FAQ Statement
This is where you can find answers to our the most frequently asked questions. If you have a lot of experience with these types of floors you might want to check out our technical reference pages for more detailed information. If you don't see your question(s) here, you can ASK THE EXPERTS!

Resinous (Seamless) Flooring

Can we use our own people to install these systems for our company?
Answer:  Yes, depending on which type of system it is, however it may not be cost effective when considering the special equipment required for preparation, and the skill required for installing a trowelled mortar system or cove base. Installing floor coverings on concrete requires a clear understanding of it's properties, moisture transmission, and other environmental factors affecting it. If your company currently uses it's maintenance employees to install these systems, ask yourself these questions: 1. How often do you re-coat your floors. 2. What kind of joint problems do you have. After that, consider that when the correct system is properly installed, it will last years. Many manufacturing facilities switch to professional installations when they add up the cost of material for re-coats, the overall average beauty of their finished installations, and the production downtime costs of using their own employees. Not to mention general liability for employee injuries associated with  ignoring deteriorated floors.

Where should I put the vapor barrier on a concrete slab?
Answer:  This question has been the subject of a great controversy among architects, engineers and the concrete industry. If you want to install any sealed floor system on top you want the vapor barrier directly below the slab. The latest practice of placing the vapor barrier beneath the sand/gravel bed was introduced to reduce concrete curl. Concrete curl is cause when the bottom portion of the concrete cures more quickly than the surface, and a curling effect takes place at the edges of the slab. Wet-curing of concrete slabs has been the traditional method of eliminating concrete curl in the past. Wet curing concrete takes longer than many contractors want. Our take on this is simple: you get out of a project what you pet into it. Placing the vapor barrier beneath the gravel and sand/sand bed may reduce concrete curl while allowing a more speedy cure, but it passes another problem onto the floor contractors. Many times this problem is so severe, that the owner of the building is forced to reconsider floor systems. What happens as a result of this practice, is that water is trapped between the concrete slab and the vapor barrier, in the sand/gravel bed. This moisture will travel upwards once the building is put into service and the heat raised to operating temperature, and eventually cause a bond failure of any non-breathing floor system. Moisture is the leading cause of resinous flooring failures.

How do I choose the proper floor system for my facility?
Answer:  We have an extensive section on how to select a seamless floor. We suggest you view that section. You will find that it will educate you to the point where you will be ready to contact installer and/or manufacturers. We would be honored if we were among your first contacts.

What about the smell?
Answer :  Newer technology has led to 100% solids products that have no VOCs. The smells generally associated with special coatings, paints, and other fluid-applied products are solvents used in their manufacture for installation workability. What the 100% solids part means when describing a resinous coating is that there are no solvents used in the manufacture of the products. No solvents equals no smell!.

Chemical Resistance

What chemicals can resinous floors withstand?
Answer :  Seamless flooring products come in an extremely wide variety of configurations. There is a product designed to withstand virtually any chemical used in the manufacturing industry, food industry and retail industries. Consult the chemical resistance charts of the various manufacturers to compare until you get the biggest bang for your buck.

Can Epoxy withstand _________?
Answer:  Consult the manufacturer's chemical resistance charts to determine this, or simple call a resinous flooring contractor.

Troubleshooting

What causes the little 1 inch bubbles on the finished floor?
Answer :  Moisture under the floor.

What causes causes a dull looking finish after installing a floor, that seems to have a greasy feeling to the touch?
Answer:  Poly amine blush.

What causes cracks in the epoxy?
Answer:  Improperly designed slabs. Slabs will crack and those cracks will be transmitted to any floor covering. It is the engineer/architect's and concrete contractor's responsibility to properly place control and/or expansion joints properly. Failure to do so will produce irregular breaks in the slab. Improper treatment of joints is another reason a resinous floor might crack. While today's polymer technologies provide flexible epoxies and other solutions, not all joints have a seamless solution. There are some situations that you have some tradeoffs to consider.

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