Concrete floor coatings are a popular choice for corporate buildings, hospitals, schools, malls, parking lots, and other areas that require high activity and impact. Concrete floors were once left as they are, leaving a very rugged and not so pleasing look to the building. But thanks to new design technologies, there are now buildings with concrete coatings to give the hallways and rooms a clean finish. Apart from the concrete coatings aesthetic function, the layer also protects the floor from chemical spills, skid marks, sudden impact, and the like, while also providing better maintenance. We shouldn’t forget the possibility of a thermal shock, hence the importance of having these concrete floor coatings.
Some concrete coatings designs use ceramic tile, wood, carpet, or resilient tile. These kinds of concrete coatings are usually found in commercial and residential buildings for the aesthetic value. But if you want better protection from outside forces, then you will need concrete coatings that attach directly to the surface. A better “adhesive” like value enables longer protection.
There are several factors involved in choosing the best concrete coatings. You will have to hire a facility manager or an architect to narrow down and select the best options. Some of the factors they will consider are the concrete coatings performance, durability, life cycle cost, and maintenance value.
To narrow down their choices, a concrete floor contractor will be contacted to run them through the best options. These flooring specialists or experts can explain the recommended materials, predict and attest to long term performance, and provide a better picture of the application.
A concrete floor company sends a flooring specialist to study the building and see what material would be best. First, the surface is evaluated before the concrete coatings are applied. The surface has to be clean enough such that no contaminant gets in the way of the concrete floor coatings. Potential contaminants can be found among curing compounds in concrete.
The surface is also studied for any cracks, uneven areas, or spalls. The floor specialist will also check if the concrete coatings have to be level or slope into a drain. If there is any patching, leveling, or slope required, then the concrete coatings are chosen according to it compatibility with the entire surface. In case of any future damage, it’s advisable to get that same concrete floor company for the repairs.
After all these floor features are studied, the next step to concrete coatings installation is the kind of surface preparation. The concrete floor contractor will not just use one kind of preparation method. It will primarily depend on the concrete coatings most fit, such as thick or thin film. Thin film coating doesn’t require the heavy profile left from leveling or the fill coat. Thick film concrete coatings, on the other hand, require more work and employ double the material.
Apart from the coat, the concrete floor company also takes into consideration the abuse and impact absorbed the surface. There are four kinds of abuse that most concrete coatings would endure: abrasion, impact, thermal shock, and chemical exposure. Abrasion is when a surface of several years has wear and tear.
Traffic is another consideration when it comes to abrasion. The concrete floor coatings are given rubber-wheeled traffic or steel-wheeled traffic to take the damage from traffic and wear.
Impact is simply what its name indicates: the surface absorbs major collisions from heavy loads, as typically seen in the activity of hospitals or delivery sites. Thicker systems are usually applied to the concrete floor coatings or given a heavier build to withstand the impact.
Thermal shock is just as straightforward as it sounds: sudden temperature changes or impact from the heat can loosen the concrete floor coatings. For the system to withstand these, the coatings for concrete will require higher expansion coefficients. The material should also be able to withstand such sudden temperature shifts.
Material and durability alone do not guarantee reliable concrete floor coatings. A good concrete floor company will also consider the system and surface’s life expectancy, aesthetics, installation parameters, and your budget.
Life expectancy is another top priority since you are paying for an investment with these concrete floor coatings. The maintenance should be regular but affordable enough so that the life expectancy lasts and does not cost you.
Aesthetics is dictated by your overall design and the image projected by the building. You can look into decorative materials that add to the structure’s durability. Installation parameters need to be considered for those doing work in the middle of office hours. Apart from your target date of completion, the strong smell of the concrete floor coatings can disrupt the area’s daily business. Other concrete floor coatings require a specific temperature, so you’ll have to schedule when the installation will occur based on the climate.
Concrete Flooring Service Area
ICS concrete floor polishing contractors provide 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 |