Collection: Bonding Agents & Primers

Bonding Agents and Primers

Bonding agents and primers are used to seal concrete surfaces and develop a bond line for coatings or toppings to bond to the substrate. 

Concrete substrates are often fairly rough with numerous imperfections. When applying thin layer protective coatings such as polyurethanes or epoxies or even self-levelling compounds, air pockets can be trapped between the coating and the imperfections in the substrate. As the material cures, the air escapes through the uncured material creating pinholes in the coating. These pinholes create structural weaknesses that can significantly reduce the lifespan and integrity of the coating. Priming performs an integral role in closing off these imperfections in the substrate to ensure a consistent monolithic coating. 

The other reason why priming plays such an important role, is that when many cementitious materials are applied on top of or adjacent to an existing substrate, the new material will sit as a separate layer instead of being bonded to the substrate. Cementitious materials are not the best natural bonding agents, meaning repair methods that do not use sufficient priming techniques will not produce a strong, long-lasting repair.

Bonding agents and primers solve this issue, as these products benefit both the liquid and solid phase of the application. Furthermore, the primer or agent will increase the wettability of the top coat, making the substance easier to spread. Bonding agents are crucial for concrete repairs and protective coatings and can make a major difference to the end result, especially important for high traffic areas or demanding environments. 

Komerco stocks industry-leading, high quality brands used in the concrete repair and protection industry. These include Sika, Ardex, Master Builders Solutions, Parchem, Mapei and many more. If you’d like to find out more about bonding agents and primers, contact our team today.