The Elastocolor Paint Plus from Mapei is an elastomeric, acrylic resin-based paint with crack-bridging ability, which is designed to protect and decorate concrete surfaces. It is ideal for a final finish after concrete repair is completed.
Moist, damaged and cracked renders are the most frequent problems for concrete surfaces. Therefore, concrete structures (such as balconies, pillars, bridges, canals, etc) must be protected with systems that are not highly permeable to carbon dioxide and are resistant to aggressive agents. This is when the Elastocolor Paint Plus comes handy.
The Elastocolor Paint Plus is suitable for painting facades with micro-cracks, even on existing paint; protecting concrete structures subject to small deformations when under load against carbonation; and painting facades damaged by algae and mould.
The typical application scenario is to have the damaged or deteriorated areas of the concrete repaired. If algae, mould or fungi are present, they must be removed. All traces of dirt, dust, grease, oil and saline efflorescence must be removed as well before treating the repaired areas with primer and subsequently coating them with the Elastocolor Paint Plus.
Once applied, the Elastocolor Paint Plus forms an elastic coat that remains impermeable to water and aggressive atmospheric agents (CO2, SO2) while remaining permeable to vapour. The paint also features superior resistance to ageing, and its photochemical film-forming process gives the painted surface an excellent dirt pick-up resistance. In addition, the paint is resistant to the growth of algae, mould and fungus, providing a long-lasting protection against the formation of microorganisms.
Mapei’s Elastocolor Paint Plus complies with the EN 1504-9 standard (‘Products and systems for the protection and repair of concrete structures: definitions, requirements, quality control and conformity assessment. General principles for the use and application of systems’), as well as the EN 1504-2 standard (‘Protection systems for concrete surfaces’).
The Elastocolor Paint Plus can be customised in a wide range of colours. It has been used in many countries around the world, including Asia. One of the recent projects was for a Catholic Centre in Singapore. Here, water seepage was detected from the exterior of the building. Mapei offered its solutions comprising a flexible, cementitious waterproofing membrane (Mapelastic) to waterproof the structure, and then followed by applying a primer (Silancolor Primer Plus) and two coats of Elastocolor Paint Plus. Thanks to its crack-bridging ability, the elastomeric paint was able to resolve crack issues easily and protect the concrete surface of the building. Furthermore, the flexibility of the product allowed it to bond well with the waterproofing membrane.
Mapei has also supplied its Elastocolor Paint for use in the Bisagno Stream project in Italy. The work involved demolishing the foundation slab of the road over the stream and rebuilding a new foundation slab, and increasing the stream’s capacity to handle run-off water. Here, Mapei provided several products including its galvanic cathodic protection of reinforcement rods to protect the reinforced concrete abutments and bearing walls against corrosion. Once the surfaces had been cleaned and made sound, they were treated with Malech, Mapei’s acrylic, water-based primer and then painted with the Elastocolor Paint, an elastomeric paint for crack-bridging protection of external surfaces.
