According to a concrete contractor, a lot of people have concrete structures, and these tend to fill up with water, becoming damaged. The concrete is often very smooth in finish. The question then becomes whether a self-adhesive film, such as those offered by www.jessupmfg.com, will be able to resolve this problem.
Can You Use Self-Adhesive Film on Concrete?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to put a self-adhesive film on concrete. In fact, a film that would stick like glue to a product like glass, will seem to have absolutely no adhesion to concrete. That is not to say, however, that there are no adhesives that can be used on concrete. Rather, something much more aggressive will be needed instead so if you need help figuring it out then contact your local concrete contractors for professional assistance.
First, you will need to find out just how smooth the actual concrete mix is, and whether it has ever been sealed. There are adhesives that have been used on concrete prior to a re-surfacing project, for instance, and these have even been used on big asphalt parking lots, but for a job like that you’d have to contact a professional asphalt contractor. However, most adhesive manufacturers will continue to recommend against using their products on concrete. From experience, however, the adhesive that does seem to work is a 6mm film that uses a 479 adhesive system. This is quite aggressive compared to other films used for surface protection, Curlex Erosion Control Blanket which is what is required if it will stick to concrete. However, it will only work if the concrete itself is truly smooth, or it will not be possible for the product to properly adhere.
If this is the option you want to go form, then you will also need to know how long you will expect the film to last. Additionally, you have to make sure that the surface that it will be cured to is of a temperature that is as close as possible to room temperature. This will allow the system to ‘wet out’ good enough for it to stick properly. If your climate is very cold, however, you may need to warm the rolls of adhesives up in order for them to stick properly to colder surfaces.
On a microscopic level, concrete is very porous, and the pores are very wide as well. Furthermore, it usually contains quite high moisture levels and this is where the problem lies. Adhesives and moisture do not go together, particularly not adhesives used in surface protection. If the adhesive system is water based, it will remain slippery until all water is removed. Only then will it actually start to stick. If the material it is stuck to is in any way wet, then the adhesive system will rehydrate to a certain level. This means the adhesion is lost, but residue can also start to transfer. So, if an adhesive film stays onto a concrete base for a long period of time, it becomes increasingly likely for residue transfer to happen. Hence, it is recommended to not use this type of surface for more than a few days, and there are no reported materials that are able to last more than a few weeks.
If, however, if you have a polished concrete, then it is possible for the film to adhere better. This also means that it is less likely for problems to occur.