The Effects of Cooler Weather on Coating Application
Posted by Steven Wadsworth on
TECHNICAL BULLETIN
EFFECTS OF COOLER WEATHER AS IT RELATES TO MATERIALS MIXING AND PLACEMENT
As we are coming into the fall and winter months the temperatures are dropping, and the cooler temperatures have several effects on coatings and flooring installations, as follows:
Material Temperature: The cooler the material temperature the higher the viscosity of the resin. Cold, thick resin can cause many problems such as:
- Material will not roll out properly
- The air release is retarded causing bubbles
- The material is harder to mix and may cause soft spots or uncured spots
- Pigmented materials are harder to mix to a homogenous color dispersion
- Likelihood of an amine blush is greatly increased
- Colors float, especially with gray materials
- Difficult to control or maintain proper mil thickness
Substrate Temperature: There are many non-temperature controlled job sites. Even in regions with moderate weather, the temperatures fall at night and the concrete substrates cool. Work usually starts in the morning when these concrete substrates are at their coolest.
- Concrete acts as heat sink for materials
- Harder for materials to penetrate into cooler substrates
- Materials might not complexly crosslink to full reaction
Ambient Environmental Conditions: Proper ambient conditions are required to facilitate proper cure. Upper and lower temperature threshold and humidity limitations are listed in the Application Specification for each product. Materials should be tempered for 48 hours before application. Proper storage and transportation facilitate tempering of materials. Temporary heat and dehumidification may be required to provide proper conditions.
Remember to always take environmental readings at a minimum of 3 times daily - at the start mid-day, and at the finish of each work day. Ambient Environmental Conditions Documentation is required before any guarantee can be issued, or material claims can be considered.
Sincerely, Crossfield Products Corp.
Technical Department