Ancillaries to Increase Anti Slip Tape Application Durability

For this blog post, I am going back to basics and discussing, without any doubt, our most popular discussion point with customers, how to apply onto porous timber and stone!
In Europe the weather is now decidedly wet, cold and damp, perfect slipping conditions. It is at this time of year that we receive most enquiries concerning slipping on external surfaces, the information below should help. As our anti-slip tape is a surface fixing instead of a mechanical fixing it requires a stable substrate to adhere to; a loose floor or one that is prone to changes (however small) will create adhesion issues which can then result in failure.

Porous Surfaces

Porous external surfaces are vulnerable to surface changes, the composition of unsealed concrete, marble, wood etc, allows moisture to penetrate the exposed areas and then travel through. The moisture even in small quantities can then move to the surface which is adhered to our safety-grip, the bond between the safety-grip and the surface is then broken, which results in the anti slip tape lifting or ‘curling’. Simply reapplying onto the surface will not change the result, it will happen again until the surface is sealed. The solution is to use a primer prior to application of the safety-grip onto a porous external surface (or an internal porous surface if it is prone to moisture), the primer effectively creates an impermeable barrier that allows the safety-grip adhesive to have a stable application. Our primer is H3506, it comes in a liquid format (we sell in 500ml and 1L cans but other volumes are available on request), it is brushed down on the area where the non slip surface is required, a paint brush is ideal. The H3506 dries within minutes; typically 5 minutes in summer conditions and up to 20 minutes in winter, one can tell when it is ready, it should be dry to touch. Once dry apply the anti slip tape as normal.

A porous surface that has been sealed with H3506 surface primer will provide a good, solid, stable surface for adhering onto.

Please note the following;

• H3506 cannot make a loose surface stable, i.e. crumbling concrete, flaking paint etc.
• It has to be applied onto a dry surface, once applied it can then withstand water, moisture, weather etc.
• H3506 does have an additional benefit of providing extra key onto difficult substrates and other low energy surfaces.

High Traffic Areas

In areas with a lot of foot traffic, materials applied to a surface, floors, in this case, are prone to scuffing. This will cause the edges to lift and eventually the anti-slip tape application will become damaged and require replacing. For a really durable surface, use Heskins H3502 edge fix down the down the edges were the material meets the surface. This will seal the edges, reducing the likely hood of scuffing from low passing shoe soles. While not being too viscous, edge fix is more like glue, so can be applied in a controlled stream down the edge, allowing you to use as much or as little as you like.

Heskins H3502 edge fix is supplied in 140ml tubes.

Dirty Floors

Dirty floors, if not dealt with will ruin the application of Safety-Grip before you have even started. Applying anti-slip tape to a dirty surface will prevent the adhesive bonding with the surface, as the dirt and grease present will attack the adhesive causing it to fail. For any application, we recommend you clean and in the case of porous surfaces, seal it prior to beginning. This preparation will increase the service life of your chosen Heskins material. Heskins H3508 IPA surface cleaner is isopropyl alcohol, which breaks down grease and dirt and evaporating once used, leaving a clean, dry surface that Heskins anti slip tape’s adhesive will bond perfectly to.

For visual reference, please refer to our anti-slip tape ancillaries focus video.

To view the entire range of Heskins ancillaries, please visit the web page here.

To purchase Heskins ancillaries, please contact our sales team via phone or live chat. Alternatively, please complete the contact form and a member of our sales team will get back to you as soon as possible.

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