Do you have damaged, cracked and/or oil soaked dirty concrete and wonder what to do? Should you tear up the old concrete and replace it with new? What are the costs and the time involved?
Tearing up and replacing old concrete is costly, time-consuming, requires care during the curing process and often times will result in a return to the same damaged condition within years.Other options would be to re-surface the concrete with a coating material but, be careful in selecting a coating, as well as a contractor.
When choosing a coating, every situation is different. Not all coating materials can be applied to all surfaces. For Example, you cannot install an epoxy coating in an outdoor environment exposed to sun and Mother Nature. Some other coatings will change color when exposed to the atmosphere because they are not UV stable.
However, one of the best coatings suitable for various applications is polyurea. Polyurea is a two component, 100% solid, that has no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) or offensive odor when applied properly. Polyurea can be sprayed in places where epoxy cannot be used. Polyurea’s turn-around is also very quick, especially when compared to pouring new concrete or applying epoxy coatings. Most epoxy coating requires 24 to 48 hours to dry while polyurea can be sprayed and walked on within minutes. This is one of the biggest benefits of polyuria.
Another factor to consider is cost. Polyuria is typically more costly than epoxy coating, so due to this it is important to choose a knowledgeable and preferably certified polyuria contractor. Polyurea coating when applied correctly can also extend the life of many steel and concrete tanks and storage pits that would otherwise need to be replaced.
When choosing a professional polyuria installation company there is a huge difference between a truck bed liner installer and a professional waterproofing and coating company. Most bed liner installers do not have the necessary construction or coating knowledge to apply polyuria, and often times those who do possess the knowledge cut corners to increase their profits. Other times, a contractor’s lack of education regarding how to prepare the various substrates will lead to guaranteed failure of polyurea. Polyurea coating needs to be applied with special care and attention to details or the benefits will not be realized.
Our company, Superlative Construction, INC., specializes in polyurea coating. Whenever our repeat or potential clients call us the first thing we ask is what type of surface will require the coating and what chemicals the coating will be exposed to. For example, when coating a containment tank we would consider if it is a primary or secondary containment tank. It is important for us to know the chemical concentration in the tank and its temperature range.
To learn more about polyuria coating and it’s benefits, visit us at: www.superlativeconstruction.com or call us at 714-330-4377 for additional information or to schedule an on-site demonstration.
