South African Conference on Polymers in Concrete, Berg-en-Dal, Kruger National Park Jun 20-23, 2000

3. Complexity

Every working pass brings associated costs in materials and labour. An additional layer brings an increase in complexity that can result in complaints. It is therefore proper to ask the question: Is sealant really necessary?. What complications does a thin layer, only 0.1…0.3 mm thick, bring in terms of:

1. Layer structure
2. Climatic conditions in the building
3. Adhesion between layers
4. Waiting times
5. Solvents

Sealants make the work more complicated because they are an additional component in the system. Interaction with the substrate (usually concrete) and its properties, such as durability, must be considered. Those systems that are most resistant to wear do contain solvents, and raise more physiological and ecological concerns than solvent-free systems. The possibility of a fault is considerably greater than is the case for a system that uses no sealant. Costs also arise for the transactions involved in storage, possible misunderstandings, complaints and wear.