As the colder weather approaches there are a couple of things to keep in mind to avoid problems with some of the products we carry. There are two basic types of products to concern ourselves with, solvent based and water based. As a rule you don’t have to worry about solvent based products freezing, but you definitely have to worry about water based products freezing. Following is a partial list of water based products:

Sikatop jugs (liquid component “A”), any acrylic latex or any product with the word or description “latex”, any Hydrozo product which starts with “Enviroseal”, and others.

Here are a couple of pointers when dealing with water based products in general.

·        If you’re not sure whether a product is water or solvent based, look at the label and it will often tell you how to clean up or thin the product. If the label tells you to use water, it’s water based, if it says to use a solvent i.e. Mineral Spirits, Xylene, Lacquer Thinner or any other solvent, it’s solvent based. Also you can look for warnings about safety i.e. inhalation, flammability, carcinogens (cancer causing) etc. which generally indicate solvent based materials.

·        Do not store in an area that the product could freeze. This doesn’t apply to our storage but will apply to the customer’s storage space, so they should be warned.

·        If the product is being shipped, they must use heated service.

·        Most products whether solvent or water based, have temperature restrictions pertaining to the application temperatures. In general, be careful under 5ºC for most products, as that is a common cut-off temperature for many materials to be used. Verify the specific temperature restrictions by looking under limitations on the data sheet for that particular product.

·        When a certain temperature is stated as a minimum temperature it refers to both the substrate and the air temperature. Remember that at night the temperature goes down substantially lower than the daytime temperature and if the concrete is in the shade it could take a few hours before the concrete reaches the daytime ambient temperature.

·        Sikatop 122/123 Winter Grade - The temperature range for regular Sikatop is 10ºC and rising (both ambient and substrate temperature). Between 1ºC and 10ºC the winter grade version is to be used with the winter grade accelerator in place of the regular summer grade bag. Within that 1ºC – 10ºC temperature range the winter grade material will react similar to the summer grade product as far as set times and finishing times etc. Without the W.G. version and accelerator the regular Sikatop will take a very long time to react and would likely freeze when the temperature drops that night. There is some accelerator in the bag of the W.G. Sikatop material but in the cold it would have very little effect without the W.G. accelerator (small white plastic jug) being added to it. However, there is enough accelerator in the bag that if the product were used at temperatures higher than 15ºC it would set up too fast to be able to place it in time. Also, the W.G. accelerator is to be used only with Sikatop W.G. material for it to have any effect, not with summer grade and not as a rule with any other product.

To recap:

1ºC - 10ºC-Use Sikatop 122 or 123 Winter Grade with W.G. Accelerator

11ºC - 15ºC-Use Sikatop 122 or 123 Winter Grade without W.G. Accelerator or summer grade Sikatop

·        One Part Polyurethane Foams – These foams are considered to be moisture cure materials. In other words, they cure when exposed to the moisture (humidity) in the air. Cold air does not support humidity very well, nor does heated air from a furnace etc. Without a sufficient level of humidity the foam will remain inert (in a syrup-like form) or will react very slowly without nearly as large an expansion factor. The solution to this is to introduce water into the cavity that you’re foaming. The best way is to mist the area with a small spray bottle, like a plant mister. If it’s below 0ºC, the misting should be done immediately before the area is foamed to avoid the chance of the water freezing. This will speed up the reaction time of the foam to almost the same duration as during the summer.

·        Ice and Water Shield, Perm A Barrier and Bituthene 3000 Low Temperature – These are all low temperature versions of the regular product. The primary difference between the regular and low temperature versions are that the low temperature versions are stickier and more pliable at low temperatures due to a higher rubber content. Following are the temperature ranges you have to work with:

Perm A Barrier (regular) from -4ºC to 38ºC

Perm A Barrier Low Temperature from -10ºC to 16ºC

Ice & Water Shield (regular) from 5ºC and higher

Ice & Water Shield Low Temperature from -10ºC to 16ºC

Bituthene 3000 (regular) 5ºC and higher

Bituthene 3000 Low Temperature from -4ºC to 16ºC

Vykor Select from 5ºC and higher (there is no low temperature version at this time)

·        Epoxies – Most epoxies will not re-act (cure) at all below 5ºC. They will remain in their liquid state until the temperature rises above that temperature. Also, the epoxies will cure much slower at lower temperatures (between 5ºC and 20ºC). Most data sheets will give you curing times and strengths based on various temperatures so refer to the data sheet for particulars. There are epoxies that cure at lower temperatures manufactured by Master Builders and Sika among others that we can give you more information on if needed.