Sometimes a resin floor will fail to achieve a hard and level finish after the recommended curing period has passed and instead it will remain soft, tacky and untrafficable.

Causes of Surface Tackiness:

• This problem is most often caused either by improperly mixing part A and part B of the resin system or by failing to adequately blend the two components. If this has happened then the coating can remain tacky or gummy for many days after installation and in some instances will never cure at all!
• Cold ambient temperatures or regular temperature fluctuations can also stop the floor from effectively curing. Epoxy floor coating ingredients have a preferred temperature range for both mixing and application, which means that under extreme temperature fluctuations the epoxy and bonding agent may not completely mix and interact. If the outside temperature or floor temperatures are outside of the optimum range then the mixture may not cure and harden once it has been applied onto the floor.
• If the film thickness is not right then this can also contribute to a surface tackiness issue arising.

Preventing Surface Tackiness

• Make sure that the manufacturer’s instructions on mixing the components are closely followed. The mixing ratios for the resins and hardener will most often be found on the product container or product data sheet.
• Ensure the product is brought to normal room temperatures before application as not only are cold materials difficult to mix and work with but cold ambient temperatures will also slow down the drying times. On top of this, a cold surface can also cause adhesion issues and affect the drying time of the epoxy.
• The proper equipment needs to be used when mixing the coating ingredients.
• Don’t flip buckets upside down on the floor to drain as this could result in sticky spots.

If you’d like to find out more about getting the perfect resin floor finish, get in touch with Flowcrete India’s experts by clicking here. You can see also watch a Flowcrete India presentation covering a long list of industrial flooring problems here.