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Architectural Concrete Floor Finishes

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Greg Bell in Blog, Concrete with Comments Disabled

Concrete floors have steadily grown in popularity over the past few years. They are relatively affordable, durable, low maintenance, and very versatile. You no longer have to deal with the drab grey look that’s only suitable for warehouses and roads because there are different kinds of architectural floor finishes available now. At The Floor Company, we customize the floor finish according to the preferences of our customers. Here are some of the more popular finishes available to you.

Polishing

Polishing is one of the most popular finishes for concrete because the resultant floor can look stunning. There are different levels of polish available and they range from a flat matte finish to a mirror-like gloss. We can also add aggregates of natural stone to the concrete mixture, which can create a beautiful pattern to the floor.

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Stains

Concrete stains are the easiest and one of the most affordable ways to customize the look of the surface. They’re also very durable because the acid stains sink into the concrete and bind with it. The colour won’t fade, chip, or stain easily, especially if you apply sealers and concrete floor wax on the surface. You can transform the look and feel of the floor in a matter of days.

Coatings

Coatings are similar to a layer of paint on the walls but they’re specially formulated for concrete floors. You can choose between latex, epoxy, and polyurethane coatings; latex being the cheapest and least durable; and polyurethane the most durable and expensive. They can be applied quickly and easily in a matter of days with no effort. In fact, many DIYers apply epoxy coatings on their floors during weekends.

Stamping

Stamping is more common in outdoor installations than indoor floors. They add design and texture to the surface and ensure they it’s not slippery when wet. With stamping, we can mimic the look and feel of different materials like brick, natural stone, and even concrete pavers. We can also create unique designs that’ll make your property stand out. These architectural floor finishes can only be applied when the concrete is wet and hasn’t cured.

For information on architectural floor finishes or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Shot Blasting Services in Ottawa

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Concrete is porous and vulnerable to the elements just as several other flooring materials are. While concrete flooring is more resilient than other options, you still need to make sure it is properly prepared before applying a sealer or coating to it.

When the time comes to finish a concrete floor, you need to completely strip the concrete surface to ensure that the new coating will properly adhere to the surface. Shot blasting is one way to achieve this and we at The Floor Company feel that it’s the best option for preparing concrete floors in commercial locations.

What is Shot Blasting?

Shot blasting is a one-step method of removing surface coatings and debris from the concrete and prepare it for coatings and overlays. This process will strip, clean, and profile the surface, making it ready for whichever treatment you wish to use. Shot blasting machines will often have a wheel with paddle-like blades that propel steel shots towards the concrete surface. These shots travel at high velocity and will forcefully remove the surface layer of dirt, grime, residual coating, and other debris.

Shots used in the process come in different sizes, depending on the kind of profile you want on the surface. Bigger shots will penetrate deeper and have a much more powerful effect. Conversely, smaller shots won’t penetrate as much and will just remove a thin layer of the surface of your commercial concrete floors.

What are the Advantages of Shot Blasting?

Shot blasting is a very convenient way to remove the surface layer of concrete. There are several advantages of using this as opposed to other techniques, such as:

The surface profile is generally very rough as a result of shot blasting. This leads to better adhesion as the coating with penetrate the rough surface and settle in securely.

There’s no water or liquid involved and the surface is dry and clean. Because of this, we can immediately start working on the surface after the blasting is done.

There’s no dust as our vacuum attachments immediately direct dust and debris away, leaving behind a clean surface.

For more information on shot blasting and preparing your commercial location concrete floors or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Concrete Surface Preparation

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

When it comes to making an investment to protect your concrete floor, one of the most important aspects that quite often goes overlooked is the type of preparation that the floor will require in order to ensure that your investment pays off for the long haul. There have been many debates over the years about what kind of surface prep is the minimum requirement for various coatings, overlays, or sealing systems.

custom concrete floors polished concrete

Muriatic acid etching is often prescribed as the minimum requirement for surface preparation of concrete prior to installing any kind of paint, coating, overlay or self-leveling concrete. Muriatic acid etching is sufficient prep for light-duty areas that will receive regular thin mil paint or sealers but it is nowhere near enough preparation when installing a coating or any kind of concrete or gypsum based product.

When installing anything other than paint, it is extremely important to implement surface preparation technologies such as diamond grinding or shot blasting. Shot blasting, the more aggressive of the two options, is often prescribed when installing thicker systems, usually 20 mils thick or more. The reason is because shot blasting your floor will leave an aggressive pattern after the surface preparation is complete. However, this is idea for proper adhesion of any non-liquid floor topping system.

