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Every flooring contractor has encountered this situation.

The concrete isn’t perfect. Moisture levels are still higher than preferred. The substrate cannot be dried further. Surface preparation has been completed as far as practically possible, but the shutdown window is limited and production cannot wait.

In an ideal world, every epoxy flooring system would be installed over clean, dry and perfectly prepared concrete. In reality, repair and refurbishment projects rarely offer ideal conditions.

The challenge then becomes simple:

Do you delay the project, or choose a primer designed to perform better under real-world site conditions?

The Reality of Industrial Flooring Projects

Repair and maintenance work is very different from new construction.

Contractors frequently encounter:

• Damp concrete after cleaning or repairs
• Concrete that has not yet reached the preferred moisture level for conventional epoxy flooring
• Existing floors that cannot be prepared to ideal conditions
• Maintenance shutdowns where every hour matters
• Refurbishment projects that must be completed before production resumes

These situations demand practical engineering decisions rather than perfect laboratory conditions.

Why the Primer Matters

The primer is one of the most important layers in an epoxy flooring system.

Its job is to penetrate the concrete, seal the surface and create a strong bond for the layers that follow. When the substrate is challenging, selecting the right primer can significantly improve the reliability of the entire flooring system.

Introducing MR. JO Primer – UPS

MR. JO Primer – UPS has been developed for Under Prepared Surfaces/Substrates (UPS).

It is a premium epoxy primer for concrete designed to provide excellent adhesion and sealing under normal conditions while offering greater tolerance to the practical challenges commonly encountered during repair, refurbishment and maintenance projects.

Whether the concrete is slightly damp, difficult to dry or simply less than ideal, Primer UPS helps contractors proceed with greater confidence.

Typical Applications

MR. JO Primer – UPS is suitable for a wide range of concrete priming applications, including:

• Industrial epoxy flooring
• Concrete repair projects
• Refurbishment of existing floors
• Maintenance shutdowns
• Damp concrete substrates
• Warehouses and manufacturing facilities
• Utility areas and service rooms
• Concrete plinths and pedestals
• Machine foundations before epoxy systems
• Any concrete surface requiring a high-performance epoxy primer

Better Tolerance for Real Site Conditions

No construction site is perfect.

Minor variations in moisture, substrate condition and preparation quality are common, particularly during maintenance and repair work.

Primer UPS has been developed to provide greater tolerance to these unavoidable site conditions than conventional epoxy primers, helping improve the reliability of flooring installations when ideal conditions cannot always be achieved.

This does not eliminate the need for proper engineering practices—but it provides valuable additional assurance when site conditions are less than perfect.

Multiple Coats May Be Beneficial

Highly porous or damp concrete may require more than one coat of primer.

Additional coats help seal the concrete more effectively and reduce the possibility of pinholes caused by moisture movement before the primer has fully cured.

The objective is to achieve a continuous, well-sealed primer film before applying underlays or self-leveling flooring systems.

However, damp substrates, lower temperatures and high humidity can extend curing times.

Always allow the primer to cure adequately before applying subsequent flooring layers.

Allowing sufficient curing time contributes to stronger adhesion and improved long-term flooring performance.

Does Primer UPS Replace Good Surface Preparation?

No.

Loose concrete, oil contamination, weak concrete and unsound material must always be removed before priming.

Primer UPS is not intended to compensate for poor workmanship. Instead, it has been developed to better tolerate the practical limitations that contractors often encounter on real construction and maintenance projects.

What About Continuous Moisture?

Concrete naturally allows moisture to move over time.

While Primer UPS performs better than conventional epoxy primers on damp substrates, continuous moisture ingress or hydrostatic pressure should always be investigated and addressed wherever possible.

No primer should be considered a substitute for proper moisture management within the structure.

Suitable for Mature Concrete

Primer UPS should be applied only after the concrete has matured sufficiently for flooring installation.

Although it may allow projects to proceed sooner than conventional systems in some situations, it is not intended for freshly placed concrete that has not developed adequate strength.

Part of a Complete Flooring System

Primer UPS performs best as the first stage of a properly designed epoxy flooring system.

Once the substrate has been sealed, suitable repair mortars, epoxy underlays and self-leveling flooring systems can be applied to build a durable industrial floor designed for long-term performance.

Final Thoughts

Industrial flooring projects rarely take place under perfect conditions.

Repair work, refurbishment projects and fast-track shutdowns demand products that recognise the realities of the job site.

MR. JO Primer – UPS has been developed for those realities.

It delivers reliable concrete priming under normal conditions while providing greater tolerance to dampness and less-than-ideal substrate conditions commonly encountered in industrial flooring and repair projects.

MR. JO Primer – UPS is not a substitute for good engineering practices—it is an additional layer of insurance when site conditions are less than ideal.

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