Knowledge Base

Temperatures

Temperature & Aspartech Resin Flooring

Temperature is one of the most important environmental factors affecting the application and curing of a resin flooring system.

Aspartech products have been developed to provide excellent performance across a particularly wide range of application temperatures, with several products capable of curing at temperatures considerably below those normally associated with conventional resin flooring.

However, temperature still influences viscosity, working time, flow, cure speed, overcoating time and the time required before the finished floor can be returned to service.

For this reason, installers should always consider three temperatures:

Ambient temperature – the temperature of the surrounding air.
Substrate temperature – the actual temperature of the floor being coated.
Material temperature – the temperature of the Aspartech components themselves.

These temperatures can be significantly different from one another.

Aspartech – Performance Across a Wide Temperature Range

One of the major advantages of Aspartech technology is its ability to continue curing at relatively low temperatures.

The Aspartech cure data demonstrates just how significantly temperature can influence cure time. Depending upon the product, Aspartech systems have application/cure data extending from as low as -10°C through to 30°C.

For example, the cure data for Aspartech FLOORCOAT shows tack-free times reducing from approximately 4 hours at -10°C to 0°C, to 2½ hours at 15°C to 25°C and 2 hours at 26°C to 30°C. Light traffic similarly reduces from approximately 8 hours at -10°C to 0°C to around 4 hours at 15°C to 30°C.

Aspartech CLEARCOAT is faster again, with the data showing tack-free times of approximately 4 hours at -10°C to 0°C, 3 hours at 1°C to 14°C, 2 hours at 15°C to 25°C and 1½ hours at 26°C to 30°C.

The exact application limits and cure characteristics vary between individual Aspartech products, so installers should always refer to the current Technical Data Sheet for the specific product being used rather than applying a single temperature rule to the complete range.

Cold Conditions

Cold weather generally slows chemical reactions and increases the viscosity of resin materials. As temperatures fall, an Aspartech product may therefore become thicker, flow and level differently and require longer to reach its various stages of cure.

The supplied Aspartech data illustrates this clearly. Products that can become tack-free within approximately 1–2½ hours under warmer conditions may require several hours at substantially lower temperatures.

Cold conditions therefore need to be considered when planning:

Working and finishing operations.
Overcoating.
Opening the area to pedestrian traffic.
Opening the area to heavy traffic.
Exposure to chemicals or cleaning processes.

An important advantage of the Aspartech range is that low temperature does not automatically mean that installation has to stop. Certain Aspartech systems have been specifically formulated to continue curing at temperatures down to -10°C.

Always check the individual product data because the minimum temperature differs between products.

Warm & Hot Conditions

Higher temperatures generally accelerate the curing reaction.

This can provide considerable advantages where rapid return to service is required, but installers must also appreciate that faster cure means less available working time.

Materials can become significantly warmer than the surrounding air if stored in direct sunlight, inside vehicles or within metal storage containers. Likewise, a floor exposed to sunlight can have a substrate temperature considerably higher than the recorded ambient air temperature.

Under warm conditions, installers should therefore organise mixing, distribution and application carefully and avoid leaving mixed material standing unnecessarily.

Temperature should be measured rather than estimated.

Substrate Temperature Is Just as Important

A common mistake is to record only the air temperature.

Concrete has substantial thermal mass and can respond much more slowly to temperature changes than the surrounding atmosphere. A building that has recently been heated may therefore contain a floor that remains considerably colder than the air above it.

Conversely, concrete exposed to direct sunlight can become considerably hotter than the surrounding air.

The substrate temperature should consequently be measured using a suitable surface thermometer or environmental meter immediately before application and periodically during the installation where conditions are changing.

Substrate temperature is also important when assessing dew point and condensation risk. The floor should remain sufficiently above the calculated dew point in accordance with the requirements of the individual Aspartech product.

Temperature & Cure Times

The cure times provided for Aspartech products should be regarded as a guide under the stated conditions rather than an absolute timetable for every installation.

The supplied Aspartech product data below demonstrates the considerable variation possible between systems. Across FLOORCOAT, CLEARCOAT, CLEANZONE, PRIME, LEVEL-FIX and LINE-MARKER, the temperature ranges and times for tack-free cure, recoating/overcoating, light traffic, heavy traffic and full chemical resistance differ significantly.

This is precisely why the cure information for the specific Aspartech product being installed should always be consulted.

