Epoxy removal

When repairing or renovating a concrete floor, especially those that require replacing an epoxy floor, it is necessary to remove all existing material. This task is carried out with concrete grinders with special abrasives for epoxy removal.

Unlike a traditional concrete floor, it is not enough to repair deteriorated areas of the surface. The procedure for these works is different.

If we replace the resin only in the damaged areas, more and more cracks will continue to appear. We therefore always recommend replacing the entire epoxy floor.

Why should epoxy coating be removed from the floor?

It is generally necessary to grind a concrete floor that has had some type of coating. By grinding all pre-existing floor coatings are removed, as well as all imperfections and defects. The grinding process you achieve an ideal floor preparation for at BECOSAN® treatment.

In the process, specially manufactured abrasives are used for this purpose, guaranteeing a good result in the preparation of surfaces.

Basic types of resin floors

The use of the floor is a determining factor and the purpose for which it will be used must be clear. When it comes to removing the surface coating for subsequent treatment with the BECOSAN® system, we differentiate between three different types: epoxy resin, polyurethane and slurry.

All of them have individual properties. In any case, the nature of each of them should be analyzed in greater depth in order to find out what the disadvantages with, for example, the replacement of an epoxy floor.

Epoxy floor

Epoxy resin is a viscous material that is hardened by the application of catalysts. They change the consistency in a few hours and harden the surface. It is advisable to wait about a week for the surface to be ready for use.

Companies that work with pharmaceuticals or food in general often choose a resin floor because of its insulating properties that protect the concrete from corrosive materials, oils and water ingress.

Polyurethane

It is a liquid material that is poured onto the surface, resulting in a short time in a solid, uniform and resistant layer. Polyurethane can withstand environmental temperature changes and is often used to waterproof roofs and floors. In this way it insulates against water ingress and protects the surface against degradation.

Slurry

Perhaps the least known, slurry is a material that has a grout consistency, composed of synthetic compounds. It creates and guarantees an impermeable and non-slip surface. Used mainly in car parks and recreational areas, it is chosen for its low cost and ease of leveling surfaces.

Main problems of using resin floors

In warehouses, logistics platforms or areas in general that have a high vehicle traffic, cleaning and maintenance tasks become difficult tasks with very unsatisfactory results. Tyre marks often burn an epoxy floor and cannot be removed from it. In addition, small repairs often paralyze activities in the affected area for several days. The toxicity of resins is another factor to consider. It harms both applicators and people in the treated area that has not yet dried.

Main problems in epoxy floors

Epoxy floors have several disadvantages. Either because of a defective application or because of a crack in the pavement or a factor that was not taken into account when the resin was placed.

The thickness of an epoxy coating is, in most cases, the reason why the surface does not have an accepetable lifespan. Due to the high cost of the resin itself, the minimum thickness. to be applied is not always respected. Resins are toxic materials and very harmful to health. Applicators usually have short application periods to avoid breathing problems. In addition, the long drying time is another factor that can negatively affect business activities.

Inappropriate preparation of the concrete floor

Floor preparation is an expensive task. This takes place every time it is necessary to repaint a resin floor. Old epoxy coatings need to be removed with a grinding machine with special abrasives before repainting a floor. This procedure generates a high amount of toxic waste. If the surface is not adequately prepared, the paint will lack the necessary adhesion and will lead the floor to delamination in a short time.

Presence of moisture

Epoxy is an excellent insulation against any liquids that can be poured onto the surface. Despite this fact, humidity is its greatest enemy. Moisture present in the floor cannot evaporate through the surface. For this reason, it usually seeks the place of least resistance, the joints and cracks in the floor. These are places where the resin usually starts to crack as the substrate to which it is attached is wet. Therefore, these are the weak points of an epoxy floor, where the erosion of the floor usually starts even a few months after the application of a floor resin.

Surface in poor condition or incompatible

Many epoxy floors have multiple patches due to continuous repairs. Generally, these patches are applied without preparing the surface. For this reason the repairs are continuous without obtaining a long lasting result and compromising the concrete slab to its deterioration.