Polyurea-what garage flooring?
At different trade shows, we are often asked what polyurea is:
- “What’s your product? Is it epoxy?”
- No, Ma’am. It’s polyurea.
- Oh, I see. Polyurethane.
- No, it’s a similar product called polyurea.
We will try to demystify polyurea for you.
A brief history of polyurea
Polyurea is a coating that was invented in 1989 by Texaco Chemical Co. Like epoxy, it is made up of two parts: a base and a hardener. It was used for the first time to protect tabletop edges. Because it dries quickly and is very resistant, it began to be used for other applications. It was soon used to waterproof manholes, concrete tunnels and steel truck boxes. It then began to be used to make concrete foundations and roofs. The petroleum industry also uses it to prevent oil tanks from leaking. With a drying time of between 30 seconds and 2 minutes, polyurea cannot be applied using a roller; instead it must be sprayed on with a spray gun. To allow it to be used with a roller and to give it a longer pot life and extended drying time, the original recipe was modified to produce polyaspartic polyurea or simply polyaspartic.
The qualities of polyaspartic polyurea as a coating
Polyurea has several other qualities and advantages:
- Adheres very well to concrete and steel
- Highly resistant to mechanical pressure
- Highly resistant to abrasion
- UV light stable
- Waterproof (also serves as a vapour barrier)
- Flexible
- Can be applied in temperatures as low as -7° C
- VOC-free (VOC: volatile organic compounds); odourless
Polyurea for garage floors
Given these qualities, polyurea is ideal for finishing the concrete surface of garage floors. It can be applied in just one day. Here are the different steps:
- Sanding the concrete slab
- Repairing cracks
- Application of the base coat
- Application of the vinyl flakes for their visual and anti-slip effects
- Two-hour drying time and vacuuming of excess flakes
- Finish with a coat of clear polyurea.
That’s it! The work is finished and you are amazed by the result. You can’t wait to park your shiny car in your garage. But you have to be patient and wait one night before it is ready.
