Some negatives to urethane cements are slower cure times—eight to 12 hours between coats— and the install temperature needs to be maintained between 15.5 to 26.6 C (60 to 80 F). Still, the pros of being extremely durable and tough can typically outweigh the cons depending on the project.
A word about topcoats
Different performance objectives can be achieved by choosing an appropriate topcoat, since this is what will be the flooring system’s first line of defence. It is becoming rare to find an epoxy product as a topcoat as the other chemistries perform better.
In hybrid flooring systems, often found in commercial kitchens, urethane cement is used as the body but different topcoats like MMA, polyaspartics, or urethanes still give the customer the performance or the look they are trying to achieve in their facility.
After specifying
The specification has now been published, what else can be done to ensure the customer’s needs will be met and that one’s design is honoured as intended? Most projects will request that an onsite mockup is installed or that a step-by-step sample is produced of the specified system so that all parties involved can see the proper process of installing the system.
Making sure a qualified applicator is setup to install the specified system is a great first step. An installer should be able to provide references to previously installed projects which are similar in size or scope, as well as provide a letter or certificate indicating they have been trained and are authorized in the specified manufacturers’ system. These are two steps in submittals to help protect a project’s integrity and warranties.
Author
Joe Lasko, MBA, XCLT, is the vice- president of Res-Tek Inc., a full line resinous flooring and coating manufacturer based in Cartersville, Georgia. He has more than 15 years of experience in designing, selling, and installing resinous flooring and coating systems. His responsibilities include designing flooring systems for market use, supporting the company’s sales team, and providing installation tech support to customers. He can be reached via email at joe.lasko@res-trek.net.
