PROGRESSIVE EPOXY POLYMERS, INC.
GOOGLE SITE SEARCH - Click here
Nothing but Quality Products at Good Prices, Great Customer Service, and Lots and Lots of Helpful Information
and NO SALES TAX - You are shopping in TAX FREE New Hampshire
CALL 603-435-7199 (or email).We are the only technology based coating/epoxy/resin company that actively encourages your phone calls, not just during our East Coast work hours but also after/before hours, evening, weekends and even holidays. We're available when you are. We form a personal relationship with our customers and freely share technical information, how to-advice, product information and tips-and-tricks. Speak with a non-salesman technical professional with over 25 years of experience in the resin/coating/epoxy industry (no newbie staffer on the phone lines!). Floors, tables, boats, leaks, rot repair. We handle it all! We are an 'always available,' one-on-one, technical/scientific, coating company (watch our video). We are NOT one of those fluffy/slick mass sales firms the dominate the internet selling cheap third party (made in China???), low end epoxies and coatings with no real knowledge of what they are selling and quotas to sell to as many people as possible. 603-435-7199 (east coast time).
PRIMARY STORE LINK --- TOP SELLING PRODUCTS --- EPOXY GURU HELP SITE --- EPOXY DATA SHEETS
"The Right Epoxy Fixes Darn Near Everything!"
You're talking with: Paul Oman, MS, MBA -- Member since 1994: NACE (National Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers), SSPC (Soc. of Protective Coatings) FORMER SAILING INSTRUCTOR -- Technical Help - not sales talk!
"You provide outstanding products, and Fantastic Support. Thank You." Brian S.
"Thanks for all your advice, tips & moral support concerning my project. It turned out beautiful. Quality people backing a quality product is the only way to go!" Joe
"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it." -- Margaret Fuller, Journalist
EPOXY REPAIR LINKS INFO.
Also Web Sites on Specific Products
ABSOLUTE BEST SOURCE for epoxy information, options, USA made products, 24/7/365 help, and support
(EMAIL 603 435 7199)
Fix it with epoxy - dozens of links for epoxy based repairs
- epoxy help
Epoxy Repair - Epoxy Pipe Fix, Epoxy Leak Stop Links - Epoxy Help
(left) Pipe Repair Kits ------------ (right) Metallic Paints for Wet Environments
(left) Basement Leak Repair ----------- (right) Window Sill Rot Repair
|
|
Paul, I'm not the kind of person to give feedback on products or services but I must comment on the Water Gard 300 product. I purchased a home 4 years ago with a fiberglass pool and 2 years ago it started to significantly chip. Long story short, after significant analysis from multiple experts, it turns out that the pool had ruptured and was repaired. Unfortunately the repair person applied the fiberglass topcoat incorrectly and it is all coming off. Luckily the pool is structurally sound, just very ugly to look at. Estimates to fix it range from $8,000 to $25,000 and no one would guarantee that the entire pool would not collapse after draining the water which would require an entire replacement.
|
|
|
|
After a year
of searching, and countless attempts at other solutions, I came
across your product. This product is amazing! I still can't believe
it's even possible to apply a paint (sorry epoxy) underwater. I used
a 14 foot extension pole with a roller to apply the paint/epoxy. The
most time consuming part was mixing parts A and B together. I
purchased the 3 gallon size but since I was working alone I mixed
small batches since the pot life was short. For roughly $350 my pool
looks brand new! I can't thank you enough. I've attached some before
and after pictures.
Thanks again, David
|
|
The "EPOXY GURU" explains the best treatment for a wooden outdoor table. It is NOT a poured-on epoxy - Table-GURU
WARNING: Don't buy epoxy from any source that doesn't have batch numbers or Date of Manufacture stamped on to their products labels.. Like all primary source manufacturers and vendors, we track each each unit with a batch number or manufacturing date hand added to each container label. It is a labor intensive, hands-on process that marketing based companies and firms that just want to push product and take your money don't do. Most (maybe all) of out competitors don't track or provide this information. They don't know it, or they don't want to let you know how old their product is. Only buy your epoxy chemicals from vendors that label their epoxies with actual batch numbers or Date of Manufacture. Call before ordering and ask if that information will be on all containers shipped out.
NEWSLETTER
Add yourself to our email newsletter list. We send out a short newsletter about 4 - 8 times a year. It keeps us in touch with you and allows you to find us again when you have a new project pending. Send us a quick email asking to be put on the newsletter list - View a recent newsletter CLICK HERE .
