Coating Or Sealing Floors - Question Of The Month

Floor coatings can withstand both mechanical and chemical loads in wet and dry areas. The two common types are thin coatings that are applied by roller and self-leveling thick coatings that are applied with a squeegee or smoother.

The material properties and the application process enable the coating to self-level. This enables particularly flat surfaces with a high level of protection to be achieved. Floor coatings, whose thicknesses are usually between 0.3 and 5 mm, are particularly suitable for the contract sector.

The effect of floor seals is somewhat different. Depending on the composition, the treated floors have good mechanical and chemical resistance. However, the wear layer is relatively small. These rolling or painting qualities are preferred by the classic painter thanks to their relatively simple processing. Sealing significantly reduces the wear on a surface and the formation of dust, while increasing the cleanability. With this process, the covering application closes the pores of the floor completely.

Areas of application

Areas of application for seals are often found in garages, cellars, as well as in commercial and industrial floors with medium loads. Since the layer thicknesses are between 0.1 and 0.3 mm, this measure can only be used to a limited extent under mechanical loads in commercial areas. Seals are based on synthetic resin and reactive resin and are either solvent-based or solvent-free. In addition, colored designs by pigmentation or sprinkled colored chips are possible. ZERO offers the FuboTec system for such needs.

Non-slip floors

Of course, floor surfaces in work rooms and work areas must be designed to be non-slip. This is defined by the Workplace Ordinance and the UVV - "General Regulations" (BGV A1, formerly VBG 1). The degree of slip resistance is shown by the “assessment group of slip resistance”, or slip resistance class for short, in accordance with BG rule 181 “Flooring in work rooms and work areas with risk of slipping” and the test standard DIN 51130. ZERO has the FuboTec Grip product ready to increase the required surefootedness in areas where there is a risk of slipping. This anti-slip additive consists of micro-glass beads that hardly influence the desired color of the seal.

Building inspection requirements

Building inspectorate requirements also apply to the use of floor coatings or seals in interiors. It is therefore necessary to provide evidence that the health of room users is not endangered by the use of these products. A particularly important criterion is the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the room air. Possible VOC emissions can be assessed using the AgBB scheme. Many modern paint materials that are used for indoor floors meet these requirements, e.g. B. ZERO FuboTec PUR. The abbreviation "AgBB" stands for "Committee for Health Assessment of Construction Products".