Is a "Bog" Good Enough for Patching Concrete?

By Jack Josephsen

You strive for the best flooring system possible, so why perform concrete repair with any old “bog”?

Perhaps “bog” is a slang term from my part of the world, but generally speaking it’s a cheap patching compound used to fill cracks and voids before over-coating. The timber industry has a bog, the auto industry has a bog, the building industry has a bog - but, in my opinion, the concrete flooring industry definitely should not have a bog! Let me explain why.

What is a bog?

A bog is typically a highly filled, fast-cure product with very little resin in the mix. This makes it cheap, but prone to inconsistent adhesion and that’s exactly what you don’t want in a flooring environment. So what type of patching compound should you use?

Patching compound wish list

In my opinion, I want to do concrete repair with a product that has the following properties:

• Resin rich - A two-pack epoxy system that is rich in resin, so I don’t have to worry about adhesion. When applying patching compounds, you find they tend to dry out as you scratch and scrape it across the concrete. If you start with a compound that’s dry to begin with, it will quickly become unworkable and the adhesion even more of a concern.
  
  
• Ready to mix - A pre-formulated, ready-to-use patching compound eliminates the inconsistencies adding in bits and pieces on-site can introduce.
  
  
• Thickness range - A patching compound that be high build or feather edge and maintain its shape regardless. Being a high-build product, I wouldn’t want any solvent or water in it as you could end up with solvent entrapment.
  
  
• Working time - A longer standard working time is appreciated because patching can be a slow process, with the option of fast or slow cure a nice bonus.
  
  
• Can be sanded - While sanding afterwards isn’t the aim, I’d prefer to have something that can be sanded if required.
  
  
• Compatible - The patching compound would be totally compatible with my basecoat, e.g. didn’t cause blushing, so I could apply it wet on wet rather than having to wait for the patch to harden or dry.
  
  
• Tintable - Although not critical, I would also prefer the patching compound to be tintable in case patching was required between coats and there was a chance it could show through.

Do you have a good reliable patching compound available to you? Perhaps you have had to build your own patching compound?

How you can take action...

• Products - Use epoxy patching compounds that offer a better repair option than a bog:
  - Real World Epoxies Patching Products

• Learning - Learn more about patching concrete and other surface preparation issues with our online courses:
  - Epoxy Flooring Short Courses
  - Bronze Card Course
  - Silver Card Course
  
  
• Ask a question - If you have any questions you'd like to ask us about this topic, hit the support button below:
  
  

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