PROGRESSIVE EPOXY POLYMERS, INC.
|
PAGE AND SITE NAVIGATION |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Epoxy Repair Links Page (because you deserve to know...)
No Sales Tax applied. Save Money, you're shopping in Tax Free New Hampshire
MEMBER: Internet Epoxy Confederation (IEC - CLICK HERE TO VISIT) -- "Where Professionalism Still Matters"
We've been selling epoxy - marine epoxy (boat building - wood / fiberglass repair) industrial coatings - garage paint - underwater epoxies - thick putties - tabletop resins and supplies since the early 1990's |
|
|
Yes you can apply some of our special epoxies underwater. Fix your boat, your pool, your basement - and more! CLICK HERE |
|
| LEARN ABOUT: |
| Cycloaliphatic epoxies |
| Epoxy adducts |
| Nonyl phenol additives |
|
"OK...thanks for the personal touch. And for such an informative website. The navigation took me a while to grasp, but I really appreciate all the credible, helpful information you provide. This is my 3rd or 4th order over the years and I give you a A or A+ grade on all of it. I'm a nit-picking former Polaris nuclear missile targeting and firing guy so you don't get a good grade from me unless you are on target!" -- Dave 7/14 |
Search the Epoxy Only World Wide Web for your epoxy search term
CLICK HERE FOR EPOXY RELATED SEARCHES
|
Before you buy anything from anyone, we HIGHLY SUGGEST you CALL 603 435 7199 OR EMAIL US (24/7/365). Let's make sure you have the right products for the job, an understanding of how to use them and a feel for what might go wrong. And if you purchase our products feel free to CALL OR EMAIL US again (24/7/365) before you use them for "tips and tricks" or just some "hand-holding." Perhaps when you're done you'll let us put up some of our pictures on our web site. DIRECT EMAIL LINK (CLICK HERE) Most people are not sure what product or products they need to use, how much product they need, and what to expect when using those product(s). You cannot get that from just reading a web site and most web sites just want you to order their product on-line and then go away. We're different. Please call or email us so that your project goes smoothly and it is Win-Win for everyone. You're talking with: Paul Oman, MS, MBA -- Member since 1994: NACE (National Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers), SSPC (Soc. of Protective Coatings) -- Technical Help - not sales talk! |
5 Calls over the 4th of July Weekend!
email us with your questions - we have products for every problem or project!
What can we do to get your business?
|
Why Buy From us - CLICK |
|
marine epoxy pricing - CLICK ------- evaluate epoxy vendors - CLICK |
|
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS BROUGHT TO THE HOME MARKET |
A Case Study Using
Progressive Epoxy Polymer's
Underwater Epoxy - WET DRY 700 Underwater Epoxy and Corro Coat FC2100A (BUY
NOW) read how our epoxies and customer service saved
the day over a decade ago (2003). Read more (click
here). Those products and service still available to you - call 603 435 7199
anytime and ask for Paul Oman.
WET DRY 700 (tm)
- kevlar (tm) / feldspar/ceramic industrial grade epoxy
paste. Cures underwater or on dry surfaces. If you only kept one epoxy putty
repair product on your boat, workshop, or tool box, this would be it. This
off-white epoxy (turns yellow over time) can be applied underwater. It
has saved sinking boats, leaking swimming pools, repaired rotting window sills,
and bonded wood to wood, wood to cement walls etc. Wall mud or cake icing
thick. Not be be confused with our thick light blue or white
Water Gard 300 epoxy paint which can also be applied
underwater (generally pool repairs or marine barrier coats)
or our thick, gray, kevlar (tm) reinforced epoxy underwater
paint, Corro Coat fc2100A.
CLICK
HERE FOR MORE INFO on all three of these industrial
epoxies. Jeff (1/2013)
I cannot believe how incredible this Wet Dry 700 is.
It's revolutionary. The original repair to my storm shelter would have lasted
years if the shelter would just stop shifting around in the ground. DON'T STOP
SELLING THIS STUFF. (10/2013) Comments: Returning
- Underwater boat repair -
My third or fourth order and am still quite pleased with the result. It has
many uses above and below the water line.
