Save the slip and fall

Although concrete is known for its strength and relative impermeability, it’s not a perfect substance. Concrete as flooring is vulnerable to a range of issues, particularly where water is concerned. In cold weather, concrete is subject to freezing and expanding water that can cause cracking. Cracks leave the concrete even more vulnerable to further damage. They are also unsightly and unsafe for pedestrians. Weakened concrete that sustains constant pressures from heavy objects, like vehicle traffic, is also subject to spalling damage. In wet weather, concrete that has pooling water on the surface can be quite slippery. Moreover, if that water freezes you now have safety issues with ice. The last thing you need is for your parkade to become a skating rink for both pedestrians and vehicles. If your parkade flooring is concrete and is not properly sealed or treated with the appropriate traffic coating, any number of the issues above can cause you a huge headache.

Professional floor coating can offer a variety of benefits such as anti-slip surfaces, waterproofing, and chemical resistance. The right polyurethane coating can protect your concrete from damage normally sustained during freeze-thaw cycles and protect your foot traffic from a slip and fall on those frozen surfaces.

Visibility and Visual Appeal

While concrete is invaluable for its diverse use, strength, accessibility, and reliability, it’s not usually known for its aesthetic appeal. Fortunately, there are all sorts of ways to protect your concrete investment while also boosting its appearance. Many types of traffic coating can be coloured according to the client’s design while also serving a wide range of protective and practical functions. Delineating pathways, parking spaces, directional flow, entrances, exits, and restricted spaces are all important parts of designing and maintaining the layout of a parkade space.

How great is it then, that these markings can also offer protection to the substrate for years to come? Concrete can become stained, dingy, and eroded over time. Excessive vehicle traffic leaves concrete flooring exposed to fuels, oils, tire marks, and anything else vehicle and pedestrian use can throw at the ground. Protective polyurethane coatings offer a more professional appearance, while also resisting wear and tear, staining, and chemical corrosion to keep your space looking bright and clean for much longer than with basic untreated concrete. Vertical structures such as concrete posts and other upright masonry can be covered with the same protective traffic coating to prevent damage from corrosion or wear and tear from abrasion that can leave them vulnerable to further damage.

Regardless of size, concrete parkade surfaces can benefit from the protection and aesthetic improvement of traffic coating. There is a range of options all offering various degrees of protection and solving unique issues depending on weather exposure, the volume of traffic, and design ideas. Consulting a company that specializes in industrial traffic coating is the best way to make sure your patrons and your parkade are protected now and for years to come.

While concrete on its own is a highly durable product, industries rarely leave concrete surfaces bare. The pressure from regular wear can be highly damaging to natural concrete surfaces, and, as a porous material, it is also highly susceptible to water damage and staining. For added protection from oils, chemicals, liquids, dirt, and traffic, concrete flooring is almost treated with some sort of protective coating. There are quite a few floor coating options to choose from but polyurethane is one of the most common in commercial and industrial applications.

Also Read: Consider Concrete Polishing in Burnaby

Is Polyurethane Flooring a Good Choice for Businesses?

Polyurethane flooring is a well-rounded, versatile, and affordable concrete coating. It offers several benefits over other concrete coating options that make it one of the most requested products for commercial and industrial use.

Polyurethane flooring is:

• Resistant to UV light, something that can cause other coatings to yellow over time
• Highly flexible which makes it very scratch resistant
• Installed seamlessly so it is very easy to keep clean
• Slip-resistant, therefore, making a safe choice for areas with heavy foot traffic
• Temperature tolerant from -62°C up to 150°C

Polyurethane flooring is also very easy to maintain, requiring only dry mopping to remove dust and regular cleaning with a diluted alkaline residue-free floor cleaner. You can get up to 10 years out of your polyurethane flooring if cared for correctly.

How Often Does Polyurethane Flooring Need to be Reapplied?

Correctly installed and regularly maintained, polyurethane flooring can easily last upwards of 10 years. However, in a heavily trafficked industrial setting, you may find your flooring could use a re-application sooner between 5 and 10 years.

