Concrete flooring is incredibly versatile; it can be finished with a variety of colours and patterns and it can be used in warehouses as well as homes. What’s more, concrete is renowned for being incredibly durable; there’s a reason it’s the second most consumed material in the world (the first being water). That said, there are a few options you may want to consider to enhance your concrete’s performance – even though it’s already quite durable, following best practices will make it last even longer.
Polish Your Concrete
Concrete polishing has become a very popular flooring choice for various environments. Polishing your concrete greatly enhances its abrasion resistance, stain resistance, rustproofing and light reflectivity.
Densify/Seal Your Concrete
Although brand new concrete is one of the most durable building materials in the world, it also has an inherent issue called ‘dusting’. Even after concrete is cleaned, a thin film of dust will re-appear. Left unchecked, this dust becomes airborne and can leave a facility dirty. The first step to densifying/sealing concrete is to prepare the surface; that means removing any dust and debris as well as any stains (as we discussed above). Once the floor is cleaned up, you’ll need to remove the old sealant (If possible). This can be done by using an industrial stripping agent or by sanding. You’ll need to do this in the right conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.). Applying densifiers requires attention to detail in order to be effective, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Patch Your Concrete
Cracks are concrete’s worst enemy. That’s because they allow water to get to the rebar and start rusting. Once rebar starts to rust, it expands and causes the surface to start to spall. What’s more, water that gets into the cracks and freezes, expands it, causing pressure that can further crack the concrete. To patch cracks, we use special saw blades to “chase” the crack out, remove any loose debris, add bonding adhesive, and then apply the joint material. It’s essential to start patching cracks as soon as they appear, left unchecked, wheeled traffic can expand the cracks. Though this solution is practical for unpolished concrete, you may want to use a different solution for polished concrete (as the patches aren’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing).