"The Wet Dry 700 epoxy
paste worked
great for patching for the rotted dingy transom. I cut out the rot, fitted new oak pieces,
and patched with the Wet Dry 700 epoxy. Easy as pie." --
John 1/15 BUY
Thick Epoxies/paste/gels/putties LARGEST
SELECTION ANYWHERE CONFUSED?
CALL 603 435 7199 talk/order Wet Dry 700
STRONG HARD AND
TOUGH - APPLY UNDERWATER Kevlar (tm)
feldspar ceramic reinforced epoxy. About wall mud or cake icing
thick. One of our most popular products. Can be applied underwater
with or without fiberglass cloth. Has saved leaking boats/pools.
Often carried by boats going offshore. Color is off-white but
quickly ambers to a golden color. Available in quart
and gallon units. Epoxy Cream NO PULLING OR
DRAGGING SLIDES OFF PUTTY
KNIFE SMOOTHLY Creamy yellow epoxy
used for non structural fairing and filling of holes and voids.
Unlike other thick epoxies it slides off a putty knife like a hot
knife through butter without pulling or tugging the epoxy behind it.
Stays somewhat soft for several days. Available in 1.5
quart and 1.5 gallon units. Crack Coat SMOOTH AND FLEXIBLE Dark Gray smooth
and slick epoxy. About as thick as toothpaste. Uniquely flexible and
will bend and move. Use on surfaces that need some "give" due to
expansion and contraction, vibration, etc. Good for 'bedding'
objects down. Can be applied on damp surfaces. Available in three
quart units. Splash Zone A-788 ORIGINAL CHEWING
GUM LIKE UNDERWATER EPOXY The 'Granddaddy' of
thick epoxies and underwater epoxies. About chewing gum thick - so
thick it needs temps over about 60 degrees to even come out of the
can. Available in two
quart and two gallon units.
EMERGENCY
YACHT UNDERWATER REPAIR
Order any of
these two
part EPOXY Products
NOW
ALUTHANE - MOISTURE CURED URETHANE (mcu) COATING
aluthane.html - an aluminum filled moisture cured urethane used as a primer or topcoat over wood, fiberglass, metals and epoxies. Amazing bond, attractive gray/aluminum color that can be painted over. Used on bridges, trailers, fences, porches, old boats, metal tanks, etc. 40-300 degree temp ratings.
"A very pleased user of Aluthane and your epoxies" (primer on old cars) Craig - Houston, TX - Oct. 2016
PIPE WRAP LEAK REPAIR METHODSpipewrap.html - using epoxy and fiberglass cloth to wrap thin, leaking, or damaged pipes in industrial settings
PIPE WRAP KITSpipewrap2.html - water activated, polyester resin (not epoxy) kits
LEAKING BASEMENTScellar4u.html - leaks in your basement where the wall meets the floor? What you can do about it
UNDERWATER EPOXY REPAIRSunder4u.html - epoxy products you can apply and use underwater (plus picture at uwpaint.html)
underwater issues and epoxy basics ( uwhistory.html )
PATCHING CONCRETEpatch.html - professionals use epoxy and sand for patching concrete
SWIMMING POOL REPAIRswimpool.html - repairing water filled swimming pools with special epoxies
ENGINE CYLINDER REPAIRsplash_zone_epoxy_a788.html - off label use of Splash Zone A-799 epoxy for engine repair
Epoxy Only Web Google Search
#1) Google Everything Epoxy Searches
#2) Google Marine Epoxies Searches
#3)Google Floor Epoxy Searches
View our Progressive Epoxy Products, Inc.
WINDOW SILL and LOG CABIN ROT REPAIRrot.html - lots of window sills develop rot. How to fix them
SEALING TINY CRACKS / LEAKS /HAIRLINE CRACKScapt.html - Capt Tolley's creaking crack sealer comes in two sizes
LEAKY BASEMENTS SEALING TINY CRACKS / LEAKS /HAIRLINE CRACKSseal4u.html - lots of basements leak when it rains. Here's what you can do about it
FIXING ALL KINDS OF LEAKS (MORE GENERAL THAN THE ABOVE LINK)leak.html - how to fix all kinds of leaks
COMMERCIAL COATING OF TANKS, WASTE WATER FACILITIES, MANHOLES ETC.nspcases.html - potable water approved epoxy paint (NSP 120) used for commercial industrial coating projects case studies. This product has its own info page nsp120.html .
