Preparing concrete floors may differ greatly in terms of technique and time. The type, degree, and importance of preparation needed before painting relies on the condition of the coating system, concrete, and exposure to apply. Concrete should also be dry, clean, and free of surface matter, dust, and oil.
Most flooring types, including floorboards, carpets, veneers, and tiles, are applied over the top of a concrete slab. For these types of flooring to adhere to the concrete, it is important to prepare the surface. Apart from patching gaps and holes, you will also be involved in the following during the preparation:
- Grinding
The process of grinding will lead to a smooth and tailored finish by scouring and cleaning the surface. It usually removes thin mastics and coatings while smoothing out blemishes in the concrete and priming the surface so as to receive the next application.
Diamonds are important when it comes to the success of surface preparation projects using the grinding technique. Their importance differs in terms of strength, size, and shape of the diamond. The bigger the size, the smaller its designated number, usually regarded as grit.
- Inspection
While you are obligated to provide a substrate, which is pitched to specifications, clean, free of defects, and flat, contractors should inspect the slab to evaluate its overall condition.
If you have old concrete flooring, be sure to visit https://policrete.com.au/ for experts familiar with polishing to help you get rid of contaminants, including wax, dust, grease, and dirt. The experts may also solve problems, such as unevenness and cracks, before installing the concrete coating.
- Caulking Joints
Joint caulking encompasses sealing and cleaning every joint along the wall and on the floor.
This normally helps to ensure debris and dirt don’t penetrate the cracks, allowing you to prolong the new flooring’s life.
- Checking the Moisture
Testing the moisture before overlay application is important. Whether on new or old concrete, you should carry out a vapor transmission test. This test usually measures the amount of vapor forced out of the concrete, usually measured in pounds per 1000 square feet.
You should deal with the moisture when it exceeds this amount. A lot of moisture may negatively affect the installation of a concrete floor. Although people have been using calcium chloride tests for years, the newer probe test may measure moisure deeper into your concrete.
- Cleaning the Surface
Immediately you handle the underlying moisture issue, you will need to clean the floor to eliminate dirt and oils. A 50% caustic soda solution or degreaser products can effectively scrub the floor surface and remove latent oils or any other contaminant.
You should also neutralize or flush the surface to get rid of any residual contaminant. If you are dealing with heavy deposits, be sure to as well use steam cleaning.
- Final Preparation of the Surface
For the surface to completely get ready for an industrial urethane floor system, it should have the right profile for the primer or coating to adhere to.
This step guarantees a strong layering and bond. Options for making texture include acid etching and mechanical abrasion.
In Conclusion!
Preparing the concrete surface for repair materials, coatings, stains, or overlays is a time-consuming task, which most contractors carry out begrudgingly.
If you skip any of the above steps in the preparation process, you will undoubtedly learn the hard way how vital it is to the success of installing your concrete.
