Thanks for the info (and response).
So, in all honesty, how much of a difference is there between a one coat kit and 3 coat kit like yours (or what you recommend, anyway). I can see both sides of the argument: one coat engineered to go down once with no threat of contamination between layers...but how optimal is one layer?
This was recently asked in the WCC forums, I'll post their answer in full:
First, I'm assuming that you are talking about BondTite 1101. And, this is an EXCELLENT question! I'll start out by saying that the adhesion of BondTite 1101 or LiquaTile 1184 is superior to any products that we have tested in our laboratories!
The logic behind what amount of prep is needed all goes back to the expectation of how long a coating will last. I've heard many people say that everything we need to know about life is learned in kindergarten. I'm not sure that's 100% accurate but... let's go with it for this discussion. So... what about the 3 little pigs?
The First Pig & the House of Straw:
The first pig didn't feel like he needed a really strong house so using something other than straw wasn't worth the effort. Building a house of straw would last a few years and the first little pig decided that if it lasted a few years he could just build another house. So, since he built a cheap house and used cheap materials there was no point in wasting energy on a foundation.
The second pig & the stick house:
The second pig wanted his house to last a little longer so he used a stronger material (sticks) that the first pig (straw). The construction was very similar but the second pig figured that since he was using a stronger material that he didn't really need to go to all of the trouble of building a foundation. After all, he was only planning to live in this house a short time.
The Third Pig and the House of Bricks:
This pig didn't like to waste time. He was a proud pig and knew that one of the 7 laws of gold was to "Make of your House a Profitable Investment". So, he would seek to use high quality materials and make a house that would last a long time. So, he used good strong material (bricks). Since he was using a good strong material that he knew would last, he also deciding to protect that material with a good strong foundation. And, when the big bad wolf came calling, his house was the only one that took the punishment.
The products that you see that advertise a coating without the use of a primer are not designed to last a long time. Obviously, if a coating system is not going to last then there is no point spending alot of extra work on it. When our LiquaTile 1184 is applied properly it will take a major amount of abuse. The first applications of this product that were installed in heavy duty industrial environments are STILL in service. So, a coating system like this may last longer that the actual house if it's done right! So, because the expectation of life is so much longer than other coatings it makes sense to give it a strong foundation.
Next, you have to consider how epoxy coatings bond to concrete. 95% of epoxy coatings on the market (maybe more) bond by filling up pores in the concrete and then hardening. So, the better the filling of the pores the more adhesion you will get. You can kind of equate these coatings to pancake batter. If you've ever made pancakes before you know that the more pancake mix you add to the water the thicker it gets. If you dump water on concrete (with no pancake mix in it) it will soak right in (fill the pores). However, if you take the same water and add a couple of scoops of pancake mix to it and THEN pour it on the concrete, it just barely fills and pores and sits on top of the concrete. Paint works the same way. A clear epoxy like BondTite 1101 does not contain any fillers (like the pancake batter mix) that impeded the flow into the pores. So, it will have greater adhesion because it can penetrate lower into the pores. While that one advantage greatly increases the adhesion over other competitive coatings, BondTite 1101 ALSO gains adhesion from a chemical reaction that happens with the concrete. In other words, not only does it fill the pores deeper than other products, but it also chemically becomes part OF the concrete before it hardens in the pores. When adhesion tests are done on BondTite 1101, the concrete deep beneath the surface must break for a failure to occur. Another positive feature of the BondTite 1101 is that it is NOT moisture sensitive. Many of the products that don't use a primer are cheap waterborne materials. You'll notice that even though they are waterborne they MUST be applied to a DRY surface. The BondTite 1101 may be applied to a damp surface... not wet... but damp is OK unlike these other products.
So, it all boils down to what you are looking for. If you want your floor to last... it's like anything else... Start with a good foundation!
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Here are a couple of examples posted by forum members...
"Wolverine primer bondtite pulls off concrete when removed"
OR, a good primer makes sense followed by a clear to lock everything in. Makes some sense to me. But, then I've read stuff about clear coats yellowing, peeling, etc. At the end of the day, I don't mind paying for quality but I need to know it will last. Unfortunately, my silver spoon came tarnished, lol.
All epoxy will color shift if exposed to enough UV light. How much is tough to predict, it depends on the application, length of exposure, direction of light, color of pigment, etc. Sometimes its very noticeable, other times not at all. We do offer a full sunlight, outdoor durable, urethane if this is a concern. It replaces the BondTite 1101 as a clear coat.
