Temperature – It's the Floor That Matters

One of the most common mistakes when installing resin flooring is to consider only the ambient air temperature.

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The temperature of the concrete substrate can be significantly different from the surrounding air. A warehouse may have warm air but a cold concrete slab following a cold night, while concrete exposed to direct summer sunlight can become considerably hotter than the measured ambient temperature.

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For this reason, installers should measure:

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• Ambient air temperature

• Substrate temperature

• Material temperature

• Relative humidity

• Dew point

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These readings should be taken before application and monitored throughout the installation where conditions are likely to change.

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High Temperatures

Higher temperatures accelerate most reactive resin systems.

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This can provide the advantage of an even faster cure, but it also means that working time can be substantially reduced. Once Parts A and B of a reactive Aspartech product are combined, the reaction begins immediately.

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In very warm conditions installers should therefore be prepared for:

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Reduced working time – Mixed material may need to be placed and spread considerably faster than under normal conditions.

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Faster curing – Tack-free, overcoating and return-to-service times can reduce as temperature increases.

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Higher material temperature – Containers exposed to direct sunlight can become considerably warmer than the surrounding air, further accelerating the reaction.

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Hot substrates – Concrete and other surfaces exposed to sunlight can retain significant heat even after ambient temperatures begin to fall.

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Published flooring data demonstrates how pronounced this effect can be: reactive resin pot life that is around 60 minutes at 10°C can fall to approximately 15 minutes at 30°C.

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Installing Aspartech in Hot Weather

Where high temperatures are anticipated, materials should wherever possible be stored in a cool, shaded environment before use rather than being allowed to heat up in direct sunlight.

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Installers should also consider:

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• Working during cooler periods of the day

• Keeping unopened kits out of direct sunlight

• Bringing only the immediately required materials into the application area

• Preparing all tools and equipment before mixing begins

• Using appropriately sized working teams

• Avoiding unnecessarily large mixed batches where the product permits partial mixing

• Applying mixed material promptly

• Closely monitoring substrate as well as ambient temperature

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The relevant Aspartech Technical Data Sheet should always determine the permitted application range.

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High Humidity

High relative humidity presents a different challenge.

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As humidity rises, the amount of moisture in the air increases and the relationship between air temperature, substrate temperature and dew point becomes increasingly important.

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With some resin chemistries, atmospheric moisture can also directly influence reaction speed. Published polyaspartic guidance specifically notes that moisture in the air can accelerate cure in hot and humid conditions.

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This means that a combination of high temperature and high humidity can produce particularly rapid curing conditions.

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Installers should never assume that a product's normal working time at 20°C will remain available on a hot, humid summer day.

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Understanding Dew Point

Dew point is one of the most important environmental considerations in resin flooring.

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The dew point is the temperature at which moisture in the air begins to condense onto a surface. As relative humidity increases, the dew point moves closer to the ambient temperature.

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A concrete floor can therefore appear perfectly dry while being sufficiently cold for an extremely fine layer of condensation to form on its surface.

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Applying resin over condensation can potentially contribute to:

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• Poor adhesion

• Blistering

• Delamination

• Surface blooming

• Colour variation

• Disturbance of the curing process

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These are well-established considerations in resin flooring. Industry application guidance commonly requires the substrate and uncured floor to remain approximately 3°C above the calculated dew point.

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The 3°C Rule

As a general resin-flooring principle:

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Substrate Temperature ≥ Dew Point + 3°C

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For example, if environmental measurements produce a calculated dew point of 17°C, the substrate should generally be at least 17°C + 3°C = 20°C before coating proceeds.

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This safety margin reduces the possibility of microscopic condensation forming at the resin/substrate interface.

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The individual Aspartech Technical Data Sheet should always take precedence where it specifies different requirements.

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High Temperature + High Humidity

The most challenging summer conditions can occur when high temperature and high relative humidity happen simultaneously.

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This combination can create two apparently contradictory problems.

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The high temperature can accelerate the chemical reaction and reduce working time, while high humidity raises the dew point and can increase the risk of condensation if the substrate subsequently cools.

