SURFACE PREPARATION

Proper surface preparation is a labor step that is sometimes overlooked in the estimation stage.  Proper surface preparation is vitally important to the overall long term performance of any material installed over a surface.  Following common sense fundamentals whether it be a roof, parking lot, wall and/or floor will help assure long term performance

ROOFS:

·        Remove loose and delaminated material.  Patch and repair per the specific SWEPCO Roof System Application Guide.

·        Abandoned equipment or other non functional items should be removed.

·        Clean the roof surface…by sweeping, power blowing and even power washing if necessary.  If power washing be sure the inside of the building is protected from any water that may leak through the roof as a result of a power washing.

·        Provisions for adequate drainage should be considered.

·        Prime roof surface.  This is actually an optional step however it is highly recommended as it will help assure a good bond of the waterproofing materials to be installed.

PAVING:

·        Clean out cracks.

·        Fill cracks.  Use SWEPCO Crack Filler or SWEPCO Pourable Crack Filler.  The crack depth shall not exceed ½ the width.  Use sand to fill as necessary.

·        Repair alligatored areas.  In most cases this can be done with a sand/Heavy Duty Asphalt Paving Sealer mixture.  Call for further information.

·        Remove unsound areas of pavement.  Call for special replacement formula.

·        Clean the pavement surface.  For removal of oil deposits use a solution of Zonex-KÒ Industrial Cleaner and kerosene.  Sweeping, power blowing and power washing are effective means of cleaning pavement surfaces.

Dirty parking lot needs a turbo wash

 WALLS:

·        Remove loose and delaminated materials.  Repair cracks in the wall.  This can be done with SWEPCO Latex Resurfacer or SWEPCO HydraPlug dependant upon the type of existing wall.

·        It is very important that the surface and wall material is structurally sound.  Tap on the wall in numerous areas.  If a hollow sound is heard further analysis shall be considered.  Call for further information. 

·        Clean the existing surface.  If the wall is stucco it is very important that the wall thoroughly dry before application of any new material.

·        If the wall is smooth and dense (very solid) scarifying the wall surface is recommended.  Wire brushing and/or sand blasting is effective. 

·        Do a bond test.  If in doubt as to whether the surface is appropriate for the selected material apply the material on an out of sight area approximately 3 feet x 3 feet (1 meter x 1 meter).  After 24-48 hours scrape at the area numerous times.  If the material does not flake then the wall is properly prepared. 

Sand blasting cleans and scarifies walls

FLOORS:

·        Clean the floor surface.  Citric processing plants and Dairy processing plants need special attention.  Citric Acid and Lactic Acid deposits on the floor actually penetrate the surface of the concrete and will effect the bonding of any new material.  Typically a muratic acid wash will suffice in cleaning the surface. 

·        Repair cracks.  It should first be determined whether the crack is actually a structural crack or whether it is simply a crack in the concrete such as shrinkage cracking.  If the crack is all the way through the floor a professional flooring contractor should be contacted.

·        Clean the surface.  It is highly recommended that the floor be power washed with Zonex-KÒ Industrial Cleaner prior to application of any materials.  If the floor is smooth and dense, it is highly recommended that the floor surface be scarified prior to application of materials to assure a good bond.  Acid etching, sand blasting or shot blasting methods can be used to scarify the surface.

 OVERVIEW:

            In many cases proper preparation takes more time than actual application of the new material.  Careful and thoughtful consideration needs to be taken into account during the inspection process.  Write out the preparation steps as they will be performed.  Sometimes looking at the job a second time will help the thought process to assure proper preparation.  Should you encounter any unique type situations and are unsure as to the proper surface preparation please contact us for advice.