Chemical resistance is a broad topic. Ten years ago, chemicals were stored in many areas of a plant. Today, chemicals are stored in limited areas to minimize damage and control chemical exposure. This allows for the mixture of chemicals if several tanks or drums were ruptured at the same time.

The first requirement is to determine how long you want to contain the chemicals. Typically, secondary containment requires the system to be able to contain the chemicals for up to 72 hours. If there is a desire to contain the chemicals for longer than 72 hours more components will be required – such as fiberglass lining of the area, extra supports for walls, and thicker more chemical resistant systems – this will dramatically increase the price of the installed system.

We will look at the mixture of chemicals, the concentrations of chemicals, temperature of chemicals (inside vs outside) and the type of service the area will see (tow motor traffic, pressure washing, moving of drums and skids). If the area is a lab, we may choose a system that will protect the floor but may require clean-up with 1- 2 hours. In a lab this should not be a problem. A pit or containment area will be designed to allow 72 hours of protection – this does not mean that the floor will not be damaged. After a floor is exposed for 72 hours it should be evaluated for damage and wear – it will most likely require repair work and a re-coat to put the floor in a position for handle another 72-hour spill.

We will work with you to develop the system that works best for you.  If we do not install a certain system that would be best for you, we will recommend another company that can install a specialized system.