Screening a resinous floor is the process of using a carbide circular screen under a floor machine to sand the floor. The difference is sandpaper is aggressive while screens put minute hairline scratches in the floor, much like emery cloth to a high-end automotive paint job. With the exception of broadcast floors, which are grout coated because they are texted from the broadcast aggregate, Techniquex screens all floors prior to topcoating.
I was recently asked by a new hire that has extensive experience in the resinous flooring industry, why does Techniquex screens its floors before it topcoats when the manufacturer says you can topcoat within 24-hours without the need to screen?
This is an excellent question and I was glad he asked!
Most manufacturers state in their data sheet that you can recoat the floor within a 24-hour window at approximately 75 degrees without the need to mechanically abrade the floor by either sanding or screening. The issue is that every 15 degrees the temperature goes up, that 24-hour window gets cut in half. These are all approximate numbers, but they are fairly accurate. Humidity, air movement, etc., play a role. So if the building is 105 degrees, you now have 6 hours to recoat that floor or it will peel.
On the other extreme, when temperatures are cold, epoxies will put off a blush once final cure occurs. This blush will keep the subsequent coats from adhering. When you attempt to screen a floor and it is too cold, the screens fix to the floor and you know to wait. When you are finally able to screen the floor, you will remove the blush by default as you screen with soapy water to allow the screen to glide.
While screening costs money and takes time, there is no shortcut to a well bonded floor.
Baron Adelmann
President at Techniquex
