Primers

Priming agents come in various forms and serve a number of purposes. Primers act as the medium between substrate and waterproof system. They create possibility for adhesion, and promote the right environment for some membranes to form into a waterproof membrane.

Adhesion is crucial in many applications, but especially where liquid applied waterproof systems are concerned.

Determining the substrate in the aforementioned, serves to aid in selection of the correct priming system below.

Single Part

Single part priming systems, as the name suggests, are made up of a single component primer ready to be used without any admixtures or dilution. As is the nature of all chemistry the varieties possible with single part are a plenty but mainly consist of water based and solvent based primers with variations of either.

Single part primers have a distinct advantage in that they are ready to use by nature. The same concept also limits their capacity in the same light. When using two components you can generally have a higher solid content and eliminate or minimise diluents to create more versatile and diverse primers.

Single part primers are by their nature better suited for adhesion purposes on both porous and non pouros substrates with minimal moisture content. Single part primers will generally cure by atmospheric temperature and moisture as opposed to chemical reactions found in two part primers – though they are both impacted.

Two Component

Two component primers are as the name suggest and are made up of variants such as water based, epoxy, polyspartic etc. Primers that have two components rely on chemical reaction to cure. This means they will be less impacted by substrate and atmospheric moisture content during the curing phase. Two part primers have higher solids content and less diluents making for a more robust priming agent suited to both porous and non pouros substrates.

Two part primers also more easily accept aggregates such as silica sand and the likes promoting adhesion and creating texture, surface profile, in the coating. This surface profile as discussed in the section on substrates is arguably more important than the surface profile of the substrate because adhesion to primer is often more difficult.

Two component primers have a more predictable time of cure because they rely more on chemical reaction and less on atmospheric moisture content.