Car parking waterproofing - Permeable pavings

How to waterproof a parking garage roof

Substrate preparation

Before applying the liquid polyurethane membrane, cracks must be filled, and expansion joints must be properly treated with polyurethane sealant or MS (Ultraflex Selant). If necessary, mortar should be used to create half-round profiles. The surface must be smooth, firm, dry, and completely free of dust or grease. In some cases, sanding the surface will be necessary to achieve an open-pored substrate or to remove old coatings, paints, or any other elements that could compromise the system’s adhesion.

Primer application

In this step, you can choose between a low-viscosity polyurethane resin (UltraPrime PRO) or a two-component self-leveling epoxy resin (UltraPrime REG) to ensure adhesion and improve the substrate’s flatness before applying the liquid polyurethane membrane for vehicular traffic.

Membrane application

Now, it’s time to apply the UltraFlex liquid polyurethane membrane with Quickcure additive using the wet-on-wet method (double layer applied wet and fully reinforced with Eagle Matting), with a minimum consumption of 2 kg/m² to create a membrane with a minimum thickness of 1.5 mm.

Finishing application

As a topcoat, two layers of a two-component aliphatic polyurethane membrane for heavy traffic (Ultratop WR) are applied. To achieve a non-slip finish on the roof, spread aggregate with a sufficient particle size between the two layers of aliphatic protection.

This results in a continuous pavement without joints or overlaps, with a uniform surface suitable for withstanding vehicular traffic in parking garages.

Permeable floors

In some cases, it’s advisable to create permeable paving at the entrances to homes or residential garages. These permeable floors drain water, preventing the formation of puddles and facilitating the movement of people and vehicles indoors.

Applying a permeable resin to a garage floor:

• Prevents water accumulation and, consequently, the formation of puddles.
• Prevents the formation of ice rinks, as the permeable pavement releases heat to the surface.
• It is applied directly to the surface, requiring no remodeling or construction work.
• It enables the creation of continuous pavements, ensuring safe and unobstructed driving on the surface.
• It offers superior slip resistance compared to other commonly used coatings, such as gravel or stone.

How to apply permeable resin on garage floors

To achieve high-quality permeable floors, it’s important to apply the permeable resin to a properly leveled, dry concrete surface with a minimum strength of C35.

Additionally, the recommended aggregate size is 3–5 mm, with a mixing ratio (by weight) of 1:13.5. The mixture should be spread using a shovel or trowel to control the thickness. The drying time, depending on conditions, can range from 1 to 2 hours.

After properly applying the draining resin, you’ll have draining floors with aggregates that will be ready for use after about ten hours.

The importance of continuous paving on garage floors

To ensure safe driving while protecting the pavement, parking decks, and garage floors, they must not only be waterproofed with proper drainage, but also feature a continuous pavement without joints or discontinuities.

Among the garage flooring solutions available on the market, epoxy resin is a system that is particularly well suited for areas subject to traffic.

While epoxy resin is the most widely known garage flooring system, combinations of epoxy and polyurethane are more durable and generally exhibit better aging characteristics. As always, the market offers a wide range of qualities, so it’s important to thoroughly research the system before making a choice.

Advantages of epoxy or polyurethane garage floors

Among other benefits, continuous resin flooring offers excellent adhesion to concrete and saves time and money, as it can be installed over existing pavement.

Both polyurethane and epoxy resin for garage floors yield surfaces that are:

• Slip-resistant
• Resistant to traffic and heavy use
• Continuous
• That do not deform due to heat
• Aesthetically adaptable, with a wide variety of finishes available
• Easy to maintain and clean, as the continuous resin pavement prevents water and dirt from accumulating.

How to achieve a continuous exterior or interior pavement

First, we’ll need a primer resin. Depending on the conditions, this could be:

• Sealing polyurethane resin to seal and regulate polyurethane absorption on porous substrates.
• A self leveling epoxy floor coating to regulate and level the substrate under special conditions.
• Waterproof epoxy resin to absorb and block moisture in the substrate and act as a vapor barrier. Some, like UltraDry, also act as a barrier against radon gas.

Once the primer base is complete, the liquid waterproofing system for traffic systems is applied if waterproofing is required, or the two-component aliphatic polyurethane resin finish is applied to provide a protective film resistant to vehicular traffic.

Related applications and keywords: Parking deck waterproofing, permeable outdoor surfacing, permeable surfacing, permeable car park surfacing, permeable car park paving, epoxy self leveling floor, self levelling floor resin, garage floor self leveling and self levelling epoxy floor paint.