Product concept and performance parameters

There has been an urgent need for a product that impregnates unglazed ceramics and composites of stone such as marble, limestone, sandstone, terrazzo as well as smooth trowelled and wood floated concrete. The concept being to lock out the staining and degrading effects of water, food based spills, animal fats, vegetable and mineral oils, sauces like soy and stains like red wine that can permanently ruin the appearance, whilst still allowing the surface to breath.

BARRICADE is a solution to this problem. Without the need of highly skilled tradesman it can be quickly and economically applied to easily stained surfaces such as limestone, marble and sandstone.

The main application will be for stone floors, sandstone patios and concrete. All these surfaces require a high level of appearance and slip safety. BARRICADE may also be used to protect ornaments, sculptures, facades and columns both indoors and outdoors.

Advantages of BARRICADE

• Doesn’t alter the natural colour, texture and appearance of the stone. It provides an invisible impregnation.
• Highly resistant to water and water based stains.
• Highly resistant to food spills.
• High level of protection against common hydrocarbon solvents, mineral and vegetable oils and animal fats.
• Increases the coefficient of friction of the surface.
• Highly resistant to the effects of heat and U.V rays.
• Doesn’t alter the breathability of the stone.
• Safer to use than solvent based sealers.
• No stripping or sealing required on floors.

Application

BARRICADE dries quickly compared to other solvent or silicone impregnators. Depending on humidity it dries within 1 to 2 hours. It is then possible to apply acrylic, gloss enhancing finishes, if required.

Curing

The best performance level as an anti-stain is reached after a 24-hour curing period. Do not vitrify the surface until curing has taken effect, however, it is safe to apply surface coatings after 8 hours. Try to keep traffic and staining materials away from the surface for 24 hours if possible.

Vitrification

Whilst BARRICADE works amazingly well on its own we have found that impregnation, followed by surface vitrification to increase surface hardness and gloss, provides an extremely low maintenance procedure for marble and limestone floors. Because this treatment is not a surface coating, slip resistance doesn’t alter on a daily basis if a regular scrubbing process is implemented. Surface coatings like acrylic polymer / wax combinations are dependent on film thickness, cleaning / scrubbing then a buffing procedure to maintain a non- slip surface.

By removing the regular sealing and recoating of a surface polymer as well as the burnishing / buffing step, the variation in slip resistance can be more controlled.

An impregnated and vitrified floor requires less maintenance, less labour and less cleaning machinery, as well as providing a more long term and accurate slip / fall risk management programme for each site. In real terms, risk protection expenditure and floor cleaning costs should reduce.

Maintenance Procedures with BARRICADE

Choosing a detergent is easy. For automatic scrubbing the product should be low or medium foaming, have a pH of between 6 and 8 (at use dilution) and contain no Butyl glycol.

We recommend Research Products SUPASTAR at dilution:

Dust Removal:

Dust mop surface with an electrostatic mop prior to scrubbing or mopping.

Autoscrub or mop the surface daily to remove surface soiling and spillage residues that may not have been picked up with day to day spot mopping. Use the same concentration daily except after the lowest traffic day (usually Monday). Scrub with water alone on that day to remove any possibility of detergent buildup. Using too much detergent can reduce the slip coefficient. By using water one day per week, you remove the chance of detergent buildup.

Dust Control / Spill Control

These are the two most important daily aspects of maintaining a slip resistant and stain free surface. Because a slip / fall risk management programme should be in place, so should a dust removal programme. Ensure adequate dust and grit trap matting is used at all entrances and that a dust removal programme is employed on a regular basis.

Fast response to spills by mopping up these as they happen (with wet floor signs in place) will reduce the chance of slip falls.

Constant monitoring of test sites has proven to give an increase in slip resistance when compared with the untreated stone or concrete surface.

Coverage

The volume of product depends on the porosity of the stone surface. In general, 5 to 15 square metres per ltr . Carry out trials to establish coverage requirements prior to beginning the job or quoting for material usage.

Directions for use

Shake the container before use. Dilute only as directed on label. For best results dilute product 1 part Barricade to 10 parts water and apply with watering can until entire surface is saturated. Allow to penetrate surface for ten to fifteen minutes then squeegee or mop off excess.

Product Limitations

BARRICADE doesn’t protect against the damaging effects of strong acids like hydrochloric, phosphoric based cleaners.

BARRICADE is not a water-proofing product and will not stop leakage through cracks in porous stone or concrete.