When asked about polyurea and EnviroCoat's success in the industry company President Todd Pote responded with thoughtful answers that outline the depth of his knowledge.  This conversation provides good insight into why polyurea is such a cost-effective and practical solution to many containment problems.

Why is polyurea a sensible coating solution?

Todd Pote: "There are three main reasons.  First of all, the material we use is 100% solids and there are no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or offensive odors when applied properly.  The government regulates this very tightly.  Zero VOCs means we can go into confined spaces and tanks—anywhere that has a risk of explosion—and work safely.  We can spray our product in places where epoxy can’t be used because of the danger it poses to workers and employees."

Turn-around time is the second important reason why our process makes sense for companies.  While the preparation time is basically the same for all coating products, we can spray a polyurea coating and walk on it within one minute.  Most other coatings require 24 to 48 hours to dry.  That's one of our biggest benefits—we can get your business back online in the shortest time possible."

"Cost is the third reason to choose a good polyurea installation company.  We guarantee the performance of our coatings and our work.  Most of the projects we do are retrofits where something has been damaged.  One of the best features of our process is that, by simply going in and applying polyurea, we are able to extend the life of many steel and concrete tanks and storage pits that would otherwise need to be replaced.  We are able to do this because proper renovation, coupled with a polyurea protective coating, can restore integrity to the structure.  It becomes a composite system with the tank structure that's already there.  A company could pay $300,000 to $500,000 to tear down and replace a tank (and lose one to three months of production time), or we can come in and work for a couple of days at a fraction of the cost and get their production right back online."

Why Choose a Professional Polyurea Installation Company?

Todd Pote: "There is a huge difference between a truck bed liner installer with an inexpensive spray rig and a professional coatings company.  There are manufacturers in this industry that will sell a spray rig with ten feet of hose at an entry-level price.  But that’s not the company you want doing the work on your machinery space or storage tank.  Many of these contractors do not have a solid construction background and are simply interested in "making a sale."  Frequently, they lack the education regarding how to prepare the various substrates for application.  We often get calls from companies that have hired such cut-rate contractors, only to find that the polyurea has failed because the installer didn’t prep the surface thoroughly, didn’t have the proper equipment, didn’t use the right polyurea formulation, or used a polyurea that is not compatible with the chemicals being stored in the tank.  For instance, a topcoat might be needed in certain situations to protect the polyurea from harsh chemicals.  You want a contractor that knows what to use and when to use it.  We deal with all the different manufacturers.  There are a couple of manufacturers whose products have better chemical resistance, for example.  These coatings must often be applied with special care and attention or the benefits are not realized.  Most small truck bed liner installers can’t really handle jobs like these."

How do you develop the right coating system?

Todd Pote: "When a client or potential client calls, the first thing we need to know is what chemicals the coating will be exposed to.  If it’s a primary or secondary containment tank, we need to know what concentration of chemicals is in the tank, and at what temperature or range of temperatures the tank is kept.  Does the fluid come in at 160° F then cool down?  Does it come in cool and then heat up?  We need to know these things because you have different reactions at different temperatures.  We need to know the pH of the tank contents and other vital factors.  When the application or need is thoroughly understood, we then work, to select the exact coating or system required for this specific application.  For especially technical cases, we may even consult Dudley Primeaux (the inventor of spray polyurea and President of the Polyurea Development Association), to ensure that our calculations are correct.

"The other thing we need to know is what has previously been stored in the tank.  If it’s an uncoated concrete tank that’s been saturated with oil, we’ve got to remove all of the oils, chlorides, wax, and grease from the concrete before our products will be able to stick to the surface.

"All of this impacts price.  We view every application as a stand-alone project.  There is no possible way that anyone who is serious about this kind of work can give a ‘per square foot price’ because there are just too many variables.  If you want to do the job right, you have to take every variable into consideration."

Have questions? Need help?

We would be glad to help you.  Please call our main office at (302) 234-4050.  We are located on the East Coast and are available from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.  We look forward to discussing your containment or coating requirements.