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When deciding on which sealer to use for your concrete floors, it is best to look at a few main differences between epoxy and acrylic sealers. There are pros and cons to each sealer in terms of the finished look, economics, downtime, and whether you should use it inside or outside. Many people refer to “stained concrete,” “epoxy floors,” “sealed concrete floors,” or even “polished concrete,” as a floor that has been ground smooth, possibly stained or applied with a topcoat of epoxy (usually clear but can be colored), polyurethane, polyaspartic coatings, or an acrylic sealer. Thus, this article will help you understand when it is best to use a coating, like an epoxy, or a water-based or solvent-based acrylic sealer. Concrete floors are an amazing flooring solution. Not only are they a green flooring solution, they are also easy to maintain in high traffic areas and manufacturing facilities. They are best when sealed properly and with the highest performance products on the market, as well as if an experienced flooring contractor installs the system. Below is a summary […]
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Our concrete grind and seal system is a terrific way to transform your concrete floor from drab to fab. We recommend this concrete flooring application for clients who want a floor that is protected, industrial, durable, and that looks nice, but keeps the concrete’s natural characteristics. Depending on the sheen and color the client wants, we direct them to the final topcoat solution. However, the grinding, surface prep, and concrete repair, will be done regardless of sheen and color selection on every grind and seal project. WHAT DOES A CONCRETE GRIND AND SEAL LOOK LIKE? Many people like the look of a nicely finished concrete floor, and often that floor has simply been through the concrete grinding process and sealed with a sealer or a coating of some sort. Other times, the concrete floor has been through the polishing process. Let’s talk about the grind and seal application. Grind and seals can take on several different looks, depending on color and final sheen choice, as well as the aggregate underneath the top layer. Color: You can choose to stain the […]
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EPOXY COATING PROJECT COMPLETE We completed an epoxy coating project in the Fort Collins Power and Light office building this past month. The client chose to install the quarter inch Copper Mountain flake epoxy system, so that it would be easy to clean, durable to high traffic, and look good. The job was a big success! We transformed 15,000 square feet of rough and unlevel concrete that was previously carpeted into a beautiful, seamless, easy-to-clean floor. The client had decided on this application after having a previous section done and having seen how well it performed with workers walking through the area with muddy boots. THE PROCESS: Prepwork is arguably the most important part of our trade, and with this floor, we needed to focus on repairing the surface so that it would be nice and flat for the coating to adhere. We moved old pieces of concrete that had broken due to the concrete settling and cracking over time, as well as we filled a lot of cracks and grinded the surface smooth. The floor also required moisture […]
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POOL DECK COATING COMMON CHALLENGES When choosing the best pool deck coating for your pool, consider these pool deck coating common challenges. Pool deck coatings are a great way to make your pool slip-resistant, cool to the touch, and protect the concrete from deterioration, but it is important to consider the challenges that come with most deck coatings and the benefits of paying more upfront for a high performance and durable pool deck coating system instead of re-coating it every couple years. WHAT IS A POOL DECK COATING? A pool deck coating is a protective material that is applied to a slab of concrete to make the pool deck safer and more durable. Pool deck coatings should be able to withstand the hot summer days and UV rays, as well as withstand the freeze-thaw winter environments. Some pool deck coatings are like paint, which can do well in environments that do not experience freeze-thaw, and others are more decorative and require sealer to be constantly reapplied. Our pool deck coating system is a high-performance coating that can withstand […]
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SEALED CONCRETE & WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE SEALED AGAIN Sealed concrete is an important factor to prolong the lifespan of your concrete. Depending on what type of sealer you have applied to the concrete, you will want to watch out for when it is time to re-seal it. Concrete, like any other porous surface, is best when it is sealed. You can seal concrete with a chemically reactive penetrating sealer, acrylic–resin sealers, and highperformance topical coatings, such as epoxies and urethanes. Depending on which one, if any, has already been applied to the concrete substrate, you will need to check and make sure the sealer is still sealing the concrete. Concrete needs sealed for different purposes, some of which are: protecting it from freeze-thaw, stain repellence, dust reduction, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, or to maintain an attractive or high-gloss appearance. If you do not seal your concrete, harsh chemicals and liquid can penetrate the concrete, leaving it discolored or destroy the surface. Let’s look at each sealer, so that you can know how long it should last and what do to check if it needs reapplied. […]
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WHAT IS A CONCRETE BRIDGE COATING ANYWAY? Bridge {After} This is a great question! Why would you want to repair your spalling and cracked bridge vs. replace it? A concrete bridge coating might be just right for your project. Certain bridges need replaced, which you can tell if you see rust near rebar or crumbling to the point of seeing the mesh or rebar underneath. However, some bridges, have more aesthetic issues, like spalling and cracks that can be addressed with our sandbroadcast deck system. Concrete bridge coatings use our tried and true parking deck system with a sandbroadcast. How we do it: Repair the concrete and prep it (wash the concrete, and in some cases, grind the concrete; patch the spalling areas and seal the cracks) Wash the surface again and apply our industrial strength coating system in a few steps Broadcast our locally sourced quartz or quartz color of your choice We, first, repair the concrete and prep it for the sandbroadcast, which can include washing the concrete, grinding in some cases, patching the spalling areas and sealing […]
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