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ESP 155, concrete sealer, epoxy, waterproof, primer, epoxy primer,
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Paul Oman, MS, MBA - Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc.
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ESP 155 (tm) solvent thinned epoxy (classification: waterproof ) for Concrete, wood, etc.
Our ESP 155 is a solvent thinned epoxy, classified as a waterproofing' coating and has a VOC level of 239 g/l.
This is a legally acceptable level of solvents for a waterproof coating except in parts of southern California,
where this product cannot be sold or used.
The more I work with this product, the more I am impressed with it, hence the reason behind this page.
The product is a clear watery thin epoxy with a simple 1 to 1 mix ratio. It is sold in two one quart cans. It was
originally designed for use on concrete to seal the product the cement. It was/is then often topcoated with some
other coating. Because it is a thin coating, it can often fill or seal small voids or holes near the surface of
the concrete that can expel air resulting in bubbles and creators in thicker top coatings (such as thick epoxies).
My more common use for ESP 155 is to pre-coat wood surfaces prior to painting with latex or enamels. Wood expands
or contracts with moisture levels, where as other materials, including paints, expand and contract with temperature.
This means that wood and the coating on it can be working against each other, resulting in a coating failure. In
my experience this is more of a problem with wood that has already been weathered' outdoors. These wood surfaces
probably already have a lot of internally trapped moisture.
Besides effecting how wood expands or contracts, moisture in wood also affects the adhesion of many coatings. Most
paints and coatings (including a majority of epoxies) don't bond well to wet, damp or moist surfaces - including
wood with a high internal moisture level.
ESP 155 is one of those epoxy exceptions. You can pour it into a cup of water and it will settle at the bottom
of the cup and harden. So, it will bond to moisture laden wood. Since it is a waterproofing coating, it will seal
and stabilize the wood, providing a more constant' and fixed surface for any topcoating to bond with.
One trick with the ESP 155 is to use some of our pigments (or some other pigment) to shade the ESP 155 slightly.
It is easier to see how evenly you're applying it when it has some color instead of being clear. Also, if you are
going to paint the surface, let's say white, tinting the ESP 155 white may mean you can skip that second or third
coat of white paint.
If you cannot use the ESP 155 (say, you live in southern California), then your alternative option is our Low V
epoxy. The Low V epoxy is solvent free so it can be sold anywhere. It is thicker than the solvent thinned ESP 155
so it would not, in theory, seep into the wood or cement as well as the ESP 155. The Low V does bond and harden
underwater, like the ESP 155. In confined spaces, such as in a boat hull blister, you would not want to use a solvent
thinned coating, because the solvents have no place to evaporate away to.
You can add solvent to the Low V and make something similar to the ESP 155. Note, however, by adding solvents
you may be in violation of your local clean air/VOC regulations. In tests using solvent thinned Low V the mixture
also worked and set up underwater, although it remained rubbery and tacky (this might be a temporary thing). So,
my unofficial conclusion is that solvent thinned Low V is almost, but not quite, as good as the ESP product for
these kinds of applications. Low V in our marine catalog / Low V in our
res/indust catalog.
I also often use our Aluthane product (moisture cured, aluminum filled, urethane) as an alternative to the
ESP 155. Aluthane has its own web page (www.epoxyproducts.com/aluthane.html). It bonds really well to surfaces
(better than enamels and latex coatings) and can either be left exposed or top coated with another coating. It
can be applied in cold weather and also handles high temperatures well.
Also excellent as a concrete sealer/floor coating!
Compare to other "Penetrating
Epoxy Products"
ESP 155 in our marine
catalog ---- in our res/indust catalog --- data/msds link
Knowledge is Power - We like informed consumers!
Learn the basics of epoxy at our educational EPOXY 101 page - Click Here.
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ESP 155, concrete sealer, epoxy, waterproof, primer, epoxy primer,