There are a lot of variables that will influence the longevity of your polyurethane flooring and these include:

• The quality of the product used
• Choosing the correct product for the specific application
• The quality of the application
• The condition of the concrete
• Level of surface preparation before coating application
• Regular care

Polyurethane flooring is a two-part system comprising a resin and hardener, which, when combined, cure into a highly durable, abrasion-resistant floor coating. However, that material is also temperamental and great care needs to be taken when mixing and applying the coating. Mistakes here can result in air bubbles, poor adhesion, peeling, and separation.

Also Read: Provider of Epoxy Flooring in Coquitlam

Surface preparation is also crucial to a successful polyurethane coating as some say it’s the most important factor. Before applying a polyurethane coating, major imperfections need to be repaired. The concrete surface needs to be thoroughly cleaned leaving enough time for the surface to fully dry and the concrete needs to be ground down to the correct coarseness.

Installation is another area that you don’t want to neglect. Not only does the application process require some skill, but you also need an experienced installer who can select the appropriate mixture for your intended purpose. Concrete coatings have specific purposes and using the wrong one can dramatically reduce the lifespan.

Polyurethane Flooring is the Right Choice for Many Commercial and Industrial Spaces

Whether you operate a food processing plant, medical facility, or maintain a parking garage, polyurethane flooring is a cost-effective, long-lasting coating that will help keep your concrete protected from the elements and keep your wallet safe from unexpected repair costs.

Read more about polyurethane flooring: Curious about polyurethane flooring in Coquitlam? Here’s what you need to know

How Floor Sheen is Measured

Before you decide on the level of shine you want for your space, it pays to understand how shine is measured and what it means—nothing worse than asking for a matte finish than being underwhelmed by the lack of lustre.

There are standard units of gloss in the flooring industry – flat, matte, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss – and a simple tool used to measure it. A gloss metre casts light on a surface at an angle and then measures the amount of light reflected; the more light reflected, the higher the Gloss Units or GU.

Floor shine is measured on a scale between 0 and 100, anything under 10 being the lowest or least reflective and 100 being the glossiest or most reflective.

• Anything less than 10 GU is considered flat (no shine)
• Between 10 to 30 GU is matte to low gloss
• The 30-50 GU range will produce a satin finish
• 50-60 GU is semi-gloss
• High-gloss finishes start at 60-70 GU and can extend up to nearly 100 on a black surface

Choosing the Right Level of Gloss

So what gloss finish is right for your project? Well, that will depend on the space, the look you are hoping to achieve, and the level of maintenance you are comfortable with.

High-gloss polyurethane flooring is popular in commercial spaces and showrooms through Coquitlam thanks to its high-impact appearance. High gloss is the way to go if you want to show off an exotic wood floor or make a statement. However, high-gloss flooring is also notorious for showing every minor imperfection, scratch, and print, so it requires a little more regular cleaning than a lower GU polyurethane floor would.

Matte and satin finishes have been trending over the last few years. Unlike a high gloss finish, matte and satin polyurethane flooring reflect little light and are thus better able to conceal dirt, scratches, and other markings.

A semi-gloss polyurethane finish can be a happy medium between an ultra-reflective high gloss floor and a matte finish. You’ll still have some of the aesthetic benefits of a high gloss finish without all the upkeep.

Can Gloss Levels be Changed Later on?

Does your current space have a polyurethane finished floor that you are not in love with? Or are you looking for a change? The good news is that it’s possible to change the colour, style, or finish on your polyurethane flooring in Coquitlam. There is no problem taking a high gloss floor and making it low gloss or taking a semi-gloss and making it matte for a professional installer. In fact, switching up your polyurethane flooring is a great, inexpensive, low-effort way to give your Coquitlam home or business a high-impact makeover.

The only caveat is knowing whether your current installation is an oil-based or water-based product. The two do not mix well together, so getting it right is essential to your application. When in doubt, seek professional help.

Get a Great Polyurethane Finish by Getting Professional Help

When it comes to results, the best way to get a great polyurethane flooring finish is by getting professional installation help. Not only can a professional offer invaluable advice on the best finish for your space, but they will also ensure a flawless installation that will last.