There are times when floor coatings simply fail. It is not necessarily anyone’s fault, but problems occasionally come up, and it may be necessary to identify the issue in order to correct for it in the future. There are a number of reasons why epoxy flooring might not properly adhere to the surface to which it has been applied, but in most cases there is a solution available.
What Might Cause Floor Coatings to Not Adhere?
Fairly often there is an identifiable reason why a floor coating might not actually adhere the way it is supposed to, and it’s often very simple to deal with as well.
For outdoor floor coatings, one of the most common problem is ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In much the same way that artificial UV light can be used to dry things in a controlled environment, natural UV light also can be used as a drying agent when things are exposed to it outside. The problem is that the uncontrolled exposure can change the speed or temperature of drying and leave the epoxy brittle and prone to cracking.
The opposite problem to this is high humidity, especially during mixing. The extra moisture in the air can compromise the coating at a number of steps, including during mixing and application. In both this case and that of the UV rays, it’s important for a commercial and industrial painting contractor to employ techniques to control the environment as best as possible and adapt the application to compensate for these problems.
Another issue that can sometimes crop up is the presence of contaminants in the mixture or on the surface. If you’re employing a professional company to do your installation, this is much less likely to be an issue as they are experts at avoiding these sorts of problems, but in the case of a flooring failure, this may have been a contributing factor from an inexperienced installer.
What You Can Do
The best option is to contact professionals like Raider Painting who are familiar with these sorts of problems. We understand how to prepare a site and apply an epoxy in such a way that outside factors won’t interfere with proper adhesion to the surface.
A certain amount of vigilance can also help immensely. Keeping an eye out for pieces of flooring that are detaching, slipping, or sliding can often mean noticing and addressing possible problems before they become serious costs. Looking for bubbling and cracking of the epoxy can also prevent major repairs down the line.
These are extremely worthwhile investments when installed properly, and can last for many years; still, make sure you stay watchful and act quickly if there’s an issue with your floor coatings.
