Concrete Repair and Upkeep: Tips for All Seasons

Welcome to my concrete blog. My name is Helen, and I hate stumbling over old and broken concrete. It makes a home, business or even a whole neighborhood look old and unkempt. To make the world a more beautiful place, I have decided to create this blog. In it, I plan to post everything I have learned about concrete over the years. I plan to include everything from maintenance schedules to upkeep tips to simple repairs to financial risks of broken concrete. If you have a patch of concrete anywhere on your property, I hope you enjoy the information in this blog and learn something new from it.

Should You Have Your Concrete Floor Epoxy Coated?

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A bare concrete floor isn't merely something of an eyesore -- without the benefits of some kind of protective coating, even the most durable concrete floor can suffer badly from foot traffic, impact damage and general wear and tear. As such, most concrete floors in commercial and industrial settings are given some kind of protective coating, and one of the most popular coating choices is epoxy. However, while epoxy coatings have a number of excellent qualities, there are also some disadvantages of choosing them over other coatings types, so you should take stock of the pros and cons of epoxy coatings before deciding whether they are right for your floors.

What are the advantages of choosing epoxy coatings?

Durability: Epoxy concrete coatings are enormously durable, and will last far longer than simple concrete paints, even in areas with heavy foot traffic. When it does eventually start to wear, this wear tends to be gradual, and rarely results in cracking and crumbling.

Environmental resistance: These coatings are also highly resistant to many forms of environmental damage, and can tolerate high heat, high humidity and a variety of chemical spills. They can also waterproof, and be safely cleaned with harsh cleaning agents.

Pathogen resistance: Epoxy is an inorganic material, and its waterproof nature prevents any absorption of moisture into the epoxy of the concrete beneath. As such, it is largely impervious to bacterial and fungal growth, a particular boon in sensitive industries where maintaining a sterile or semi-sterile environment is key.

Aesthetic choices: These coatings are also available in a wide variety of shades, patterns and colours, turning drab concrete into elegant flooring in public spaces. Heavy industries can also benefit from this aesthetic versatility; pale epoxy shades are useful for use in clean rooms and other sterile areas, as they make any accumulation of dirt or detritus very easy to spot, while darker shades are useful for 'dirty' industries.

What are the disadvantages of choosing epoxy coatings?

Cost: Epoxy coatings are generally quite reasonably priced, and with their long life-spans they can save you a lot of money on concrete repair in the long run. However, they are significantly more expensive than some other concrete coating options, such as paint. They must also be applied professionally, so be prepared to shell out some extra cash for skilled labour.

Slip hazards: Epoxy coatings can also become quite slippery when wet, since the waterproof coating rejects absorption and results in pools of standing water. To get around this, you can have the coating textured once it is applied; this process uses abrasive equipment to scarify the surface of the epoxy, creating a textured, high-friction finish that provides excellent grip.

Difficulty of repairs: Unlike paint, any damage an epoxy coating takes cannot be simply painted over. Instead, damage must be repaired by either applying an entire new coat of epoxy over the damaged layer, or by having the damaged layer removed and replaced; this can be time consuming and expensive, especially when repairing larger areas of epoxy.

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18 November 2016