Mitigation of Concrete Slab Chemical Vapors

January 29, 2020

How do I stop chemicals gas vapors from contaminated soils passing though a concrete slab? This is a question I get frequently from owners and environmental mitigation experts.

Background

Chemical contamination vapors tend to pass though a concrete slab and get into the air above. Stopping the migration of the gas through a slab is frequently a requirement of repurposing a space.

The following steps can be used to mitigate chemical vapors into your space above it. Without the right tools these vapors in the air from contamination under that slab can be quite pervasive.

Each job needs to be evaluated on an individual bases. The tools below make the solution less evasive.

Cracks through the Concrete Slab

The most direct way for soil contamination gasses to get in is through cracks. Cracks are the path of least resistance, so most of your vapors come through cracks in the floor. That is a very easy fix Product #684LV – Methyl Methacrylate Crack Healer and Sealer.

The #684LV has about the viscosity (thickness) of diesel fuel. That makes it easy to gravity feed into small cracks small porous areas of the concrete. It welds the cracks back together with a bond strength that is greater than the tensile strength of the concrete. In other words structurally you have the monolithic structure that the concrete was intended to be.

Expansion Joints

Expansion joints are the also a very direct route for vapors to come in. To seal these joints use Product #632 – Chemical Resistant Joint Filler. This is a highly chemical resistant joint filler. It will not only keep the vapors out. If there is going to be a chemical exposure to the surface there will it will stop the chemicals from attacking your concrete and further contaminating the soils below it.

Sealing the Surface of the Concrete Slab.

The next step is to prime the concrete with Product #12 Chemical Resistant Primer / Sealer.

This is where there is a couple of ways to go. You can apply an additional coat or coats of the #12 or go on to Coating the Concrete Slab below. Our optional translucent Synthetic Anti-Skid Fine may be added to the #12 if it is used in additional coats as a clear sealer.

The Product #12 Primer Sealer can also be mixed with silica sand and used as a patching material for potholes and otherwise damaged concrete if required.

Coating the Concrete Slap 

In many cases you will want to install a coating over the concrete slab.  There are a number of options for doing this but here are a few of the most common ones.  The biggest difference between these coatings is the chemical resistance. Please See Chemical Resistance Chart for a comparison of chemical resistance of the products below. All of these products are 100% solid, zero voc.  All of the coatings in this section are highly durable and resist the abrasion of traffic. 

UV Resistant Top-Coating

For jobs that will see direct sunlight.  It may be desirable to add an ultra violet (UV) Resistant top coating for the systems above.  

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Posted by Norm Lambert

Choosing the Right Epoxy Sealer

May 18, 2015

Having the knowledge of which type of sealer to use is extremely important to the overall satisfaction of the job. There are 3 basic types of epoxy sealers. The first is 100% solids epoxy, solvent based sealants and finally water based sealers. There are also urethane and acrylic sealers.

To understand how each sealant works one must understand how they act as an epoxy. http://www.epoxy.com/primersealer.aspx . The 100% solids epoxy when applied to a floor retains a consistent thickness. Epoxy.com #15 http://www.epoxy.com/15.aspx is the best product for maintaining a clear epoxy sealer without any loss of thickness due to evaporation. If you roll a gallon of material on your floor, when it hardens you maintain the thickness of the full gallon of spread coverage.

Epoxy.com #15 can be used to seal previously installed epoxy and river rock stone on pool decks or walkways. It also seals Epoxy Chip flooring, as well as acts as a binger and sealer to Epoxy quartz flooring. It provides protection, just the right amount of shine and helps to keep the water from permeating the underlying concrete. It also works well inside in garages. It is our most versatile sealer that we offer it works great on concrete inside and when properly installed outdoors.

When you apply a water based sealer or solvated sealer you will consistently loose a percentage of the thickness due to evaporation. Even though this is the case there are times when a 100% solids epoxy may not do exactly what you need it to accomplish. In this case we offer products with different components and viscosity to suit your needs as a consumer.

Epoxy.com #671  is a low viscosity, two component, carbon filled, polyamide modified conductive primer/sealer formulated with special wetting agents to provide maximum penetration into concrete surfaces. Product #671 Primer Sealer is ideal for both new and old concrete surfaces. Product #671 Conductive Epoxy Primer Sealer provides excellent resistance to wear, and can be used either alone or as a conductive sealer or as a conductive epoxy primer when used with Product #674 Electro-Static Dissipating Urethane Topcoat and our Conductive Systems.

