Polyaspartic coating in Basement - High VOC Levels Weeks Later

[haaales]

Hi all - I've read a few threads about problems with polyaspartic floor coatings and wanted to ask for advice about our home. We had 100 SF of polyaspartic coating applied in our basement in early April. The application was a two day process with a base coat applied on Day 1 and the polyaspartic top coat applied on Day 2. Both coatings were applied on days where the temperature was in the 70s during the day and probably the 40s at night. We are in Colorado so the climate is dry.

We have an air quality monitor on the first floor of our home. Since the installation occurred, the VOC levels have been extremely high. We have had a few cold snaps with snow or rain (7-10 days after the installation occurred). The VOC levels have spiked when the it has been more humid outside or when we have needed to use the furnace. It has left me feeling asthmatic. The smell is almost gone but the VOC levels continue to be very high.

From reading about this product, it seems like off-gassing from the floor should be complete by now. The floor is hard so it seems like curing is finished. It has now been 3-4 weeks since the initial installation and over the past few days, the VOC levels were some of the worst that we have seen. Should we be worried that VOCs have leached into other materials in our home (carpet or drywall)? We are not sure why running the furnace worsens the VOC levels. Could there be a problem with how the flooring was installed? We are concerned that the VOC levels will continue to spike when we need to use the furnace in the future. Is this a problem that will improve over time or is there a risk that we will need to remove the flooring?

 

[BillK]

We have an air quality monitor on the first floor of our home.

Would you be asking this question if you did not have the monitor ?

 

[Shea]

Hi all - I've read a few threads about problems with polyaspartic floor coatings and wanted to ask for advice about our home. We had 100 SF of polyaspartic coating applied in our basement in early April. The application was a two day process with a base coat applied on Day 1 and the polyaspartic top coat applied on Day 2. Both coatings were applied on days where the temperature was in the 70s during the day and probably the 40s at night. We are in Colorado so the climate is dry.

We have an air quality monitor on the first floor of our home. Since the installation occurred, the VOC levels have been extremely high. We have had a few cold snaps with snow or rain (7-10 days after the installation occurred). The VOC levels have spiked when the it has been more humid outside or when we have needed to use the furnace. It has left me feeling asthmatic. The smell is almost gone but the VOC levels continue to be very high.

From reading about this product, it seems like off-gassing from the floor should be complete by now. The floor is hard so it seems like curing is finished. It has now been 3-4 weeks since the initial installation and over the past few days, the VOC levels were some of the worst that we have seen. Should we be worried that VOCs have leached into other materials in our home (carpet or drywall)? We are not sure why running the furnace worsens the VOC levels. Could there be a problem with how the flooring was installed? We are concerned that the VOC levels will continue to spike when we need to use the furnace in the future. Is this a problem that will improve over time or is there a risk that we will need to remove the flooring?

You should not have a VOC issue if your installer used the correct materials for a basement. Were two polyaspartic coatings applied? Or was it a hybrid coating of epoxy first, followed by a polyaspartic topcoat?

100% solids polyaspartic coatings are what should be used indoors. They have 0 VOCs because there are no solvents to evaporate out of the coating as it cures. In addition, 100% solids polyaspartic should not be applied directly to bare concrete. This is because they cure too fast and do not have enough time to penetrate the concrete to adhere well.

When used indoors, a water-based epoxy (low to no VOC content) or 100% solids epoxy (no VOC content) should be used as the base coat. A 100% solids clear or color-tinted polyaspartic can then be applied to the epoxy to achieve a tenacious chemical bond. If you have a VOC problem, it's because your installer used a product/s with solvents, which should not have been done. Sometimes, installers will add Xylene to polyaspartic to make it easier to work with and increase the pot life.

I would consult with your installer about the issue to see what they will do to rectify the problem. They should know better about using solvents indoors, particularly a basement.

 

[haaales]

Would you be asking this question if you did not have the monitor ?

Unfortunately yes. On cold/rainy days when we have needed to use the furnace, the air quality is noticeably worse and causing asthma-like symptoms.

 

[haaales]

You should not have a VOC issue if your installer used the correct materials for a basement. Were two polyaspartic coatings applied? Or was it a hybrid coating of epoxy first, followed by a polyaspartic topcoat?

100% solids polyaspartic coatings are what should be used indoors. They have 0 VOCs because there are no solvents to evaporate out of the coating as it cures. In addition, 100% solids polyaspartic should not be applied directly to bare concrete. This is because they cure too fast and do not have enough time to penetrate the concrete to adhere well.

When used indoors, a water-based epoxy (low to no VOC content) or 100% solids epoxy (no VOC content) should be used as the base coat. A 100% solids clear or color-tinted polyaspartic can then be applied to the epoxy to achieve a tenacious chemical bond. If you have a VOC problem, it's because your installer used a product/s with solvents, which should not have been done. Sometimes, installers will add Xylene to polyaspartic to make it easier to work with and increase the pot life.

I would consult with your installer about the issue to see what they will do to rectify the problem. They should know better about using solvents indoors, particularly a basement.

Thank you for your reply. I am reaching out to the installer to see what was used as the base coat and if it was 100% solids or water based. The installer initially told us that they could use a no-VOC top coat, but on the day of install let us know that it was not possible to do so and that they would need to use an 85% solids top coat instead. Would an 85% solids top coat continue to off gas VOCs at this point? Is there a way to solve the problem since solvents were used in the top coat application?

 

[Shea]

Thank you for your reply. I am reaching out to the installer to see what was used as the base coat and if it was 100% solids or water based. The installer initially told us that they could use a no-VOC top coat, but on the day of install let us know that it was not possible to do so and that they would need to use an 85% solids top coat instead. Would an 85% solids top coat continue to off gas VOCs at this point? Is there a way to solve the problem since solvents were used in the top coat application?

They should not have used an 85% solids in a basement. Professionals know it will create problems within a home. If a single topcoat was used, then the solvents should have completely evaporated out of the coating within a few hours. If so, what you would be dealing with now is the residual VOCs that need to be vented out of the home or have become absorbed within other materials within the home. If two coats of 85% solids were applied, you may be dealing with solvents in the first coat that are still leaching out. If so, it should be removed via grinding. This also applies to the base coat if solvents were in it.