ACTECH Concrete Primers

Look at the data sheet of the flooring products you are intending to install. If the moisture tolerance of the flooring product is below the moisture readings of the concrete substrate, then you are going to eventually have a problem and the product manufacturer is not going to warrant your application.

For example, if your epoxy terrazzo, luxury vinyl, decorative epoxy, or recycled rubber sheet goods have a moisture tolerance of 85% RH (or lets say 3 pounds MVR) and the concrete substrate tests at 90% RH, your moisture sensitive flooring product should not be installed without moisture remediation to meet building condes, industry standards, and product warranties.

In this situation, your choice would be to re-design the floor with products that can withstand the excess moisture vapor in the concrete, or to apply a moisture mitigation primer that will provide that level of moisture vapor protection.

Link:

1. How to Use RH Probes - ASTM F2170

YES.

Like with Split Slabs, Lightweight Concrete tends to retain excessive moisture vapor -- far exceeding the moisture tolerances of most roof and traffic coatings.

ACTECH 2170™FC is frequently specified as the specialty concrete primer to encapsulate the excessive moisture vapor and high concrete pH for a successful roofing or waterproofing product application.

ACTECH 2170™FC can be successfully applied as an ASTM F3010 compliant Moisture Mitigation Primer to Green Concrete 72 hours after placement.

Always Refer to our Technical Data Sheets and Application Guidelines before specifying, purchasing, or applying ACTECH 2170™FC to any concrete substrate.

Link:

1. ACTECH 2170™ FC Exterior Literature and Warranty Forms

Most epoxies, urethanes, polyurea, PMMA's and hot asphaltic rubber products are compatible over ACTECH 2170™FC.

Request a list of products ACTECH has tested and is continually testing. Always check with other Product Manufacturers for their compatibility testing.

It is a Best Practice to test product compatibility thru mock-ups on site to ensure the right product was ordered and there were no formula changes since the last compatibility test.

Measure Twice, Cut Once.

Link:

1. Mock-Up Test Report Video

The way split slabs are designed and constructed, they tend to retain a great deal of excessive moisture vapor -- far more than most liquid applied coatings and other building products can tolerate.

Many data sheets specifically exclude split slabs from their list of suitable substrates and will not offer performance warranties.

ACTECH 2170™FC is often specified to prepare split slabs for subsequent application of roof coatings and traffic coatings for otherwise industry compliant concrete substrates.

ASTM F3010 Compliance refers to Moisture Mitigation Primers that have

• undergone independent ASTM E96 permeance testing in an ASTM certified lab for their ability to contain excessive moisture vapor within the concrete, and
  
  
• have met the ASTM F3010 permeance criteria of less than 0.1 Perms.

ASTM F3010 Compliant Moisture Mitigation Primers offer protection against excessive moisture vapor in concrete substrates up to 99% RH and 24 pounds MVER at the spread rate tested.

ACTECH 2170™FC is tested ASTM F3010 Compliant at 0.07 perms at a spread rate of 12 mils -- or approximately 125 SF/gal.

REFER to ACTECH 2170™FC E96 testing certificate issued by CTL Group

Link:

1. ACTECH 2170™ FC Interior Literature and Warranty Forms

YES. ACTECH 2170™FC is often specified to prepare elevated pans (vented and unvented) for subsequent application of roof coatings and traffic coatings on otherwise industry compliant concrete substrates.

Because elevated pans often contain excessive concrete moisture vapor, many traffic and roof coating products exclude elevated pans from their list of suitable substrates and will not offer performance warranties.

In these cases, the only solution is an ASTM F3010 Compliant Moisture Mitigation Primer -- like ACTECH 2170™FC.

YES. You can install ACTECH 2170™FC as soon as 72 hours after concrete placement and still benefit from ASTM F3010 protection against excessive concrete moisture vapor.

This early application can have many benefits for a project in terms of building schedule (Fast Track) and application costs (apply BEFORE walls go up).

• ESD Floors in Data Centers
• Seamless Floors in Life Science Labs
• Luxury Vinyl in Boutique Hotels
• Gym Floors in Schools
• Rubber Flooring in Hospitals
• Terrazzo Floors in Airports
• Seamless Floors in Food Processing

Most people do NOT detect any smell from the ACTECH 2170™FC -- even in enclosed spaces.

This is a real advantage for applications being made in occupied spaces -- or where there is merchandise that may absorb odors.

Of course, this is also a big advantage for Crews!

DEFINITELY NOT.

A concrete primer (not even ours 🥇) will not make a concrete slab structurally sound if it is not structurally sound to begin with.

A concrete primer (not even ours 🥇) will not make a concrete slab meet ACI and ASTM Standards if it is not already compliant.

A concrete primer (not even ours 🥇) will not bond to concrete that contains bond-breakers introduced either topically, as an admixture in the mix design, or introduced into the truck during placement.

A concrete primer (not even ours 🥇) cannot cure ASR (Alkali Silica Reaction) -- in fact, as a non-porous liquid membrane, we will make it worse.

This is why it is so important for the owner's representatives, GC, and Specialty Contractor to assess the concrete slab before purchasing and applying any concrete primer -- including ACTECH Concrete Primers.

Links:

1. Using Rebound Hammer

2. Pull Testing On Concrete

3. How Unreacted Silicates Negatively Affect Coatings

4. Silicates vs ASR

5. What is ASR?

YES.

But it is as much about the ACTECH 2170™FC Primer as it is about the Technical Support that the ACTECH Tech Team can provide that will help you mitigate outgassing and pin holes in problem concrete substrates.

Pinholes and Outgassing have many possible causes. These causes will vary greatly from project to project. The approach takes to each cause is quite different.

This is another example of where the value of technical assessments, product mock-ups, and collaborative problem solving plays such a pivotal role in addressing pinholes and outgassing from concrete slabs.

Link:

1. How to Treat Pinholes