CONCRETE COATINGS
WHAT ARE CONCRETE COATINGS?
Concrete is the most common building material in the world, and in fact, it’s also the most used man-made material on Earth, and the second most abundant resource overall, only after water. It’s hard to overstate the importance of concrete, and this is no recent invention; concrete has existed for all of recorded human history, and was first developed as early as approximately 7000 BC. So whether it’s ancient Roman concrete or today’s modern compositions, concrete has been used throughout the ages for its strength and durability, perfect for constructing everything from homes to power plants. However, for all of its advantages, concrete still has its drawbacks and limitations.
Namely, concrete is a porous material, despite appearing totally solid. This allows concrete to absorb and retain moisture that makes it more susceptible to cracking, chipping, or spalling during freeze-thaw cycles and during ground shift. And water damage aside, concrete structures are also exposed to the full gamut of other common physical and chemical risk factors, including harsh abrasion, forceful impacts, and chemical corrosion. To protect concrete surfaces from water, heat, chemicals, UV radiation, and beyond, concrete coatings can be used to create a waterproof and watertight membrane that shields concrete structures from their environment to maximize both their performance and longevity.
POLYUREA AND POLYURETHANE CONCRETE COATINGS
The paints and coatings industry offers an increasing number of different technologies, each possessing their own benefits and drawbacks. In a sea of possibility, several solutions float to the top, and have proven themselves as high-performing, cost-effective, and long-lasting in almost any coatings project. Chief among them are polyurea and polyurethane, two sister materials with similar but distinct physical properties that together can be used to create robust coatings systems. For concrete coatings, they’re the ultimate choice for full-surface protection, functioning as both a waterproofing layer and a durable protective coating.
Polyurethane was the first of the two materials to be developed, and is generally cheaper and more flexible than its polyurea counterpart. Additionally, polyurea can be applied as a spray foam, which has seen its widespread use as building insulation and soundproofing material, but can serve just as well to protect concrete surfaces from water, chemical exposures, and UV radiation. Polyurea was developed more recently, and stemmed from a demand for a material similar to polyurethane, but with superior moisture resistance and faster curing times. Polyurea is exactly that; it’s easy to apply in wet or humid environments, and cures within minutes after application to reduce operational downtime. If that wasn’t enough, polyurea is also stronger and more resistant than polyurethane, making it prized in countless different applications, from truck bedliners to military blast mitigation.
