Polyaspartic urethane is a high-end urethane coating that gives contractors and applicators many more options and capabilities than when they are working with regular urethane coatings. The coatings industry has embraced the versatility that polyaspartic urethanes bring to a wide variety of jobs.

A Bit of Background

Urethanes are typically used as a finish coat, a thin top coat that goes over thicker coating systems such as epoxies. Many think of urethanes as the very last coat in a system, the “turtle shell” for floors.

Polyaspartic urethanes are different – they are thicker and can be used as primers, body coats and top coats. Polyaspartic urethanes really liberated the urethane world.  Many contractors think of polyaspartic as a phenomenon in the coatings world. Put in layman’s terms, polyaspartic urethane is like having a shampoo, conditioner and hairspray all in one quick and effective application.

Fast-Acting and Versatile

Polyaspartic urethanes were once used very cautiously. Today, garage floor installers have started using it, and then contractors started applying polyaspartic on the floor areas of many community developments. They are also used in many DIY projects as it can be applied quickly and is fast-curing.

With polyaspartic urethanes, coatings contractors can apply the primer, body and top coat in rapid succession.  This means that on a job that would typically take three days, the application time is reduced to one day!

Polyaspartic urethanes are typically applied at a thickness of 7-10 mils and can be broadcast with chips, flakes, metallic and quartz. The material is applied with squeegees and rolled back.  Some applicators may use an 18-inch roller to push the material like a squeegee.

Know the Job

Although polyaspartic urethanes are great coatings that truly revolutionized the coatings industry, they are not the answer for every job. They are expensive, and their chemistry is not the perfect fit for heavy industrial floors.  Polyaspartic urethanes are more appropriate for architectural versus industrial applications and are not made for floors that are exposed high temperatures, acids, harsh chemicals and other caustic materials.

Thickness is also an issue in certain situations.  In order to create a thicker floor, polyaspartic urethanes need to be layered up with chip, flakes or quartz.  If polyaspartic urethanes are applied at over 20 mils, the material will start clouding up.

Find Out More

Polyaspartic urethanes are an excellent option for many jobs, especially garage floors, commercial, office and community spaces. To find out more about polyaspartic urethanes, please contact Plexi-Chemie at www.plexi-chemie.com or (904) 693-8800.