Concrete is a hard and durable floor substrate made by mixing together cementing material, gravel or sand aggregate, and water. The end result is a strong and smooth product with unsurpassed performance characteristics in any environment.
Here’s why concrete preparation before the application of epoxy is essential, and what happens during this process, from a top concrete coating contractor in NJ.
What happens when concrete is poorly prepared? Adhesion failure is certain.
What makes epoxy such a sought-after floor coating? It has incredible resilience, longevity and bonding properties. It is so strong that, when cured, it is resistant to the weight of vehicles, the impact of dropped equipment and tools, oil or chemical spills, and moisture.
However, if the concrete substrate is poorly or incorrectly prepared, the epoxy will not bond and adhere correctly. For epoxy to adhere correctly to concrete, it needs to have a clean canvas with a level CSP3 profile, it needs to be applied on a dry, flat, clean, spalling and crack-free surface.
Cracks, spalling, debris, moisture and oil stains can create areas on the concrete floor that the epoxy will not adhere to, compromising the durability, strength and adhesion of the epoxy floor coating.
Poor preparation can create several problems:
- Hot tire pull up
- Adhesion issues
- Incomplete product curing
- Reduced product strength
- Job failure
How to Prepare a Concrete Floor
When preparing a concrete floor, concrete refinishing experts look for and address the following:
- Damage – An epoxy floor coating cannot fix the concrete floor’s cracks, instability, and structural issues. These need to be addressed first or the epoxy will not last. Additionally, your home may experience damp, mold, and structural issues as a result.
- Contaminants – Garages, basements, commercial and high-traffic areas that have concrete floors tend to get dirty with oil, paint, everyday debris and dirt. These contaminants need to be removed and the concrete must be thoroughly cleaned to remove anything that might affect the quality of the finished epoxy floor.
- Removal of old flooring – Epoxy flooring can only be installed onto a well-prepared concrete base, so any old flooring and adhesive will need to be removed, including old floor coatings, paints, and tiles. If the floor appears to have had a coating or finish applied to it in the past, the team will remove it as this will affect the adhesive qualities of the epoxy.
- Repair and grinding – Once we have removed old coatings, patched, repaired, leveled or flattened the concrete floor, we must now create our clean canvas with the proper concrete profile, creating the perfect surface for epoxy to deliver long-lasting, attractive, and functional results. We achieve this by grinding the entire surface with one of our planetary floor grinders.
Breathe New Life into Your Garage or Commercial Location with a New Concrete Coating
If you want to refresh your concrete floor, repair it, level it, polish it, or coat it with an industrial grade epoxy, we can help. With over 20 years of combined industry experience as concrete coating and refinishing contractors in NJ, we can evaluate, repair, and refinish your concrete floor – sometimes in one day. If you want to find out more about our concrete resurfacing and repair services, contact us today or visit our website at https://diamondgaragesolutions.com/services/concrete-repair-refinishing/