Ceilcote Technical Bulletin

CEILCOTE CORROSION CONTROL PRODUCTS TECHNICAL BULLETIN #CC3 CONCRETE "BREATHING" PROBLEM Too often, applicators of lining, coating or flooring materials on concrete surfaces, find that a lining that they applied in the morning or afternoon becomes riddled with bubbles, blisters or holes by the end of the day. The surface preparation was done properly; the materials were prepared and installed correctly and the surface was smooth and flat when completed, yet only hours later, the lining contains many (or hundreds) of bubbles, holes or large blisters. For some low viscosity coatings, the bubbles may break and leave craters or pinholes. The results may range from small individual bubbles to large blisters for reinforced lining systems. For trowel applied toppings, small to medium sized, hard bubbles may be formed. CAUSE The escape of air or "gassing" phenomena is all too often experienced in applications where concrete substrates are covered during periods of increasing temperature. This can be caused by warming environmental temperatures or day to night temperature cycles, but is always exaggerated by surface exposure to sunlight. Experience has shown that the phenomenon is related to expansion and contraction of the air content within the concrete substrate. Though no exact combination of causes can be spelled out, we believe factors such as high void content, air pockets near the surface, and high porosity tend to contribute to this occurrence. During past applications, we have found that air continues to escape during warming periods. If a small amount of soap solution is put over a hole in the coating, bubbles will continually form, grow, and break. During cool evening hours, the same hole will actually draw in water placed on the surface, because of the contraction of the air within the concrete. This is why the term "breathing" is often used for this unusual effect. RECOMMENDATIONS We cannot recommend one simple solution to this problem, but have found a few methods to be reasonably effective. In a typical case, a layer of primer is applied during a daytime (or warming) period and the problem is not noticed during primer application. The problem may be more evident where thick, pigmented primers are used. If clear, more penetrating primers are used; it is difficult to notice that the concrete is breathing through the primer during application, resulting in a primer layer which does not seal the concrete surface. The holes that remain in the primer tend to be collection points for the air and actually exaggerate the breathing effect. The first and perhaps easiest solution is to prime, or re-prime, during a time when the concrete substrate temperature is dropping. At that time, air will be moving into the concrete and should not blow bubbles or holes in the primer as it is curing. This is normally in the evening or night hours when the ambient temperature is lower than the surface temperature of the substrate. If the concrete surface is very porous or has a lot of open holes, the primed surface should be slurry coated, again during a cooling period with the primer and addition of a fine powder such as S#11 or S#1 powder. This will provide an increased viscosity and the filler will help to maintain a seal over the concrete surface.

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Ceilcote Technical Bulletin

In the rare event that of the first two procedures is not successful, then the coating, lining or flooring will need to be applied during a cooling period so that it can cure to obtain at least some strength before the air pressure in the concrete again is positive. The above recommendations are based primarily on our experience and no guarantee is offered that these methods will be successful in eliminating a concrete breathing problem on any given application. For further information on this subject, contact International Paint Ceilcote Representative.

Protective Coatings
All products supplied and technical advice or recommendations given are subject to our standard Conditions of Sale.