In the second post in our series on car park flooring problems, we take a look at the dark side of sunny days, because while sunshine and warm temperatures might mean good times and fun for some – for structures and objects that can’t escape the rays it can quickly become a serious problem.

External parking areas need to make sure that the floor can deal with the sun’s rays.

While a clear blue sky seems innocuous enough, UV rays can deteriorate and break down even the hardiest materials given enough time. This means that many buildings will quickly suffer from UV degradation if they’re not properly protected. Being constructions that don’t typically have roofs, multi-storey car parks are particularly at risk from prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays.

A Top Deck’s Top Challenge

This problem is inevitably at its most acute on the uncovered top deck of a car park, which has no respite from the punishing effects of the weather. If the floor on this level is not up to the challenge then its colour could start to fade and the coating could begin to start chalking, cracking or crumbling.

Bright sunlight will quickly damage coatings that aren’t ready for it.

Most epoxy systems will fail in this type of environment and therefore it’s best to choose a different type of resin chemistry on the exposed deck than would be used for the other car park levels.

Shining a Light on UV Resistant Flooring

PUMMA, a hybrid system that combines the durability of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with the flexibility of polyurethane, has much better resistance to UV rays and is able to withstand even the most extreme warm weather without losing any of its looks or integrity.

Thanks to its UV stability, the MMA within the floor’s formulation effectively acts like a thick layer of factor 50 sunscreen, protecting the floor from the damaging effects of sunlight.

The ability of this type of flooring material to survive UV rays was proven when the PUMMA based deck coating system Deckshield Rapide ED was put through its paces as part of EN 1504 testing (which is an internationally accepted standard for coatings that protect concrete structures).

PUMMA based deck coatings are ideal at maintaining its looks despite the harshest weather.

The standard includes a test for artificial weathering which involves exposing a sample to 2,000 hours of high temperatures and constant irradiation. To accurately mimic sunlight in a lab, the sample is placed under a UVA 340 lamp for the entire time. After the 2,000 hours was up, the Deckshield Rapide ED showed no signs of chalking, blistering, peeling or flaking.

It Really is Sunnier Down South!

We might joke about the fact that countries like Australia and New Zealand see more sunlight than everywhere else – but this really is true! Due to a combination of factors, including the Earth’s orbit, the ozone layer and cleaner air, UV intensities are greater in the southern hemisphere than they are north of the equator.

This makes choosing UV stable floors in these parts of the world all the more important! If you’ve got any questions about UV stable top deck flooring solutions that will really light up the car park, get in touch with a flooring expert today or leave a comment below.