Old Concrete
The surface has to be clean, sound, dry, free of oil and deleterious matter prior to applying the system.
See datasheet “Preparation of Surfaces”.
All the repair areas are to be effected such that a smooth uniform finish is achieved; a new screed or scraper coat may be required. This finish is important in thin film applications less than 2 mm else the irregularities will reflect through the coating and is even more pronounced when gloss finishes are applied. The surface profile should not exceed 25 percent of the coating thickness if smooth finishes are required.
New Concrete
The surface has to be clean, sound, dry, free of oil and deleterious matter prior to applying the system.
See datasheet “Preparation of Surfaces”.
The surface must be finished such that all the falls are correct and ready to receive the epoxy coating system. The surface profile should not exceed 25 percent of the coating thickness if smooth finishes are required. The success of any application depends on the strength of the concrete surface. A simple but effective test can done with the use of an Elcometer adhesion tester. Adhesion failures at levels below 0,8 MPa indicates a relatively weak surface and the performance of the coating on this surface will be subject to doubt.
Preparation
In both cases above when the surfaces have been prepared the laitance has to be removed by one of the following methods:
1. Light grit blast, Vacuum blast or diamond grinding
Application
Primer
Option 1: Apply the primer coat epidermix 116 to the surface as per datasheet – 1 coat is required. Should the substrate be totally dry then.
Option 2: abe.®cote WD 337 at 8 sq.m. per lt or abe.®cote flooring resin at 3 to 5 m² per litre followed by blinding the surface with abe.® silica sand No. 2 Coarse while the resin is wet and allow to cure 24 hours. This is then followed by sweeping with a stiff bristled brush to remove the excess sand followed by a thorough vacuum before applying the main screed.
Main Screed
Apply the abe.®screed as per datasheet to the primed surface ie into the still tacky epidermix 116 option 1 or onto the primed surface option 2 – a single layer at 5 to 10 mm thick is recommended. The use of screed rails for gauging the thickness of application is essential.
abe.®screed can be used for making turn-ups on walls, etc, to a height of 150mm. Curing under certain atmospheric conditions may give rise to a slight bloom on the cured surface. Should this occur, it can be removed by washing the surface with a warm detergent solution or by wiping the surface with a cloth moistened with methylated spirits. Careful application should ensure that the trowelled floor is nonporous and will not require an additional sealer coat. However, if severe chemical spillage is encountered and doubt exists regarding the non-porosity of the flooring, a sealer coat should be applied over the cured floor.
abe.®screed should be sealed with abe.®cote 436 clear or abe.®cote 441 coloured sealer coat. It must be appreciated that sealing of abe.®screed compromises its natural non-slip finish, but abrasive fillers may be incorporated into these sealer coats to restore and in some cases improve non-slip properties.
Apply a single coat of abe.®cote 436 or abe.®cote 441 to the cured surface of abe.®screed and into the wet coating evenly broadcast the anti-slip aggregate at a rate of 50 to 200 grams per square metre, this quantity and aggregate size may vary depending on the texture and degree of finish required, and allow the product to cure. This is then followed by brushing the loose unbonded fractions off and then vacuum the surface. The ideal non-slip aggregate to be used is aluminium oxide.
A final and second coat of abe.®cote 436 or abe.®cote 441 is now applied to the surface to bind and seal the system. Overcoat times of 48 hours maximum must be adhered to at all stages.
In all cases for each product the intercoat application periods are to be strictly adhered to. All the datasheets are to be read for mixing, application procedures, pot life and coverage rates etc. it must be appreciated that rendering the surface non-slip compromises the low dirt pickup of untreated systems.
Properties of wet material
| Mixing Ratio: | See respective datasheets |
| Density Resin: | 1,07 |
| Mix: | 1,93 – 2,02 |
| Flash point: | None |
Properties during application
| Work life: | 1 to 2 hours (after spreading) |
| Thickness: | 6 to 10 mm |
| Curing time @ 25°C | |
| Touch Dry: | 8 hours |
| Light foot traffic: | 24 hours |
| Full cure: | 7 days |
Cleaning Equipment
The use of abe.® super brush cleaner will remove any uncured material from the tools.
In all cases for each product the intercoat application periods are to be strictly adhered to. All the datasheets are to be read for mixing, application procedures, pot life and coverage rates etc.
Important Note
This datasheet is issued as a guide to the use of the product(s) concerned. Whilst a.b.e.® endeavours to ensure that any advice, recommendation, specification or information is accurate and correct, the company cannot – because a.b.e.® has no direct or continuous control over where and how a.b.e.® products are applied – accept any liability either directly or indirectly arising from the use of a.b.e.® products, whether or not in accordance with any advice, specification, recommendation, or information given by the company.
Further Information
Where other products are to be used in conjunction with this material, the relevant technical datasheets should be consulted to determine total requirements. a.b.e.® has a wealth of technical and practical experience built up over years in the company’s pursuit of excellence in building and construction technology.