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Conditions therefore need to be considered throughout the installation rather than simply measured once before work begins.

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A floor installed during a warm afternoon, for example, may experience very different environmental conditions several hours later as the building and concrete cool overnight.

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Low Temperatures

Cold conditions present the opposite problem.

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Chemical reactions generally slow as temperature decreases, meaning conventional resin flooring can take substantially longer to cure. Some traditional epoxy flooring products specify minimum application temperatures around 10°C, with curing and overcoating periods becoming progressively longer as temperatures fall.

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Advanced polyaspartic technology can offer a major advantage in this area. Commercial polyaspartic flooring systems are specifically available with fast curing at low temperatures, illustrating one of the important performance characteristics of the chemistry.

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This can make appropriately specified Aspartech systems particularly useful for applications such as:

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• Unheated warehouses

• Industrial buildings

• Loading areas

• Cold-weather refurbishment

• Workshops

• Storage facilities

• Buildings where maintaining elevated temperatures is difficult

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Low-temperature capability should not, however, be confused with temperature-independent curing. As the temperature falls, curing will still generally slow and the appropriate Aspartech cure-time guidance must be followed.

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Cold Concrete & Condensation

Cold concrete deserves particular attention.

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Heating the air within a building does not immediately heat a large concrete slab. The air temperature may therefore appear suitable while the substrate remains considerably colder.

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This becomes particularly important when warm, moisture-containing air enters a building containing a cold floor.

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If the concrete is close to or below the dew point, condensation can form. This as a potential cause of poor adhesion, blistering, blooming, cracking and curing problems.

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For this reason, a simple air thermometer is not sufficient for professional resin-floor installation.

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Measuring Conditions Before Application

Before installing an Aspartech flooring system, installers should use appropriate calibrated equipment to establish the actual site conditions.

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As a minimum, consideration should be given to a:

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Digital hygrometer – measures ambient relative humidity.

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Air thermometer – establishes ambient temperature.

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Infrared or contact thermometer – measures the actual substrate temperature.

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Dew-point meter or calculator – establishes the dew point from measured environmental conditions.

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Concrete moisture meter – assesses moisture within the substrate where required by the flooring specification.

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Modern environmental meters can combine several of these functions and calculate dew point automatically.

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Do Not Rely on the Weather Forecast

External weather conditions are useful when planning an installation, but they do not tell the installer what is happening at the surface being coated.

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Conditions can vary dramatically within the same building. Open loading doors, direct sunlight, heaters, ventilation systems, refrigeration equipment and the thermal mass of the concrete can all create local variations.

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Environmental measurements should therefore be taken at the installation location, not simply obtained from a weather application.

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For larger floors, readings at several positions may be appropriate.

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Aspartech – Developed for Real-World Conditions

One of the key advantages of modern polyaspartic and polyurea technology is the ability to formulate products that perform across a broader range of conditions while providing extremely rapid curing and return to service.

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Polyaspartic flooring technology can combine rapid curing, high build, toughness, flexibility, UV stability and low-temperature curing, attributes demonstrated by contemporary commercial polyaspartic systems.

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These characteristics make Aspartech particularly suited to the realities of industrial flooring, where installations cannot always take place in perfectly controlled laboratory conditions.

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Extreme Conditions Require Greater Control – Not Less

The ability of an Aspartech product to tolerate demanding conditions should never be interpreted as a reason to ignore them.

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As temperatures and humidity move away from ideal application conditions, accurate measurement, careful planning and correct installation become increasingly important.

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Before starting work:

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Measure → Record → Calculate Dew Point → Check the Product Data Sheet → Prepare → Mix → Apply

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By understanding the relationship between temperature, humidity, substrate condition and cure rate, installers can take full advantage of the rapid-curing characteristics of Aspartech while maintaining the quality and consistency expected from a professional resin flooring installation.

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Always refer to the individual Aspartech Technical Data Sheet for the specific permitted temperature range, humidity limitations, working time and cure schedule of the product being installed.