There are several ways you can coat, and or use coating, to cover a Dome. Using a vinyl air form, white and or light color, we now have 15 years of service in Alaska, with no coating, and the air form still looks good. However, the manufacture does recommend that you coat the dome fabric. We also have, in smaller Domes, removed the air form, and used the air form over and over again. By removing the air form, you expose the foam insulation and it needs to be coated within 72 hours or the sun starts to deteriorate it. When you remove the air form, you also tear some of the foam, especially where augments are sewn on. These blemishes can be sanded, re-foamed, or filled in with other products to create a pleasing look. You can coat the foam with a paint-like product, like durathane or durashield. These products will also work over the polyvinyl air form.
When coating, the prep work is the key. Clean, prime, mask, etc. You can also use a plaster system, like Drvit, Playco, synergy, etc. You can also place wire mesh over the dome and shotcrete also. Our favorite coating is the “SHARKSKIN” polyuera coating. The reason is that it is tough like the linings they put in the back of Pickup beds. It has a 6 to 7 second set time, so you can walk on it in minutes. It has a 600 per cent elongation and developer, 2500 PSI strength. It is monolithic and can be sprayed directly on water, ice, etc., and does not affect the dome. With the right preparation this product can be sprayed in extremely cold conditions. SHARKSKIN can be used for flashing around windows, and doors, and has good adhesion to foam, fabric, steel, wood, etc.
SHARKSKIN POLY UREA COATING can be sprayed in different mils, which determines the cost. With an aliphatic top coat, this product is very color stable. This product takes special equipment to apply and cannot be applied without some experience in dual component equipment. We have used the SHARKSKIN coating to spray water slides, pickup bed liners, roof coating, in combination with urethane foam. Pit liners for secondary oil containment, floors, shower stalls, fish hulls in boats, deck coating, swimming pools, bottom of drift boats, hulls on ice breaker boats off the Cook Inlet Waters of Alaska. Protective coatings for trailers, motor-homes, mortar mixers, and many other uses, and of course, we have sprayed many Domes and have had a lot of success stories.
Call us at 417-293-3099 email us and we will give you a quote on your next project.