Time for companies to refurbish their floors is often limited and therefore we are frequently asked how long the resin floors we install take to dry and when they can be trafficked.
Curing times:
In the world of resin, the drying time is more commonly referred to as curing time. Cure times affect how quickly a flooring installation can be completed and how soon the floor can be returned to full use. What is often misunderstood is that different resin types have different curing states and times.
Curing states:
Curing states relate to the extent of which the floor has cured. With Epoxy and Polyurethane systems, the resin manufacturers often refer to the floor being cured for suitability for light foot traffic to full cure. Light foot traffic is often achievable after 12-48 hours and these systems usually offer full chemical resistance once they have reached a full cure after 7 days.
Accelerants can at times be added to speed up the rate of curing where this is suitable.
MMA systems, however, are fully cured within 2 hours making them the ideal solution on projects where downtime is limited.
Installation temperature:
The temperature within the environment may also affect the curing time of the system. Whilst MMA can fully cure within temperatures down to -30°C temperature can often have a detrimental effect on the cure time of epoxy and polyurethane resins. Most manufacturers advise the optimal curing temperature of these systems as being 20°C.
As the temperature decreases the curing time increases and temperatures below 5°C are best avoided.
It is always essential that the manufacturer’s guidelines are followed to avoid any unnecessary damage to the floor during the curing process.
For further reading, please take a look at the following:
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