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Underground and Multi-Storey Car Parks: Your Best Guide for Sealing Them

22 November 2019 by Frank Lynch

Virtually no other part of your building varies as significantly in terms of shape and size as your underground and multi-storey car park. It also records the highest level of stress, as heavy vehicle and motorcycles tramp over the floor of the car park. The spectrum of these car parks ranges from simple apartments in your neighbourhood to large commercial complexes. You rely on them to provide adequate ground for motorists who need to keep their vehicles safe as they go about their business.

Essentially, managing the stress imposed on busy car parks requires the use of a suitable sealant. The sealant protects the car park and helps it serve you for the long term. Read here to learn more about sealing underground and multi-storey car parks:

Sealing the Bottom Slabs in Car Parks

The bottom slabs in a multi-storey car park have one great enemy: rising damp. Rising damp eats into the heart of the slab and weakens it as time passes. Usually, the damp comes from groundwater found in the soil layers in contact with your car park's slab. The coating you use to protect your car park, in this case, should be excellent at preventing the ingress of groundwater and the pollutants found in that groundwater. When choosing your coating system, make sure that there is an emphasis on a water vapour permeable and rigid resin system. It should be lased with anti-skidding filters for the best performance. 

Sealing Car Parks with Exposed Decks

You might also want to capitalise on unused space by converting exposed decks into parking slots. Such set-ups make up the popular roof top car parks that you find in commercial and residential spaces. Indeed, the parking slots you set up in exposed decks will be continuously exposed to weather elements and persistent changes in the surrounding temperature. Your best bet will be to go for parking sealants with elastic coating properties to bridge the cracks caused by fluctuating temperatures. They also need to have increased resistance to slipping to guarantee the safety of motorists when it rains. 

Sealing Turning Points and Ramps

Ramps and turning points will experience high levels of stress because everyone uses them to access the parking slots. The key features to prioritise in your sealant include high-grade durability and anti-skidding elements. You should insist on excellent resistance to wearing because of the frequent use by motorists. Lastly, the coating should range between one half to one millimetre in thickness, depending on the level of stress anticipated on the ramp.

For more information on car park sealing, contact a local resource.

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