CONCRETE HARDENERS ARE USED TO PREVENT FLOORS FROM WEARING OUT

Concrete is tough, yet for particular environments, it’s just not sufficient. Concrete wears out over time. The lifespan depends on the use and maintenance of your concrete floor. Concrete hardeners and densifiers are used to prevent floors from wearing out prematurely. These products protect, preserve, and strengthen concrete flooring through a uniform curing and sealing process. This article will help you determine when to use a concrete hardener.

Concrete hardeners are a permanent, transparent sealer that protects underlying concrete from damage caused by chemicals and contaminants. Liquid concrete hardeners create a chemical reaction when applied to concrete, penetrating pores. Hardeners act as a strong adhesive for different floor coverings and surface treatments. Also, they prevent newly poured concrete from curling, a distortion of a slab into a curved shape by upward or downward bending of the edges. Hardeners are applied to new or existing slabs.

Does your Concrete Floor Need a Hardener?

There are numerous things to consider before using a concrete hardener. If the concrete floor is being used in an industrial setting or warehouse building, or even a heavy traffic retail environment, a hardener is recommended. When flooring works hard, there is a substantial risk of damage. This occurs when equipment and vehicular wheels come in contact with concrete flooring, pedestrian traffic is constant, or a combination of the two. Different concrete hardeners are specified based on light, medium, or heavy-duty usage.

What is the Expected Lifetime of your Floor?

In general, concrete flooring is long-lasting. Prolonging the lifetime of your floor is dependent on factors such as substrate strength, proper surface preparation, and continued maintenance. Every business has a unique situation to consider. Specifically: how long will you be in your current building, what are your repair and up-keep budgets, and what do you expect to pay for the initial floor cost. When given this information, a professional concrete flooring professional will advise you on the recommended hardener and application process. This includes the previously mentioned duty strength as well as dry-shake, wet, or mid-cure application.

What is the Concrete Mix Composition?

Concrete mixtures are not all created equally. Some flooring uses steel-fiber reinforced concrete. Some contain higher quantities of cement. Aggregates vary from gravel, crushed stone, sand, slag, recycled concrete, and geosynthetic aggregates. Cement fillers and replacements are more environmentally friendly; however, they have a lower resistance to surface deterioration. Each factor contributes to the durability of your concrete substrate. It is quite possible that your concrete flooring pre-dates your company, in which case you may not know the makeup. In this instance, a surface hardener is recommended to add abrasion resistance.

Choose an Experienced Concrete Flooring Contractor

Creative Maintenance Solutions has a proven record of quality workmanship and customer satisfaction. With clients ranging from residential homeowners to Fortune 500 companies, we lay the foundation for a productive environment. Our skilled staff provides real solutions spanning an array of deadlines, needs, and budgets.