SOLVENT BASED EPOXY SEALER AND PRIMER (NOT FOR SALE IN CA.)esp155.html - ESP 155 is a solvent based epoxy used to seal concrete and wood surfaces and as a primer for 2 part polyurethanes
GLUING WITH EPOXYglue.html - epoxy makes a great glue, but unlike other glues, don't clamp it too tight!
PENETRATING EPOXIES - THE TRUE STORYpenetrating4u.html - the term penetrating epoxy is very misleading.....
SEALING WOOD WITH EPOXY - TESTSwoodseal.html - sealing with epoxy - test results
USING EPOXY FOR HOME PROJECTShome4u.html - basic info for the use of epoxies for home use
We really appreciate you visiting PROGRESSIVE EPOXY POLYMERS, INC. and our web site: EPOXYPRODUCTS.COM. Take advantage of the CONTACT links on this page to ask questions about our products and/or your projects. You can stay in touch with us via our NEWSLETTER (link on our contact page) which is emailed every 6-8 weeks.
This current page is all about:
EPOXY REPAIR LINKS INFO.
Epoxy Repair - Epoxy Pipe Fix, Epoxy Leak Stop Links - Epoxy Help
Fix it with epoxy - dozens of links for epoxy based repairs - epoxy help
WOW! 35% - 40% of all daily online or telephone orders are from existing customers. That's an amazing 'REPEAT CUSTOMER" number.
603 - 435 - 7199 ANYTIME 24/7 FOR HELP OR ORDERS
EPOXY GEL FOR LEAKING BASEMENT SEAMScrackcoat.html - use Crack Coat (tm) for damp crack repair in basements etc.
THICK EPOXY PRODUCTS AND OPTIONSputty.html - epoxy putty products ring damage, rot, etc. in an old plywood dinghy
SURFACE PREP AND DEGREASINGprep.html - they say that preparation is 90% of any project. Certainly it is with epoxy related projects
DEALING WITH WOOD ROT
I think what really helped me was to realize that this entailed a lot of very doable individual tasks , all within the skill level of most handymen or women. One other note: patience is required.
Step 1/ remove all rotted wood. In our case , this was about 1/2 the diameter of our 12" logs. I found the best tool to remove the rotted wood was a 12"or 14" electric light duty chain saw.
Step 2/ Then I sprayed anti-freeze on the remaining wood to stop the rot. I let the logs dry for several days and then repeated the anti-freeze spraying. Again, I let it completely dry for several days.
Step 3/ I soaked the remaining logs with Low V 2-part epoxy ,let it dry for a couple of days and repeated the process. I used a paint brush to apply the Low-V , and generously applied it. Use a throw-away paint brush each time , because it will be unusable after use.
Step 4 / I then cut dimensional lumber to replace the rotted wood . I used 2" x ? ,because they were cheap and convenient to work. I would cut each one to fit individually . So the first one was a 2" x 12" , set vertically. Then the next board was a 2" x 8" , then a 2" x 6" , and ultimately a 2" x 4". Then I sandwiched them all together , and deeply counter-sunk the screws so I wouldn't interfere with my rounding off the exterior of the wood. This may sound confusing , so let me describe what the end result looked like. Envision a 12" log 3' long. Half of this log was rotted and removed. So my sandwich to replace the rotted wood was a 2" x 12" , 3' long , a 2" x 8" 3' long , a 2" x 6" 3' long and a 2" x 4" 3' long. These would all be set vertically and attached together with a couple of long screws [ or you could glue them, I would think]. Before you attach them together you can remove the excess material with a circular saw , a band saw or your chain saw. The end result is a sandwich of lumber about 6" wide and 3' long , with the outside diameter being a 12" radius to match the 1/2 log remaining. Then I screwed this sandwich to the remaining log [ I used screws made by Fasten-Master Timber Lok. These are not cheap but are very high quality].
Step5/ I mixed a batch of Wet/Dry 700 Epoxy , and slathered it over the sandwich and between the sandwich and the remaining original log. If it suits you to thicken this material , you can use sawdust or sand . I found the sawdust thickener to be more user friendly to the last step of removing any wood that doesn't look like a log. The sand is really hard on whatever tool you use to dress up your log. I found the best tool to use for the sculpting of you log is a grinding wheel used on an angle grinder.[ It is called "Gallahad" ]. A caution: This is a really aggressive tool and you need to hang on. But you could use any tool you feel comfortable with : Body grinder , chain saw , disc sander or even files. I wish you well.