Epoxy.com #80 is a solvented clear acrylic solution formulated to create a clear, non-yellowing protective coating. Product #80 ACRYLIC SEALER http://www.epoxy.com/acrylic-sealer.aspx provides a tough, UV and abrasion resistant film that effectively protects surfaces from moisture penetration, staining, dirt, dust, and wear. It is good for both indoor as well as outdoor applications. This works well to seal existing terrazzo floors and as well as slate.

For those in California, who don’t want to use a 100% solid material, we offer Epoxy.com http://www.epoxy.com/High-Solids-Urethane-Coating.aspx Epoxy.com # 441 is free of the health and environmental problems normally found in solvent-based urethanes, while maintaining excellent performance properties. The very low VOCs allows this urethane coating to meet the strict low VOC standards. Epoxy.com # 441 Polyurethane Coating and Sealer provides a matte finish. Product #441 water-based urethane coating and sealer has good chemical, stain, and mar resistance.

Finally the most important thing to remember when you are choosing an Epoxy.com Sealer is to make sure you are using The Right Product for The Right Job. If you would like assistance with your selection please call our Technical Support Line at 352-533-2167 and we will be happy to assist you.

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Posted by Katey Fontaine

Poured Concrete Basement Waterproofing with Epoxy

September 18, 2014

This is the second half of a 2 part of a series on basement waterproofing with epoxy. In Part 1, we discussed waterproofing block wall foundations with epoxy. In Part 2A we discuss how to identify leaks that need waterproofing in basement walls, and floors that are made out of poured concrete. In this part (2B) will deal with epoxy injection repairs of cracks in poured concrete, that cause the leaks.

Earlier we discussed how many homes and businesses experience leaky basements year after year. The worse time is in the spring and after heavy rain. We discussed prudent things that you can do to improve drainage against your foundation. Epoxy Injection is designed to waterproof and give you the concrete’s structural integrity back.

Why Epoxy Inject the Cracks?

We discussed in our last article that cracking is a sign of failure caused by stresses, inadequate design, improper curing, etc. One of the dangers of a structural crack is the effect that it has on the reinforcing bar. The reinforcing represents one of the main structural values of the concrete. Cracks left unprepared allow water to enter your basement and attack the rebar.

Epoxy injection resin has two purposes:

  1. It effectively seals the crack to prevent the damaging moisture entry. Second, it monolithically welds the structure together.
  2. The injection also stops the infiltration of water into your basement.

Epoxy Injection Port Setting

Clean the concrete on both sides of the crack being careful not to force concrete dust into the crack. Concrete dust can be detrimental to the injection processes in several ways. Vacuum the area completely with a shop vac.

You need to determine the spacing of ports to be set. The spacing is a factor of the tightness of the crack and the depth of the concrete substrate. Spacing is normally between four (4) and eight (8) inches.

Port Setting and Sealing

Align ports directly over cracks. That allows injection resin to flow into the crack. Seal surface cracks and the ports in place. Sealing the exterior of cracks is done with Epoxy Gel #2006.

Selecting the Right Epoxy Injection Resin

Epoxy injection resin should typically be low viscosity injection resin- Epoxy Injection Resin #301. It must be low viscosity resin so it will flow in the smallest hair line cracks. Resin can travel several feet from the point of injection. It may take some time before reaching the next port or penetrating through pin holes in the surface. Epoxy injection effectively fills cracks including small voids and hairline cracks

Pumping Epoxy Injection Resin

The most economical way to deliver the epoxy injection is with the 450 ml binary injection system, a manual gun, or the pneumatically driven one. This uses a binary caulking gun with static mix tubes to inject the resin, insuring continuously mixed fresh material.

Limit pressure, low pressures allow gradual resin flow into the crack for deeper penetration. Start injection at the lowest point, and continues upward on the crack area. While injecting the lowest port, resin will flow to and out of the next higher port.

When pure resin is flowing out the next port cap, plug the current injection port and move to the next port. Then injection continues in the port showing resin flow. This procedure continues until all ports are full.

