Substrate preparation
Concrete is profiled and cracks or spalls are repaired so the liner bonds to a sound, continuous surface.
Surface profile & repairSpecialty coatings
Secondary containment liners
A seamless fluid-applied liner for secondary containment areas, holding spills in place and protecting soil and groundwater with no seams to fail.
Secondary containment is only as good as its weakest seam. A-1 applies the same fluid-applied chemistry used on roofs to containment areas: sprayed or rolled on as a liquid, it cures into one continuous, monolithic membrane bonded directly to the substrate, with no joints for a spill to find. It goes down over concrete, steel, or block, and conforms to sumps, curbs, and penetrations that a sheet liner would need to be cut and seamed around.
Glossary
Containment terms, plainly defined
The vocabulary around secondary containment gets thrown around loosely. Here is what each term actually means.
- Secondary containment
- A barrier built around a tank or storage area to hold a spill until it can be contained and cleaned up, keeping it from reaching soil, groundwater, or a storm drain.
- SPCC40 CFR 112
- EPA's Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule, which requires qualifying above-ground oil and fuel storage facilities to maintain adequate secondary containment.
- Freeboardcapacity margin
- The extra containment volume held in reserve above the largest tank's capacity, typically sized to also hold expected precipitation in an open containment area.
- Monolithic membrane
- A single, continuous coating with no seams, laps, or joints, applied as a liquid rather than assembled from sheets.
How it's installed
From bare substrate to sealed liner
Three stages, in order, whether the substrate is concrete, steel, or block.
Detail work
Corners, sumps, and pipe penetrations are detailed first, since these are the points a sheet liner would otherwise need to be seamed around.
Sumps, curbs, penetrationsFluid-applied liner
The liner is sprayed or rolled on in a system matched to what it will contain, curing into one seamless, monolithic membrane.
Chemical-resistant systemQuestions
Containment liner questions
What is a containment liner?
A seamless fluid-applied membrane installed in secondary containment areas, often below grade, to hold spills and protect soil and groundwater. It is monolithic, with no seams to leak.
What is a secondary containment liner and when is it required by code?
It's a spill barrier around tanks or storage areas. Facilities with qualifying above-ground oil or fuel storage are generally required under EPA's SPCC rule (40 CFR 112) to maintain adequate secondary containment; local fire and environmental codes may add further requirements.
What surfaces can be lined?
Concrete, steel, and block are the common substrates. Each is profiled and repaired as needed so the liner bonds to a sound surface before it's applied.
Is the liner resistant to the chemical being stored?
The specific system is matched to what the containment area holds. Chemical resistance varies by formulation, so the system is selected for the actual product on site.
Can you install a liner without shutting down the containment area?
In most cases yes, provided the area can be temporarily taken out of service for surface prep and cure time. We coordinate scheduling around your operations.
Is this self-performed by A-1?
Yes. Containment liners are self-performed, using the same fluid-applied crews and equipment A-1 uses for roof coatings.
Keep exploring
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- AVBAir & Vapor BarriersExterior fluid-applied air and vapor barriers that control air leakage and moisture movement through the building envelope.
Have a containment area that needs a liner?
Tell us the substrate and what it needs to hold, and we will tell you honestly how we would approach it.
41-year commercial roofing and insulation record