The floor should not be assumed to have reached a particular stage of cure simply because a predetermined number of hours have elapsed.

Storage Temperature Is Different From Application Temperature

The fact that an Aspartech product can cure at a particular temperature does not necessarily mean that storing the product at that temperature is desirable.

Application temperature and storage temperature are two different considerations.

Resin components should be stored in their original, tightly closed containers under the conditions stated in the relevant Aspartech Technical Data Sheet and Safety Data Sheet. HSE guidance confirms that Safety Data Sheets provide important information relating to the safe handling and storage of chemical products.

Wherever practical, materials should be kept in a stable, dry and temperature-controlled environment, protected from frost, excessive heat and direct sunlight.

Correct storage helps maintain:

Consistent viscosity.
Predictable mixing characteristics.
Normal application properties.
Expected cure behaviour.
Product stability and shelf life.

Materials that have been stored in unusually cold or hot conditions should be allowed to return to the recommended material temperature before use where required by the individual product instructions.

Don't Leave Resin Products in Vehicles During Extreme Weather

Vans and other vehicles can experience temperatures substantially different from the external air.

This is particularly important during hot sunny weather. Materials transported to site should not simply be left inside a vehicle exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods before application.

Likewise, during winter, products should not be left overnight in an unheated vehicle where their temperature may fall significantly below the recommended storage conditions.

Control the temperature of the material – not just the building in which it will eventually be applied.

Measure & Record Conditions

StarPolymers recommends recording temperature information as part of every Aspartech installation.

At minimum, records should include:

Ambient air temperature.
Substrate temperature.
Relative humidity.
Dew point.
Date and time.
Location of the measurement.

Where conditions are unusually hot or cold, recording the approximate material temperature can provide additional useful information. Readings should be taken before installation and repeated where conditions are changing throughout the working period.

Together with photographs, substrate moisture readings and other site information, these records create an important permanent record of the conditions under which the Aspartech system was installed.

Climate Change & More Extreme Installation Conditions

Temperature control is becoming increasingly relevant to UK flooring contractors.

The Met Office reports that UK summers are becoming warmer and that extreme heat events are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense as the climate warms. UK climate projections indicate hotter summers and a greater frequency of hot weather in the future.

This is no longer purely a future consideration. The UK recorded its first temperature above 40°C in 2022, and the Met Office reports that the five warmest UK summers in the historical series have all occurred since 2003.

For resin flooring contractors, this means installations may increasingly encounter conditions that would historically have been considered unusual in the UK.

Factories with metal roofs, warehouses with limited ventilation, loading areas exposed to direct sunlight and materials stored inside vehicles can all experience temperatures considerably above the official outdoor air temperature.

Climate change can also contribute to other installation challenges. Met Office projections indicate not only hotter summers but changes in rainfall intensity and weather extremes, increasing the importance of considering temperature, humidity, substrate moisture and dew point together rather than independently.

Designing Installation Practice for a Changing Climate

As environmental extremes become more likely, professional resin flooring installation increasingly requires measurement rather than assumption.

During exceptionally hot conditions this may mean:

Moving materials into controlled storage before installation.
Avoiding direct sunlight.
Measuring actual material and substrate temperatures.
Adjusting working practices for shorter cure and working times.
Scheduling work during cooler periods where appropriate.
Monitoring temperature throughout the installation.

During cold conditions it may mean providing appropriate environmental control, allowing additional curing time and ensuring that both the substrate and materials meet the requirements of the particular Aspartech system.

The ability of Aspartech products to perform across a broad temperature range provides installers with valuable flexibility, but extreme-condition capability should complement good environmental control – not replace it.

Measure. Record. Control.

Aspartech products are engineered for demanding industrial and commercial environments, including applications where conventional resin technologies can be restricted by temperature.

Their ability to cure across a wide temperature range provides significant advantages for cold stores, winter installations, unheated warehouses, external applications and time-critical projects.

Whatever the conditions, the principle remains simple:

Check the product. Measure the air. Measure the floor.

Consider the material temperature. Record the results.

As the UK experiences a greater likelihood of temperature extremes, understanding and controlling application and storage temperatures will become an increasingly important part of achieving safe, consistent and reliable Aspartech installations.

Aspartech CLEAN-ZONE

Aspartech CLEAR-COAT

Aspartech Product Range