Application Of Liquid Rubber Coatings

Online, November 20, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Application of Liquid Rubber Coatings Starts with Preparing the Surface
The application of liquid rubber coatings is easiest when the surface is flat, clean and smooth. As is the case with all painting jobs, the most time-consuming part could be cleaning and repairing the surface.

How to clean the surface depends on the material. For metal roofs, sweeping and/or washing may be all that is necessary. You should make sure there is no debris on the surface, because any debris will show through the coating.

Concrete floors should be as smooth as possible. If cracks or holes are present in any material, fill them with a non-silicone based caulking. The rubber would fill the hole, but a dent would still be visible. Depending on the depth of the hole, this could cause a variety of problems in the future.
For some older roofing materials, it is a good idea to reinforce the surface with butyl tape and polyester fabric. For example, if there are gaps, tears or other defects, you would want to correct those problems. Although the coating does not adhere to all materials, it does adhere to fabric.

Depending on the surface to be covered, a catalyst coating may be needed. For example, the application of liquid rubber coatings to existing asphalt-based roofs requires a pre-coating with an elastomeric catalyst. Follow the manufacturer's directions concerning what type of pre-coating to use. Generally speaking, latex house paint is not an acceptable solution.

You will need a squeegee, a roller and a paint brush to apply the coating, once the surface has been prepared. The thickness usually recommended for the coating is 20-mil. It may be necessary to do a spreading rate calculation to get an idea of how that thickness can be achieved. A good estimate for a flat smooth surface is 40 feet per gallon. The application of liquid rubber coatings to uneven surfaces will require more.