20 terms
Glossary
Short definitions for the words that show up on data sheets and spec documents.
A
- Admixture
- A material added to concrete in small amounts to change how it flows, sets or lasts.
- Aliphatic
- A type of coating chemistry that holds its color in sunlight. Often used for topcoats.
- Aromatic
- A type of coating chemistry that can yellow or darken in sunlight. Often used where it will be covered or kept indoors.
B
- Backer rod
- A foam cord pushed into a joint before sealing so the sealant bonds to two sides only.
- Broadcast
- Throwing sand, quartz or flakes into a wet coating to add texture or color.
C
- Crystalline waterproofing
- A treatment that reacts with moisture inside concrete to grow crystals that block water paths.
- Cure
- The chemical reaction that turns a liquid product into a solid with its intended properties.
D
- Dew point
- The temperature at which moisture condenses. Coating a surface too close to it can trap water under the film.
- Dry film thickness
- How thick a coating is after it cures, often shortened to DFT on data sheets.
E
- Elongation
- How far a material can stretch before it breaks. Useful when a coating must bridge moving cracks.
H
- Hybrid polyurea
- A blend of polyurea and polyurethane chemistry, chosen to adjust cost, handling or working time.
M
- Moisture vapor emission
- Water vapor moving up through a concrete slab. Too much can push a floor coating off.
P
- Plural component
- Equipment that pumps, heats and mixes two parts of a coating at the gun.
- Pot life
- How long a mixed product stays usable in the bucket before it starts to set.
- Primer
- A first coat that helps the next layer bond to the surface.
R
- Recoat window
- The time range in which the next coat can go on without extra sanding or priming.
S
- Secondary containment
- A lined area around tanks or drums that holds spills so they do not reach soil or drains.
- Substrate
- The surface being coated or sealed, such as concrete, steel or wood.
- Surface profile
- The roughness of a prepared surface. Many systems call for a set profile so the coating can grip.
V
- VOC
- Volatile organic compounds, the solvents that evaporate from some products as they dry.