One last word : Paul Oman (owner of Progressive Epoxy - 603 435 7199) is a very knowledgeable man , and freely shares his knowledge. His products are high quality and as represented. And he answers his phone. Ralph"
Purchase Wet/Dry 700 epoxy paste and Low V low viscosity epoxy at EpoxyUSA.com
ONE QUESTION SURVEY - PLS LET GIVE US YOUR RESPONSE
Please take a moment to complete our 1 question
multiple choice EPOXY SURVEY
Links for UNDERWATER EPOXY
Application of "pply underwater" epoxy paint and putty
for repair and as an adhesive. Underwater swimming pool
epoxy paint and repairs - Wet surface painting.
Yes, you can apply some special epoxy paint/puttty coatings UNDERWATER
1) application of underwater epoxy paint (photograph) ----- uwpaint.html
2) underwater repair epoxy saves sinking yacht ----- cs_boat.html
3) history of underwater paint putty epoxy ----- uwhistory.html
4) description / buy links to underwater epoxy paint putty adhesive ----- under4u.html
5) epoxy and non epoxies that can be used (not applied) underwater ----- immerse.html
Contact Page (phone or email us)
Links to online storefront for buying UNDERWATER EPOXY
Before
boat is sad shape
After Staining
And ESP 155 epoxy
Boat Restoration
Using ESP 155
solvent based
epoxy sealer
and primer
Find this epoxy on
our favorites page
Epoxy questions? Ask the Professor - CLICK .
|
Epoxy "Stab Brush" -- "Regular Brush" |
|
Use with products on this page |
|
buy separately or include with your order |
|
|
|
STAB BRUSH - 3 inch wide with 3/4 inch bristles. Most epoxies are too thick for a regular brush. Stab brushes allow you to push and move the epoxy around and 'stab' or poke it into cracks, voids, and corners |
| REGULAR BRUSH - 2 inch wide and extra thick with synthetic bristles. Use with varnish, paints and thin epoxies. Priced for disposable use. |
|
Find Stab Brushes and Regular Brushes in our MARINE CATALOG or in our HOME/COMMERCIAL CATALOG |
|
Goto our 3rd party storefront and purchase in the MISC SECTION |
|
FIND THIS/THESE PRODUCT(S) IN ONLINE CATALOG PAGE AND ONLINE STORE FRONT |
|
|
Most Popular & Visited pages at: Epoxyproducts.com (see below) Check Us Out! |
storefronts, phone, text, email links |
|
Also check out these pages ==> |
help and info |
trusted epoxy sites |
Search the Epoxy Only World Wide Web for your epoxy search term
CLICK HERE FOR EPOXY RELATED SEARCHES
|
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: |
|
|
Wet Dry 700 Epoxy Ultimate Repair Epoxy Paste Above and below the Waterline Like Nothing You Have Ever Worked With Before! Need to fix, glue, patch, fill, bond, coat or cover something underwater? Need to reinforce/wrap corroded, damaged or leaking pipes (with epoxy and fiberglass cloth)? Need to do a fiberglass cloth and epoxy repair with a non sagging epoxy paste? (even underwater?). How about sealing electrical connections in a ‘glob’ of waterproof epoxy? Patching some wood rot? One of our customers repaired serious rot in an 100 year old marine railway submerged under 12 feet of water. Wet Dry 700 has saved sinking boats (and sunk boats - read Escape From Hermit Island available at Amazon.com. The authors recommend you don’t leave your dock without this epoxy - see epoxyproducts.com/cs_boat.html). It is also used on leaking pools and corroding barge mounted floating homes. Welcome to the world of Wet Dry 700 (tm) Epoxy Wet Dry 700 (tm) epoxy paste is a leading example of consumer driven epoxy technology, resulting in a versatile, field friendly repair product for difficult environments. Wet Dry is a solvent free, high performance epoxy reinforced with kevlar (tm) pulp and feldspar/ceramic. It can be applied to wet, damp, or dry surfaces. Wet Dry 700 looks a bit like joint compound (dry wall mud), or cake icing with a simple 1 to 1 mix ratio that you can ‘eyeball’. A scoop of Part A and an equal scoop of Part B and you are ready to go. This is one of our top selling epoxies. People first buy it for a specific project and then generally buy more just to have on hand. |