For less aggressive needs, such as paint removal, mastic removal or glue removal, grinding is sufficient surface preparation. In other cases, when you are installing a coating or a paint that is thinner in nature, grinding is the best way to go in order to ensure a smooth finish and proper adhesion.

At The Floor Company, all of our surface preparation equipment is backed up by HEPA grade vacuum systems designed for concrete and construction dust.We have grinding and shot blasting solutions for any size of project. Contact us today for a quote

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Self-Levelling Epoxy Floor Makeover

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Greg Bell in Blog with Comments Disabled

In the world of decorative concrete flooring and concrete floor rejuvenation, it would be a challenge to find a more drastic change in less time than getting a self-levelling epoxy floor installed.

It might seem almost counter intuitive that a mix comprised 50% of sand would be self-levelling but that is exactly the case here. Sand is added to epoxy in order to allow it be installed up to 20 times thicker in one go compared to liquid applied epoxy alone.

The sand serves as a “motivating” factor in the process. As the sand settles, it displaces liquid epoxy to the surface where it lays out and flattens, creating a near perfect level surface. The sand also creates an aggregate matrix within the coating. This piled up sand results in a highly impact resistant concrete floor.

Given the fact that so much thickness can be added to the floor in one go, we will often find ourselves installing it on surfaces that, just days before the building owner was considering ripping out and replacing. Doing so would have resulted in a much higher cost. Not only that, what you end up with when you replace a concrete slab is a smooth surface, however, one that is unprotected and will end up just the same as the one that’s just been replaced.

In the end, save for any contamination or structural issues, coating a floor with a self-levelling epoxy is by far the best choice for the long term because of; less interruption to room access but also financially short term and long term.

Check out the photos below for a better understanding of just how far you can take a floor from beatdown to new.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

To ensure your concrete and coating contractor is able install self-levelling epoxy, test your floor for compatibility before making an investment. While epoxy is usually a great way to go, it takes a professional to ensure that you aren’t better served with one of the many other materials out there today.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

What Are The Different Types of Garage Floor Coverings?

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Concrete is very resilient and can stand up to all kinds of abuse if it provides the right protection. The garage floor has to endure traffic, oil spills, heavy objects falling on it, and other such problems. To maintain its looks, it’s essential to apply a good, resilient coating to it. There are three ways to go about this. You can apply a latex paint on the floor, add an epoxy coating, or apply polyurethane.

At The Floor Company, we recommend our clients to consider their needs and requirements carefully before choosing a garage floor coating. Let’s consider the options:

Latex- This is the most affordable coating available to you. Latex is very easy to apply. It’s essentially like paint and you need to do nothing but use regular rollers and brushes to apply a coat onto the floor. Unfortunately, if you want something this affordable, you’ll need to compromise on the quality.

Latex coatings are susceptible to peeling and chipping. You’ll also need to apply several coats of it to get an even finish. In essence, it’s great for a quick, cost-effective application, but not so great for resilience and durability.

Epoxy – While this coating is slightly more expensive than latex, it’s still quite affordable. This material is resilient and will last for several years. You’re essentially coating your garage floor in plastic when you apply this material. The finish is very glossy, sleek, and smooth, giving your garage a clean look.

This material won’t lift, is very durable, looks great and has many colour and finish options. However, the application process is complicated and should only be done by a professional concrete floor coating team.

Polyurethane –This is the coating to choose for the professional garage. It has a very high level of durability and can resist chemical and oil spills very well. It’s also available in a variety of colours and finishes for an attractive garage. However, this coating is more expensive and might not be for the regular home garage. The application process is very complicated as well and you’ll need to hire a professional concrete floor coating team.

For more information on polished concrete, or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Epoxy Flooring Over Concrete vs. VCT Tiles

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Epoxy Flooring Over Concrete vs. VCT Tiles There are several flooring treatments you can place on a concrete substrate. Some of the more popular applications, especially for commercial, high traffic floors or garages are epoxy flooring and Vinyl Composite Tile, (or VCT). Both of them are used in a variety of different applications with great results. But how do they compare?

Here’s a brief overview of the merits of both and how they compare against each other. While the end decision usually comes down to the budget, both have distinct advantages.

Affordability

Without question, the upfront cost of VCT is more affordable. The tiles aren’t that expensive, laying them doesn’t cost much by way of time and effort. Naturally, if you’re on a strict budget, VCT is a good option for you.

On the other hand, an epoxy coating is more expensive and more difficult to install. Sometimes, the upfront cost of the installation is a deterrent. However, if you have room in your budget, this is a better long term solution in comparison to VCT.

Maintenance

The key difference between epoxy coatings and VCT is maintenance. The coating requires little to no maintenance. You can simply wipe or mop the surface regularly to preserve its looks.

