Nothing is more frustrating than investing your time and money in something that does not give you the best outcome. With epoxy resin floors providing the benefit of having durable, long-lasting, and protected floors, they can still not satisfy and meet your expectations, especially when they are not applied properly. People often overlook the importance of meticulously installing the protective coating as they fail to understand the proper way to do it. One of the unsightly results of inappropriately applying the epoxy resin to floors would be the bubbles that are formed on the surface. This can be unappealing to look at, especially to those who are sensitive to these kinds of things. But then, it is necessary to understand what causes these bubbles in the first place, to help prevent them from happening.
Epoxy Resin Bubbles
These tiny bubbles that were formed on the surface of your epoxy resin floors were often caused by outgassing. This situation happens when the air below the coating causes pinholes that can pop and result in craters. Then, they leave round shapes, some may be as big as a fingertip, and can be revealed as soon as the coating dries up. These bubbles may be spread across the surface, or formed in groups. Moreover, outgassing occurs during the process of curing, and the room’s temperature changes. Because of this change, bubbles through the epoxy layers are forming, rising, and expanding, until they are set and dried.
Epoxy resin bubbles are actually a common problem. This situation cannot be unavoidable, especially for some brands of epoxy resin you opt to purchase. And repairing these bubbles once the surface that has already been cured might be very difficult or nearly impossible to remove. With this, there are ways that have been discovered and identified, in which you can perform to make sure the surface with the coating remains bubble-free. Or at least, some micro-sized bubbles that will remain unnoticeable. Nonetheless, the bubbles can still be prevented from occurring. You have to make sure that the most possible causes of bubbles should have been eliminated before applying the epoxy coating.
Proper Sealing with Primer
Before the actual application of the epoxy resin on the surface, you have to properly seal them with primer. This process is essential to do, to make the surface even through filling in the porous slab. It is recommended to also add a second coat, once the first coat was fully absorbed by the slab. Porous slabs are typically tricky, in the sense that some bubbles appear even after you thought that there would be none to resurface. With this case, it is impossible to go back and fix the problem, since the coating is already curing. Thus, you should add an extra coat of primer just to make sure. This is actually much cheaper than having to re-coat the epoxy resin.
Avoid Mixing the Epoxy Resin Fast
In creating the epoxy resin coating, you must be wary on how fast or slow you mix the solution – the resin and the hardener. Mixing is a necessary step to utilize all the features of epoxy resin to your floors. As you stir them, a chemical reaction begins between the resin and the hardener. This will eventually transform the mixture from a liquid into a solid.
The recommended time for you to mix is at least 3 to 5 minutes. Though this is the case, you must ensure that you do not whip the solution as if you are beating cream or egg whites. Adjust the speed of how you stir them, slowly and deliberately. The rate of how you whip them will determine how much bubbles your surface will have. It is nearly impossible to avoid bubbles from forming, but at least you are doing ways to reduce them. Then, before pouring the mix over the floor, let the product settle for a few minutes.
Apply in Warm Temperature
In applying epoxy resin coating over a surface, make sure to have them applied in a room with a warm temperature, in its warm form of mixture as well. In these temperatures, epoxy resin will have a crystal clear appearance. It has a tendency to have a honey-like consistency that will let you pour and spread easily. Cold ones may be thick with its texture, which may be difficult to work with. Additionally, the surface you are pouring your resin in must also be warm. These temperature differences might release gasses, then produce surface tension. This means bubbles can be trapped when the resin is poured. Thus, if the surface is quite cold, you might have to heat them up to achieve a better outcome.
Another tip to take into consideration is to apply the epoxy resin coating at noon. This is because concrete slabs typically change temperature throughout the day. In the early morning, slabs tend to be more humid and cold. Then later on in the day they have already warmed up, the slab will expand and moisture is released, which is where the formation of bubbles can occur. Thus, apply the epoxy resin around 12 noon, when the slab has already been warmed up.
Choose and Epoxy Resin of High Quality
Of course, you have to choose a brand of the epoxy resin mixture that is of high quality. This is the most essential factor you must consider. There are several low quality and low cost products becoming available in the market these days. This is because manufacturers often find various ways to lower their costs. One of them is the reduction and elimination of additives that contribute to the defoaming of the resin.
Key Takeaway
Understanding how to prevent epoxy resin bubbles from forming over your surface is essential. Not only can bubbles ruin the overall aesthetic of your floors, but it also reduces the durability, longevity, and efficacy of its other benefits. You must always take note of tips like these to produce high-quality results, creating crystal clear castings and coatings. Though it may seem to be daunting to work with epoxy resin, once you have understood the elements of knowing how to create a mixture and pour it over the surface successfully, it will be easy for you to retrace your steps and see what went wrong when issues occur.