|
|
"I cannot believe how incredible this Wet Dry 700 is. It's revolutionary. The original repair to my storm shelter would have lasted years if the shelter would just shifting around in the ground. DON'T STOP SELLING THIS STUFF!" Jeff 1/2013
( 10/2013) Comments: Returning - Underwater repair |
|
|
Another Amazing Product - ALUTHANE aluminum Moisture Cured Urethane Coating - corrosion fighting, heat reflecting, temperature resistant sealer, primer, top coat. Use on wood, metal, fiberglass, cement. READ MORE |
|
|
PROGRESSIVE EPOXY POLYMERS, INC - 603 - 435 - 7199 Amazing Products - Amazing Support |
|
|
data sheets and msds and SDS sheets at epoxyproducts.com/datamsds.html |
|
Click Here To Like/Recommend Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc. (epoxyproducts.com) on FACEBOOK |
|
ONLINE PRODUCT CATALOGS PROGRESSIVE EPOXY POLYMERS, Inc |
|
|
ONLINE STORE Purchase Here ------ or CALL 603 435 7199 ------ HOME PAGE |
|
|
Marine Catalog |
|
* home
page of marine catalog section (blue background)
|
|
| Section One MARINE - CLEAR EPOXIES Section Two FILLERS THICKENERS ADDITIVES Section Three THICKENED EPOXIES - EPOXY PUTTIES, ETC. Section Four EPOXY PAINTS (barrier coats) Section Five URETHANES AND NON-EPOXY COATINGS Section Six NON-SKID DECK COATINGS Section Seven MARINE REPAIR PRODUCTS Section Eight MISC. MARINE PRODUCTS |
|
|
MASSIVE BOAT HOW TO - ISSUES - HELP WEB LINK SITE |
|
|
Residential / Commercial / DIY Catalog |
|
* home
page of residential/commercial catalog section (brown background)
|
|
|
Section A EPOXY PAINTS Section B FLOOR EPOXIES (regular and non-skid products), SEALERS, ACCESSORIES Section C THICKENED EPOXIES - EPOXY PUTTIES, ETC. Section D CLEAR EPOXIES Section E NON-EPOXY PAINTS COATINGS SEALERS Section F MIX-IN ADDITIVES Section G OTHER PRODUCTS Section H SURFACE PREPARATION PRODUCTS Section I MISC. ACCESSORIES |
|
|
WEB EPOXY FLOOR ISSUES LINKS SITE --- WEB EPOXY REPAIR LINKS SITE |
|
|
top selling favorite products for your every need Buy Talk Chat Support EMAIL or 603 435 7199 American manufactured, distributed, and sold epoxies and coatings. Your business helps small American Family Businesses - Thank You! |
 |
Boat Repair - Marine Epoxy Massive Link Site <==== click |
Epoxy Floors - Options & Products Massive Link Site click ====>
|
 |
|
Epoxy 101 Epoxy Education Link Site click ====> |
|
|
Home Repairs With Epoxy Massive Epoxy Fix Link Site <==== click |
 |
Arron's Directory of Epoxy Web Sites (part 1) <==== click |
Arron's Directory of Epoxy Web Sites (part 2) click ====> |
|
|
Epoxy Home Page click ====> |
 |
 |
Epoxy Index Page Find Info By Subject <==== click |
|
|
Photo Gallery Neat Boat Pictures <==== click |
Copulas of the Suncook River Valley - Central NH click ====> |
|
|
Epoxy Questions? Ask Prof. E. Poxy click ====> |
|
 |
Contact Us or Order Epoxies <==== click |
 |
DIY Poured Epoxy Bar Tops <==== click |
Outdoor Epoxy Pebble Deck Re-Coat / Repair click ====> |
 |
Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc.
DID YOU KNOW...
Epoxy coatings are used because of their
outstanding chemical resistance, durability, low porosity and strong bond
strength.
Epoxies consist of a ‘base' and a ‘curing' agent. The two components are mixed in a certain ratio. A chemical
reaction occurs between the two parts generating heat (exotherm) and hardening the mixture into an inert, hard
‘plastic'.
Epoxies yellow, chalk (or more commonly least lose their gloss), in direct sunlight (UV). The yellowing can
be a real problem. For pigmented epoxies select colors that are dark or contain a lot of yellow (such as green).
Even clear epoxies will yellow and cloud up. Often epoxies are top coated with latex or urethanes that will retain
their color and attractive gloss. This is particularly true if color coding or matching company colors is important.
