Did you know that exposure to cold weather temperatures can affect the epoxy and polyurethane injection materials used for repairing cracks in poured concrete? With the arrival of freezing temperatures throughout North America, the handling of materials during transport and storage over the next several months is enough to make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful repair.
To prevent damage to material, customers are advised to store their crack injection supplies in room temperature environments.
You may ask what the big deal is if concrete crack injection epoxies and polyurethanes are exposed to freezing temperatures. When an epoxy freezes, crystalized lumps develop in the product. Reheating the epoxy may be attempted to return it to its original state, though depending on the specific temperature and length of time of exposure, this may not work. Polyurethanes, on the other hand, typically fair better upon reheating prior to injection (i.e. use of hot water or car vents are a few possible ways).
Regardless, after such reheating efforts, a patch test should be performed before attempting to use on an actual repair. This can be done by dispensing a small amount of surface seal onto a disposable surface such as a paper/plastic plate. Injection material may be dispensed into a cup (for epoxy, simply stir; for polyurethane, add a small amount of water so that the material activates). If the patch test fails, you will need to reorder materials.
Customers should also be aware of the concrete temperature at the job site. Repairs should never be attempted when concrete temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In such scenarios, customers should hold off until temperatures warm up.
To ensure that our epoxy and polyurethane materials stay injection ready, we specifically avoid shipping such products at the end of the work week to prevent scenarios where they are left in an unheated semi-trailer or freight warehouse over the weekend. This includes both freight and ground shipments. A reminder of this shipping procedure is noted on our website at checkout.
For additional questions or help troubleshooting, we are always here to help. While such precautionary measures may seem a bit much, we make every effort to ensure that your crack injection project leads to a successful repair.
