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Malta Business Review
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
Malta Business Review
Resin floorings
voicing the future
By Antoine Bonello
The desire to know more and the need to
discover new things form part of the human
gene. We constantly develop new ideas,
materials and products to meet today’s
exigencies and to satisfy our lust for more.
Industries that produce our daily novelties
use of high precision machinery and have
very high standards when it comes to
cleanliness and dust control. Dust can affect
their machines and the equipment loses
its precision or worse can sustain damages
worth thousands of euros.
One of the great ways to control dust in an
industrial environment is by installing durable
resin flooring. The finish is seamless and can
withstand heavy traffic, machinery, palletisers
and acids. The same can be said for hospitals,
pharmacies, restaurants and were a high level
of sanitation is required.
The pharmaceutical and food industry are
always being audited and frequent inspections
means a constant need to have perfect looking
glossy floors. Pharmaceutical production
tends to have the strictest operational
guidelines in any industry imaginable and this
means that have very high expectations when
it comes to their flooring. Printing facilities on
the other hand use massive palettes loaded
with tons of papers, leaflets, brochures and
other printing material. These massive loads
are shifted around with lifters and palletisers
causing enormous stress on the floor.
A poor quality floor can easily get damaged,
and cracks and holes start to form in the
concrete. Furthermore if ink drops on the
floor it can erode the concrete. Restaurant
and Hospitals on the other hand require
something that can be easily washed, nonslip
and anti-bacterial, while the automobile
industry requires something that is resistant
to oils and acids.
The finish is seamless and
can withstand heavy traffic,
machinery, palletisers and
acids
A solution to the above mentioned exists in
the form of epoxy resins, they are continually
applied abroad and are made to last long and
deliver. So why many speak badly about resin
flooring especially in Malta, the answer can
be divided in two.
1 Lack of product knowledge and application
2 Low quality materials
Before applying a resin flooring the following
is to be verified.
1 The grade and strength of the existing
concrete screed
2 Humidity levels inside the concrete
3 The usage of the area
Resin flooring can never be implemented
on weak structures and humid areas as it
will detach due to vibrations and negative
pressures from below. A humidity and
concrete grading test is recommended prior
to any installation and eventually treated
accordingly with a consolidator and a vapour
barrier.
Before any coat is applied it is important to
know the use of the area in question, thus to
determine which the best protective coat for
your requirements. There is no such thing as
one product fits all when it comes to resins.
Avoid plastic and acrylic based materials as
they tent to flake and detach at the very first
sign of stress. UV rays play a very important
role as epoxy resins do not withstand it and
are not recommended for outside use or
were there is direct sunlight. For this purpose
polyurethane resins can be used without any
restrictions.
Prior to any resin finish a primer must be
applied. A good primer penetrates the
substrate and stops the dusting effect in
concrete; it also consolidates and increases the
bonding abilities of your finish product. The
right primer will guarantee better adhesion to
the substrate, longer life and reduces the risk
of chipping or breaking. By properly priming
and sealing the substrate you are reducing
the risks related to detachment. The finish
coat must be resistant to the customer’s
exigencies; serious companies like NAICI can
provide a detailed datasheet together with
the required certifications and laboratory
tests that guarantee the flooring meet all EU
norms. An important factor is the quantity
of the material applied. Do not relay on the
amount of coats applied as they tend to differ
from one person to another. Always make
sure that the right amount of kilos consumed
matches the data sheet, which is about 300g
per sq m for the primer and 650g per sq m for
the finish. This way you can be sure that the
right amount is applied.
A bad workmen always quarrels with his tools,
the product alone is not sufficient and an
important factor is good workmanship. Resin
can have very undesired effects if applied
wrongly. Unfortunately materials do not
speak so they can’t defend themselves when
someone applies them wrong. If you have
in mind to hire third parties to do your resin
works always make sure they are members
of The Malta Professional Waterproofing
and Resin flooring Association, only in this
way you are guaranteed that the persons
you are hiring knows exactly what it takes to
implement a good waterproofing system.
The Malta Professional Waterproofing and
Resin Flooring Association were formed
with an aim in mind, to teach and promote
the correct use of materials and proper
workmanship. We are also proud to say
that professional formation with regards
waterproofing and resin flooring to all
Maltese applicators is now a reality. The
NAICI International Academy together with
the Malta Professional Waterproofing and
Resin flooring Association and The Resin and
Membrane Centre, Malta’s largest showroom
We are Quality
PROFESSIONAL WATERPROOFING MATERIALS & RESIN FLOORINGS
Visit our showroom for professional advice on how to protect your home.
The Resin and Membrane Centre, 264, Old Railway Track, St. Venera
Web: www.theresincentre.com E-mail: info@theresincentre.com Tel: 27 477 647 Mob: 99 477 647
with regards waterproofing and resin
floorings are regularly organising seminars
on waterproofing and resin flooring for those
who wish to learn more about them and also
to learn how to correctly implement them.
This academy is renowned in Italy for its
constant dedication in the trade Industry.
Visit www.maltawaterproofing.com
Tel: 27477647 MBR
54 55
www.maltabusinessreview.net