Epoxies will harden in minutes or hours, but complete cure (hardening) will generally take several days. Most
epoxies will be suitably hard within a day or so, but may require more time to harden before the coating can be
sanded.
By their nature, epoxies are hard and brittle. Additives can be added to epoxies that make them less brittle,
but generally at the loss or reduction of other positive epoxy properties such as chemical resistance.
Other clues of cheap epoxies include ‘induction time' (after mixing the two components the mixture must sit
for several minutes to ‘self cook' before being applied).
The best time to recoat epoxy is within about 48 hours after the initial coat. Because epoxies take days to
reach full cure, a second coat applied shortly after the first coat will partially fuse to the first coat rather
than forming a simple mechanical bond.
End users can thicken epoxy with many things, Tiny glass spheres, known as micro-spheres or micro-balloons
are commonly used. Besides thickening, their crushable nature makes sanding the hardened epoxy easier. On the downside,
they work like tiny ball bearings, resulting is sagging and slumping. Another thickener is fumed silica (a common
brand name is Cabosil (tm)) which looks like fake snow. About 2 parts fumed silica with one part epoxy will produce
a mixture similar in texture and thickness to petroleum jelly. Micro-spheres and fumed silica can be combined together.
Fisheyes are areas on a painted surface where the coating literally pulls away for the substrate leaving a coatingless void or fisheye. Often fisheyes are caused by surface contaminants such as a bit of silicon, wax, or
oil. I have also seen them on clean plywood where epoxies paints have been used as sealers and the problem might
be due to uneven saturation (soaking-in) of the epoxy into the wood. Surface tension plays a big part in fisheyeing.
There are some additives that can be mixed into the epoxy that will reduce surface tension. Likewise, on wood,
applying several coats of solvent thinned epoxy, instead of one coat of unthinned epoxy, seems to work well. Applying
a thick coat of epoxy over a contaminated fisheye surface will bury the fisheye but expect the coating to peel
away in the future. As a rule of thumb, always suspect some sort of surface contamination as the primary cause
of fisheyeing.
Adding a bit of solvent to a solvent based or solvent-free epoxy is something that most manufacturers would
not officially approve of and something that might not work with all epoxies. However, it can be done (unofficially)
with the epoxies I deal with. Adding solvent to these epoxies will: 1) thin them out; 2) increase
pot life; 3) allows
them to flow off the brush/roller a bit more smoothly; and 4) perhaps allows them to ‘soak-in', penetrate, or may
be soften, the substrate just a little bit. Not change is visible in the epoxy unless 12% or greater solvent is
added. With that amount of solvent, the epoxies no longer cure with a glossy finish.
It is best to use epoxies with a mix ratio close to 1 to 1 as opposed to something 4-1, 5-1, etc. because errors
in the mix ratios can be more pronounced with the latter. That said, no matter what the mix ratio is, some epoxies
are more forgiving of mix ratio errors than others. One ‘trick' of epoxy vendors with odd or very sensitive mix
ratios is to sell calibrated pumps that disperse the epoxy components in exact amounts.
How Thick? How thick should your coating be? Economics play a major role in determining how much coating to apply. One U.S. gallon contains 231 cubic inches. That's only 1.6 cubic square feet of surface at one inch thick and that's also assuming a solvent-free product. If the product is 25% VOC (i.e. 25% solvent) then dry thickness/coverage will be 25% less. Again, assuming a 1/4 inch thick coating (250 mils) maximum coverage will still be only 6.4 square feet per gallon. A solvent-free (100% solids) epoxy coating applied at 16 mils will cover 100 square feet per gallon (note: the wall paint in your office is probably 2-4 mils). While thick coatings sound like a good idea, they use so much product that they must be made very cheaply so that coating 1,000 or 10,000 square feet can still be done at a competitive price. A high quality, fairly expensive product with a coverage rate of 100 sq. feet or more per gallon, on the other hand, will have a low enough cost per sq. foot to provide both economy and top quality.
|
Epoxy Only Web Google Search |
|
 |
#1) Google Everything Epoxy Searches #2) Google Marine Epoxies Searches
#3)Google
Floor Epoxy Searches |
|
View our Progressive Epoxy Products, Inc. |
Epoxy Repair - Epoxy
Pipe Fix, Epoxy Leak Stop Links - Epoxy Help
Fix it with epoxy - dozens of links for epoxy based repairs - epoxy help