CONCLUSION

Epoxy injection is very effective at repairing concrete cracks and cutting of water infiltration. The right resin and equipment is critical. Epoxy injection makes a crack watertight while restoring the original structural integrity intended for the concrete. You can get all of the material you need to do this by contacting us:

321-206-1833 Customer Service – Ordering and Order Status
Katey Fontaine, VP – Customer Service Director
sales@epoxy.com

Technical Support
352-533-2167
 Norm Lambert, President
Technical Support Director
info@epoxy.com

Additional Resources

http://www.epoxy.com/injection.aspx

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Posted by Norm Lambert

Repairing Floors with Epoxy Mortar Resin

August 8, 2014

epoxy-Deck-after-2

Epoxy Patching Mortar #10 for patching. Coated with Urethane Decking System #495.

Epoxy.com Product #10 is a versatile resin for use in epoxy floor patching. Product #10 comes in standard cure, fast cure and cold cure. It can be used with 3 different aggregates: self leveling, mortar blend, and broadcast aggregate. Product #10 is available in 15 colors plus black and white making a total of 17 colors available. Custom colors are available at a small additional cost.

The Epoxy Cures

Normal Cure at 77 degrees F. has a pot-life (the usable time after mixing) of about 30-40 minutes. It hardens to the touch in about 10-12 hours. Normal Cure should never be used below 50 degrees F.

Fast Cure at 77 degrees has a pot life about 15-20 minutes. It hardens to the touch in about 5-6 hours. At 50 degrees F the Fast Cure hardens to the touch in 10-12 hours. In other words the Fast Cure at 50 degrees will cure as fast as normal cure at 77 degrees F.

Cold Cure at 77 degrees F. has a pot-life of about 8-10 minutes. It sets hard to the touch in about 2.5 to 3 hours. At 50 degrees F the cold cure will typically cure in 5-6 hours. It is able to cure at temperatures as low as 35°F.

The Aggregates

The aggregates come separately from the Product #10 resin and hardener. That allows you to be able to use a unit of resin with multiple aggregates making the system even more versatile.

Mortar Blend Aggregate Product #82 is the work horse of floor patching. You can get up to 50 lbs or more of Product #82 into a mixed gallon of #10 epoxy mortar. This is ideal for deep patching.

Self Leveling Filler Aggregate Product #78 is used for self leveling applications, typically in thicknesses of 1/16 inch plus or minus. This is ideal where a thinner flat overlay is required. A typical use would be where a floor needs to be leveled. Another typical use would be for a “scratch coat” which is where you are trying to cover large amounts of chips and divots in the floor.

Broadcast Aggregate Product #77 is broadcast into wet #10 in order to produce an anti-skid surface. It can be broadcast into a neat coat (just the resin and hardener mix without the aggregate) of #10 or into the Mortar Blend Aggregate or Self Leveling filler systems above.

In addition to being able to mix the #10 with the fillers above, you can also mix it with Product #71 Fumed Silica to make a paste for cracks and other small imperfections.

 

In summary the Epoxy Mortar Resin Product #10 is a versatile epoxy mortar system available in many colors, several cures and different fillers for different purposes. This makes Product #10 an important part of your floor repair tool chest.

 

Additional Information:

Product #10 Lo-Mod Epoxy Adhesive and Mortar Epoxy Binder is a 100% solids epoxy has a low modulus of elasticity (flexibility) and is Low Viscosity. An adhesive used as a binder for epoxy mortar systems in patching and grouting applications, as a seal coat for non-skid surfaces outside, and as a primer to insure high bond strength for coatings and patches.

System #495 Elastomeric Polyurethane Traffic Membrane System– is an Elastomeric Urethane Membrane System, that is liquid applied. System #495 Elastomeric Polyurethane Traffic Membrane System is seamless, elastomeric (flexible), and UV. Thee qualities make it an excellent choice for outside applications in direct sun and weather, where water tightness, durability, and excellent appearance is required. Its elastomeric properties will allow horizontal movements up to 1/8 inch without breaking. System #495 Elastomeric Polyurethane Traffic Membrane System has excellent abrasion and chemical resistance. The surface of System #495 Elastomeric Polyurethane Traffic Membrane System can be varied to achieve the required anti-skid and decorative look.

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Posted by Norm Lambert

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