Epoxy Cold Temperature

January 29, 2015

Installing Epoxy in Coolers and Cold Temperature

Extend Epoxy Installation Season into Winter

I have spoken on this subject here before but this time of year I get a lot of calls and emails about installing epoxy in cold temperatures. Our company started out as an installation company in Vermont. Summers are very short and winters are very long in Vermont. To stay a viable company, we had to figure ways of working through the winter.

Tenting and heating areas during the winter is time consuming and expensive. The solution is found in resin products that will set in low temperatures. The most durable and cost effective options of installation at cold temperatures is Epoxy and Methyl Methacrylate.

Cold Temperature Cure Resins can also be used as a super-fast setting Resinous Mortar or Coating at normal temperatures. Our Cold Temperature Cure Resins used at normal temperature give you quick turnaround time for small jobs, or larger jobs that require a short turn-around time.

Cold Temperatures Epoxies

Cold Temperature Cure Epoxy Resins allow installation to be done at low temperatures as low as 35°F., expanding your epoxy coating and epoxy flooring installation season. Epoxy.com Cold Temperature Cure Epoxy Resins can also be used in cold storage areas like food processing areas, where the temperature cannot be raised higher than 35° F or so. Normal cured epoxy typically requires 50°F or more.

Depending on how you mix the aggregate into the products below, they can be used as a mortar for overlays, or a grout for sealing between other hardened construction materials.

Commonly Used Cold Temperature epoxies

Product #1 Cold Temperature Cure Epoxy Coating is 100% solids and specially formulated coatings for cold temperature applications. Cold Temperature Epoxy Coating #1 is able to cure at temperatures as low as 35°F. It is has Zero (0) VOCs. Since it has no VOCs, it has no solvent so it meets the strictest possible standard for a low VOC coating. It is often used in coolers and food preparation areas that require constant low temperatures. Product #1 Cold Temperature Cure Epoxy Coating is also frequently used in room temperature applications to meet super-fast cure, limited shutdown needs.

Product #10 Cold Temperature Curing Epoxy Mortar Resin – This product has a low modulus of elasticity (flexibility) and is Low Viscosity. The low viscosity allows heavy loading of the right fillers. The heavy filler loading helps not only to save money, but helps to maintain better thermal coefficient with respect to concrete and steel. The low modulus of elasticity prevents it from being brittle making it less vulnerable to thermal coefficient differences. It also gives it better impact resistance.

You can find more information on cold temperature cured epoxy at: http://www.epoxy.com/EpoxyColdCured.aspx.

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Posted by Norm Lambert

Basement Waterproofing with Epoxy

September 4, 2014

Many homes and businesses experience leaky basements year after year. The worse time is in the spring after winter accumulation of snow. There are a number of prudent things that you can do to improve drainage against your foundation like roof gutters, grading and improvement of drainage. The recommendations here do not replace that conventional wisdom. It is designed to augment and improve upon these conventional methods.

The following article will be 1 of 2. This one deals with Block wall foundations. The next one will deal with poured wall foundations.

Waterproofing Block Wall Foundations with Epoxy

One of the nicest features of most of our epoxies are that they are virtually 100% waterproof. Water simply cannot pass through a good healthy layer of properly applied concrete, block, wood etc. Epoxy also has an incredible bond to concrete, cement, wood and many other construction materials. The bond strength of epoxy to concrete and cement is greater than the tensile strength of the concrete. That means on properly prepared concrete, epoxy cannot be removed without pulling concrete with it. The same is true about wood.

Considerations in Waterproofing with Epoxy

All this gives you the perfect combination to make a block wall watertight. There are limitations however:

  1. In an ideal world the epoxy should be applied on the positive pressure side of the wall, the outside. This way the pressure of the water is pushing it into the wall. That helps to mitigate the likelihood that you get so much pressure on the concrete block that you fracture the block. Typically by the time you know you have a leak you are already backfilled and landscaped so 95% of the time it is not practical to do on the outside of the wall. So you do it on the inside instead.

    Water exerts a pressure of less than ½ psi per foot of water depth and most basement walls are only 8 foot high, so you would typically only see 4 psi. So it is unlikely that you have a pressure greater than the tensile strength of the block. So doing it on the inside is typically the only economical alternative.

  2. The Product #1W Epoxy is much more flexible than the concrete block and mortar, but if the mortar or concrete gets any significant cracks in it, it will crack through the coating. On the other hand, the system is very easy to patch if it does crack. We also make a wall grade version of our crack isolation membrane Epoxy.com Product #32 – www.epoxy.com/32.htm – which can reduce the potential for small cracks (which are the most common).
  3. A clean substrate is required for maximum effectiveness – www.epoxy.com/surfaceprep.aspx. For technical support contact me at norm@epoxy.com or 352-533-2167

Installation of Epoxy Waterproofing on Block Walls

Once the wall is clean, you need to point-up (fill) any cracks, bad mortar joints, and larger holes that are in the block. Some people use conventional mortar and wait 28 days for it to cure as per the American Concrete Institute. This is a very inexpensive way to do it, but can be affective if done properly. A more effective way to insure the right results is the use of Product #2005 Epoxy Gel Adhesive – www.epoxy.com/2005.aspx. That insures that you have a tight bond over the cracked areas and have already produced a tight waterproof seal in that area. Also the #2005 Gel Epoxy is semi flexible and allows more movement before cracking that conventional grout. The #2005 allows your coating to be installed the day after the #2005 is applied.

Once the cracks and holes are repaired, much of your work is done. You simply apply 1 coat of Epoxy.com Product #899 – www.epoxy.com/899.aspx – Epoxy Primer and allow to dry overnight.

After the primer has cured overnight you can apply the optional crack isolation membrane Product #32W – Wall Grade, or proceed to the coating below. If you do apply the crack isolation membrane 2 coats of the membrane are best. One advantage of the two coats of membrane is that typically you can reduce the number of coats of top coating that is required to seal the block. As you put on the membrane be sure to check to see that the holes in the block are being filled as you go.

Depending on the porosity of your concrete and if you used the crack isolation membrane above you will want to apply 2-4 coats of 1W epoxy wall coating. As you put on each coat check to see that the holes in the block wall are being filled.

Summary of Waterproofing Basement Walls with Epoxy

In conclusion: Leaking basements are a major problem to many structures in the spring. The easiest time to repair them is during the winter when there is little or no leakage. Epoxy.com epoxy coating systems can affectively and economically solve most basement leaking problems. The final product is a hard attractive ceramic like finish that does not require additional painting or other finishes over it.

Next Issue: Waterproofing Poured Wall foundations with Epoxy.

Additional Information on Epoxy Coatings

Product #1W (Wall Grade)  Epoxy Wall Coating – a general purpose epoxy wall coating

Product #2W (Wall Grade) Cemical Resistant Epoxy Wall Coating 

Product #32 (Wall Grade) Flexible Epoxy Membrane

Where to Start when installing epoxy.

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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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