In recent years, the protection and preservation of concrete flooring has progressed steadily. There are now a myriad of protecting coatings that are applied to concrete floors for purposes of preservation and to give them some added beneficial properties. The primary purpose is usually to prevent the slab from deteriorating. In addition, some additional properties such as chemical resistance, ease of cleaning, non-skid and just plain aesthetic appearance can be improved with concrete floor coatings. There really is not another part of a building that takes as much abuse as its floors.
Why You Need Coatings for Concrete Floors
Floors, particularly concrete floors in industrial or warehouse buildings are subjected to severe wear and tear. There is physical impact, chemicals, oils and grease and extreme temperature changes. Left uncoated, concrete floors are quite porous and they tend to become dusty from prolonged wear. These floors can also deteriorate as a result of chemicals being spilled on them and abrasion as the result of friction.
For these reasons, concrete floors need protective concrete floor coatings. The need for a protective coating on concrete floors is obvious, however, the selection of the proper coating for your particular environment is not.
We will concentrate on concrete floor coatings that are applied directly to the surface of the concrete. These coatings will provide protection and often improve the visual appearance of the floor. The challenge here is to choose the most desirable coating and application process so that will have optimal performance and adequately protect your floors. This will decrease the long term costs of maintaining your concrete floors.
You must go through a selection process to determine the proper product and manner of application that will be needed for your floor. Keep in mind that you must choose not only the material you will be using, but the system of application thickness of the coating, and its appearance.
You will engage in the process of selecting the appropriate coating material. The first step in this process is to examine the existing flooring and determine its condition. Before applying any coating make sure that the flooring is structurally sound and is not contaminated with any chemicals. If there are any cracks or structural abnormalities, repair them first, before applying any coating. In other words, the surface of the concrete must be prepared for the application of the coating in order for it to adhere properly to the flooring. You should also bear in mind that new concrete floors will still require preparation. Concrete curing must be removed and the smooth surface of the floor must be “roughed up” to improve coating adherence.
Questions to Ask About Concrete Floor Coatings
Next consider the conditions that flooring will have to endure on a regular basis. Will it be exposed to a lot of harsh chemicals? Will strongly acidic or basic compounds be spilled on it? Will it be exposed to oils and grease? If it is spilled on occasionally that is one thing, but if there is a continual immersion in certain types of chemicals, that is a more critical concern. How much abrasion is your flooring likely to be subjected to? The degree of traffic or wear is important to the selection process. Will your floors be subjected to direct impacts? Heavy loading and direct impact necessitate a thick floor coating system. Then there is thermal shock or the fluctuation in temperature that your flooring is subjected to. If the flooring is subjected to rapid changes in temperature, like those associated with steam cleaning, the bond associated with a particular coating can deteriorate if your coating is not carefully chosen. Finally, aesthetics should be considered. How would you like the flooring to appear? Is there a particular color or texture that is important to you?
After answering all of the above questions you are ready to select the type of material you will use for your coating. Various types of concrete coatings can fall into certain classifications based on thickness, overlays and toppings and polymer type. Polymers are polyurethane, epoxy, vinyl ester, methyl, and acrylic. Then you need to decide if you want a smooth finish or a textured finish.
There are a very large number of polymer coating formulations for concrete. Each one has its own characteristics. Polyurethanes and epoxies are the most frequently used polymers. In general urethanes are utilized for varying thickness of coatings, the have very good abrasion resistance and also good chemical and staining resistance.
With the right concrete floor coating, your flooring can benefit from additional protection and last for many years. You’ll be able to eliminate concern regarding spillage and other potential causes of damage that might occur. At the same time, you can fully customize your concrete floor coating solutions to match the overall appearance of your facility, aligning aesthetic with functionality.
Ultimately, you’ll see many benefits when you install a concrete floor coating, something that many businesses may not consider when it comes to maximizing the longevity of their flooring. A professionally installed concrete coating will give your facility what it needs while helping reduce future repair and replacement costs.
Concrete Flooring Service Area
ICS provides concrete solutions to all of the northeast. Here is a small list of cities and towns where we have completed many industrial and commercial concrete flooring applications.
| Portland, Maine | Bangor, Maine | Augusta, Maine |
| Nashua, New Hampshire | Manchester, New Hampshire | Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Worecester, Massachusetts | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Burlington, Vermont | Montpelier, Vermont | St. Johnsbury, Vermont |
| Providence, Rhode Island | Warwick, Rhode Island | Cranston, Rhode Island |
| Hartford, Connecticut | New Haven, Connecticut | Stamford, Connecticut |
| New York | New Jersey | Pennsylvania |