A new concrete countertop sealer is on the market that uses high intensity ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the finish. Called Counter-UV, it is manufactured by Kinloch and distributed by V-Seal and Surface 519 specifically for concrete countertops. While UV curable finishes are common in the cabinet and flooring industries, finding a UV curable sealer for concrete has been a challenge. Historically bonding issues have been the problem, but the manufacturer seems to have solved that.

How It Works

The finish itself is a specialized urethane-acrylic blend that is a single component product. It has no VOC’s and offers excellent color enhancement, excellent stain resistance, virtually complete acid resistance, and the ability to adjust the sheen from dead flat to high gloss. CCI stain tests showed that only mustard left temporary discolorations in the sealer, and those could be easily and completely removed with household bleach. Very few sealers are completely resistant to mustard.

What makes this product very different from other high performance sealers is how it cures. Most finishes, especially multicomponent finishes can take hours to become tack-free, and several days after that to reach full cure. Single part finishes often merely need to dry out, so they become handleable faster. This UV sealer is different. The high intensity, short wavelength UV light is the initiator that cures the finish in a few seconds. Once the light has cured the finish it is ready for use. This finish offers the speed, convenience and ease of a single part finish with the top-of-class performance offered only by the best multi-part finishes.

Application Methods

The finish can be rolled on, sprayed on or wiped on. Rolling with a low nap (3/16” to 1/4”) lint-free roller is preferred, since the finish will flow out over time into a smooth film. Once applied, the finish does not cure, will not get hard, sticky or gummy until exposed to UV light. This is a great advantage because the wet finish can be left to flow out, or it can be squeegeed and backrolled repeatedly before it is then cured.

How to Create a Matte Finish

If a gloss finish is not desired, the cured sealer can be sanded to achieve whatever sheen is desired. Ordinary woodworking sandpaper is not graded finely enough to prevent larger abrasive particles from leaving scratches in the finish. Specialty sandpaper made for the solid surface industry has very tightly controlled abrasive particle sizes. While this makes the sanding discs more expensive, they leave a uniform, scratch-free surface.

Considerations

As with any finish, this one has its cons to go with the aforementioned pros. The finish will only cure with a specialized, high intensity UV light. It will not cure in sunlight, from tanning lamps or fluorescent UV bulbs. The light is expensive, about the same price as a large, high quality concrete mixer. Because of this there is no way to try a sample of the finish. Without the UV light the finish never cures.
 
Unless you want a high gloss finish, the only way to get a lower sheen is to sand it. And because it’s a tough, scratch resistant finish, it takes time to sand. Curved surfaces and intricate moulded edging can be a challenge too. While these can be overcome, it takes effort and skill to achieve high quality results.

While some of these disadvantages seem significant, the system as a whole saves time waiting for a finish to cure, and because repairs are easy to make and blend in very well, this may be one of the most easy to repair finishes on the market.

Video

A video of applying Counter-UV is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5OcWV2RUzc.

Where to Get It

Surface 519 is owned by Troy Thompson and Bob Chatterton. Troy is a successful artisan and an industry leader in concrete countertops and decorative flooring. Troy has attended training classes, seminars and presentations by Cheng, CCI, Buddy Rhodes and others equipping him with an understanding of the diverse techniques and styles that are available.

Bob has over 20 years experience in coating and sealing concrete. As an industry expert in sealers and specialty coatings, the former owner of Midstate Industrial Coatings and long time member of SSPC, Bob has a vast knowledge of products and application techniques that will help you in achieving your protection goals. Bob has provided consulting services to sealer and coating manufacturers as well as provide product selection, troubleshooting and technical service to thousands of applicators.

Contact:

Bob Chatterton
607-655-1517 (direct) or 800-475-1975 (main office)

bob@surface519.com

* EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT for Concrete Connections Members! Members receive 5% off all orders of Counter-UV! Surface 519 supports Concrete Connections' goal of providing the latest and greatest concrete countertop information, and believes that the better-educated their customers are, the more successful everyone will be. Surface 519 has teamed with The Concrete Countertop Institute to offer this exclusive benefit and encourage concrete countertop professionals to Get in the Know. Click here for Concrete Connections membership information. Members may find details about how to get their discount here.