Protecting concrete floors

Concrete floors are commonly damaged by wear and tear, heavy objects being dropped on them, things being dragged across their surface causing scuffing and scratching, hot tyres turning on them, oils, petrol, and other nasties being spilt on them, and moisture damage. It’s incredible how much abuse a concrete floor can be subjected to.

A common sign of moisture damage is the development of damp patches or wet spots on the surface of your concrete. Your concrete’s structural integrity may be compromised by wet areas, and they may also make it difficult for protective coatings to adhere. This is why it is crucial to check the concrete’s moisture content.

If you live in a climate subject to freezing temperatures, the freeze/thaw cycle can slowly break down your concrete.   The freezing of water that has impregnated your concrete structure is of particular concern as water expands about 9% in volume and causes concrete cavities to rupture.

The steel reinforcement within the concrete structure can deteriorate via pitting corrosion when de-icing laden water penetrates through cracks and pores in concrete and chloride ions start attacking the steel.   Corrosion damage of the steel reinforcement is one of the biggest causes of concrete deterioration.   In some severe cases of this type of damage, concrete sections can completely break away from the reinforcing steel bars.

Protecting your workshop concrete floor is important

Proactive measures need to be taken to lessen the likelihood of corrosion damage to the steel reinforcement of your concrete floor and one of the best solutions available is a protective coating of the concrete.

A high-quality concrete coating will not only protect your floor from corrosion damage but will also protect it from various other forms of damage/deterioration.

Polyurea protective coatings will preserve and protect your concrete floor for around 10 years.

Polyurea is a type of elastomer made from step-growth polymerisation.   Step-growth polymerisation is produced when there is a reaction from synthetic resin and Isocyanate materials.

Isocyanates are a class of chemicals with a low molecular weight and high reactivity. They are commonly used in the manufacture of flexible and rigid foams, paints, varnishes, elastomers, building insulation materials, auto body repair filler.

Various formulations of resins and Isocyanates can provide differing setting times, moisture resistance abilities, colours, flame retardant, and other unique properties of the polyurea coating your purchase.   Generally speaking, polyurea protective coatings are very tough and up to 20 times stronger than epoxy.

However, if your concrete floor is old, damaged, or pitted, the use of epoxy may still be necessary. To get a nice smooth finish, they may need to build it up with epoxy first, and then apply the Polyurea coating.

Polyurea coatings bond extremely well to concrete surfaces, and because of their chemical resistance and durability, they are scratch and abrasion resistant, resists chemicals, hydrocarbons and salts and prevents rising damp. The extremely effective seal it creates over the concrete surface helps to delay any corrosion of the internal concrete reinforcement.

Polyurea floor coatings provide a high class finish, have fantastic durability qualities and cure quickly and are ready to walk on in within 24hrs.   Polyurea has a higher resistance to chemicals than epoxy and is U.V. stable.   It’s unlikely that you will be resealing or re-doing a polyuria floor coating within 10 years

Brilliant for both internal & external Floors, they are light reflective, easy to clean, and very long-lasting

Polyurea coatings will be more expensive than epoxy because they are more durable and will last longer. A single-bay garage Polyurea concrete coating costs about $8-13 per square foot on average.

Polyurea coatings offer a number of advantages when it comes to outdoor use. They are highly resistant to weathering, UV radiation, and abrasion. Polyurea coatings use vinyl chips to increase traction and create a non-slip texture on your garage floor, lowering the risk of you slipping and falling.

A Polyurea floor creates a watertight surface that shields the floor from impact damage as well as the hydrocarbons, nasty chemicals, heat, and sunlight deterioration.

Cleaning a Polyurea floor is simple; all you need is about 40 millilitres of clear ammonia per litre of water to remove soiling. Rinse thoroughly. Alternatively, you can spray the floor with your Australian made Spitwater pressure cleaner, and then use a floor squeegee to move the dirty water off the workshop floor.

Epoxy floors are non-slip, reasonably priced & cheaper

Epoxy coatings should not be underestimated; they are an excellent choice for workshop floors because they can withstand most activity and different types of punishment, such as dropped tools and parts, and will protect your floor far better than a painted surface. Epoxy coatings are tough and one of the most durable concrete finishes available.

There is one coating option better than Polyurea

Although polyaspartic is a type of Polyurea, polyaspartic coatings have been modified to overcome the difficulties that Polyurea coatings face. If you require a very tough coating, the project must be completed quickly, and the finished product flooring must have high elasticity and abrasion resistance, will be subjected to wide temperature ranges, or will frequently be exposed to direct sunlight under the harsh Australian sun, then a polyaspartic coating is more than likely for you.

Polyaspartic floor coatings are more durable than polyurea coatings. The lifespan of a polyaspartic coating is determined by the amount of wear and tear it endures as well as how well it is applied. With those factors aside, you could easily expect a polyaspartic floor coasting to last 10-20 years, but as I previously stated, it all depends on how much punishment it has to withstand.