relative humidity causes a quick cure reaction which impedes the coating’s ability to bond well with the substrate.)
• Excellent penetrating capabilities
• Ability to serve as a mitigating primer when high moisture vapor transmission rates are present in theslab
• Can be applied in a wider range of thicknesses without adverse effects
• Wider recoat windows
• Ease of handling
  Varied cure rates depending on the epoxy technology and project requirements
• Cure rates not affected by relative humidity
• Can be used as a resurfacer for old or worn concrete
• Ease of recoating with epoxies, polyaspartic urethanes and polyurethane

Polyaspartic urethane technology is particularly well suited as a topcoat or receiver coat when applied to an epoxy primed surface. The benefits of polyaspartic technology as a wear coat:

• Superior UV resistance
• Abrasion resistant
• Quick cure
• Increased chemical resistance
• Optical clarity
• High temperature resistance
• Excellent durability

In conclusion, epoxies offer superior adhesion to concrete substrates while polyaspartic technology offers superior performance as a topcoat. Sika utilizes both technologies and combines them to create a dependable and long lasting resinous floor system.