Here are 5 tips & tricks to use to maximize epoxy resin summertime performance:
- Keep it cool – keep your materials cool and out of the sun, work in the shade whenever possible, and try to work when it’s cooler.
- Test mix a small amount – you’ll get a good feel for the amount of working time/pot life you have if you test mix a small batch first.
- Substrate temps matter too – the temperature of the material to which you’re applying epoxy matters too, as it will heat up the polymer.
- Your temp matters too! Keep yourself as cool as possible and hydrated when working in the summer heat and take breaks as needed.
- And for those of you addressing boating or other nautical applications using marine grade epoxy resin, use a slow hardener for warm weather as it cures best at 80°F.
Epoxy resin functions best in cooler temperatures of about 75°F (22 °C). So if you can work in a climate-controlled environment, you’ll get better results. Significant increases in temperature of 15°F–20°F (10°C) can easily halve the working and application times of the polymer. Another quick tip when working in sunlight, be sure to mix your resin in plastic containers and not metal. Plastic will help keep the materials cooler.
