Thanks for some of the polyurea advice so far. Honestly guys, I did not ask for other alternatives( not to be rude ). To get pond armor at the pond store for enough to do my tank if will be over $200, closer to 250. And for polyurea, it will be around the same price or cheaper. Plus a bonus thats one less thing I will have to do to save time. Now... has anyone used it before? can you share what you think about it?
lining large plywood tank
- Thread starter rED O
- Start date
From what Ive researched, polyurea is used regularly for public aquariums and swimming pools. Can also be used over plywood and epoxy. No VOCs and completely non toxic when dry. Requires specialized equipment to apply though or hire a contractor to do it. It dries in under 10 minutes from what Ive read.
If it can be used for public aquariums (most all of them use acrylic viewing panels) then logically there must be a way to bond (or seal) the acrylic window to the polyurea? Although Dow wont admit it 795 works great as an undewater acrylic sealant Ive seen it used many times but just dont know how well it adheres to polyurea. I forsee an experiment, someone has to pioneer this.
If it can be used for public aquariums (most all of them use acrylic viewing panels) then logically there must be a way to bond (or seal) the acrylic window to the polyurea? Although Dow wont admit it 795 works great as an undewater acrylic sealant Ive seen it used many times but just dont know how well it adheres to polyurea. I forsee an experiment, someone has to pioneer this.
There are polyurea products that can be applied with brushes or rollers. But because the 2K stuff cures so quickly it would be a very daunting task to seal the entire inside of a large plywood tank. They do make single component, moisture cure polyurea but I have no idea what it's properties are like compared to "regular" 2K polyurea.
The quick cure of 2K polyurea wouldn't be a problem if subsequent coats bonded to previous coats like with epoxy. Then you could just do a small area and then overlap your next batch over that. You wouldn't be faced with the task of having to mix enough to coat, say, 50 sq. ft and having to apply it in a short period of time. But what I read about polyurea suggests you want each coat to be sprayed or rolled out all at once.
Like many have said before, there is no perfect sealant for plywood tanks.
There is a build on here where a guy used it and was very happy with it. After looking over his build thread I sure wished I had someone near me to spray my tank with it. Saves alot of work. Id say go for it.
Do a search on polyurea contractors
http://www.sprayfoam.com/cdps/minorcat.cfm?cid=29&ckid=164
http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/building-types/aquarium/nova-scotia/
You'd never know my tank has a liner...other members have seen it in person and thought it was a fiberglass build. I didnt even fold my liner in the corners and it still lays flat. Theres very minimal creases in the liner and it looks just as good as anything else if you take some time to place it in your structure. Allows for flexing unlike epoxies or fiberglass.
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