Imagine you’re watching as the final clear coat goes down on your stunning floor, and its absolute perfection. You go inside and patiently wait until the next day to finally walk in your brand new garage. But to your horror, you see a bunch of these small bubbles on the surface of the clear coat. How is that possible? Nothing was there when you left, is the floor ruined? In this blog we are going to discuss everything about micro bubbles.
What Are Micro Bubbles
Micro bubbles are a product of outgassing in the clear coat layers. This happens because the solvent based clear coats produce a gas during the chemical reaction that cures the coating. The curing process starts with a film that develops on top of the clear coat. If this film develops before all of the gas has escaped, it traps the gasses in, creating a small bubble. This only happens in certain conditions, but it should always be looked for.
Are Micro Bubbles Harmful
Luckily, these cosmetic issues are harmless to the coating. As a matter of fact, you may not even see the bubbles, you may just hear them pop when walking on the floor. There are absolutely no vulnerabilities to areas that have micro bubbles. There is still plenty of clear coat beneath the bubble to protect it as needed. Just because they don’t harm the coating doesn’t mean they can’t be a pain, or even an eye sore. Luckily, these can be prevented, and removed.
Preventing And Removing Micro Bubbles
These micro bubbles usually form about 10-20 minutes after the coating goes down. Your contractor should stick around for a little bit to make sure no micro bubbles form. If they do, a simple spiked roller will fix it leaving no marks behind. If they unfortunately start to form after the contractor has left, they can be removed even after the coating is dry.
When this happens, it is recommended to call them back the next day so they can remove them for you. But you can even do it yourself if you want to save the trouble. Just take a fresh razor blade and lay it flat on the ground. Then, carefully cut around the edge of the bubble. Do this without cutting down into the coating. However, this is no responsibility of the customer, which is why once again it is recommended to have the contractor fix any issues that may arise.
In Conclusion
If you see micro bubbles form, don’t panic. It is just a small cosmetic issue that is completely repairable. Give your contractor a call and have them remove them and the floor will be good as new. Check out our other blog about proper jobsite departure protocol:
https://www.fortegaragefloorcoating.com/proper-jobsite-departure-protocol/