This is where VCT might fail. While vinyl doesn’t require too much maintenance to preserve its looks, you might need to wipe, buff, and wax it regularly. This can become tedious after some years. Moreover, over time, wax get’s accumulated and needs to be stripped completely before reapplying. This can add to the costs.

Application

Both epoxy coatings and VCT tiles are easy to apply on your concrete substrate. In both cases, the substrate needs to be in good enough condition for the layers to look good.

Most people can install VCT as a weekend DIY project. All you need to go is clean the floor thoroughly, apply a thin layer of glue, and then add the VCT. Any DIY person can accomplish this easily.

Applying an epoxy coating requires a little more skill. You need to account for the curing time between different coatings so if you plan to do it yourself, the project would take several weeks. A professional will be able to finish quickly and do a great job.

For more information on polished concrete, or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Belleville, Peterborough Kingston or Durham, simply dial this number-1877 277 9877. Alternatively, email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or use this contact us form to connect with us.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Eco Polish Decorative Concrete Flooring

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

“Eco Polish” is how we have branded our grinded concrete clear epoxy floor. We have coined it this because it is both economical and ecologically friendly.

The Eco Polish floor is recommended for those who want an exposed aggregate floor but also need stain resistance, deep colour, water proofing, salt resistance and more.

It is especially recommended for those spaces that are commercial and street facing in climates that get snow. This is because traditional exposed aggregate floors, such as polished concrete, are often porous. Porous floors that are installed in frequently wet and salt exposed areas will certainly degrade years before an epoxy coated floor.

Here is the Eco Polished Concrete process:

1) First we grind the floor to expose the stones and evenly remove all of the “cream coat”. This ensures even saturation of the epoxy leading to a consistent colour and durability.
2) Then we repair the floor. Typically this means filling cracks, joints, holes and divots with an epoxy paste we make using the very grinding dust from your floor, to help with colour keying to your final surface.
3) We then coat the floor in solid epoxy. (The 100% solids part means there are no smelly solvents used.)

So far, we have described our basic Eco Polish floor. At this point, the floor is complete and contains all of the benefits we went over above. However, the floor may have some imperfections such as air contamination, dust, bugs etc… caught in the surface. This happens at times because the epoxy is sticky when it’s curing for up to 8 hours.

As a highly recommended option, we suggest finishing this new surface with one coat of urethane. Urethane (available in matte, satin, and gloss sheens) is preferred because it provides UV stability, abrasion resistance and, by nature of installation method and its quick cure window, a near perfect sheen and texture.

Another great benefit to our Eco Polish concrete floors is that they are very forgiving. Should you run a busy commercial space for example, and your maintenance lapses, these floors are usually quite resilient and will recover rather well as compared to traditional non-coated polished concrete.

While Eco Polish floors may take about 30% longer to install than regular polished concrete, the longevity and ease of ownership create a great reward long term, and the look is unparalleled in the industry.

We think you’ll love all of our exposed aggregate options, speak to a professional today to help decide which one works for your space.

Why is Polished Concrete so Popular?

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Today, there are many people who are considering having a polished concrete floor on their property. The option is becoming increasingly popular amongst homeowners who have had a chance to witness some truly stunning designs. At The Floor Company, we’ve seen many people opt for polished concrete flooring and never regret it.

What is Polished Concrete?

In essence, it’s a concrete floor that’s highly polished to give it a shine. You can add different colours, create a variety of patterns, embed aggregates, pebbles, and even recycled glass to get a beautiful design. These floors can be polished to have a dull, matte look, low sheen, a slightly cloudy shine, or a high, glass-like sheen with clarity.

Why Are They so Popular?

Polished concrete is becoming popular because of the wide variety of benefits they offer compared to flooring alternatives:

Design Options – There’s no end of choice here. You can have any colour, design or the finish you need. The sheer versatility of concrete is one of its best features. As mentioned earlier, you can create stunning designs and effects by adding aggregates like coloured stone, crushed shells, recycled glass, etc.

Relatively Low Cost – While the costs vary from place to place, concrete flooring is relatively cheaper to other flooring options. The polishing cost depends on the number of rounds the grinder would have to make on the surface. If you want a highly glossy floor, it’ll be more costly.

Longer Life – Polished concrete is resilient and not as susceptible to damage as other flooring options. With careful maintenance, you won’t need to replace it for several years.

Health Benefits – Concrete flooring is actually very hygienic. The possibility of dust mites, mold, dirt, etc is low. Moreover, you don’t need to use hazardous coatings, or adhesives. It’s a highly sustainable flooring option.

Low Maintenance – It requires very little maintenance. You can mop it daily with water and floor cleaners. The floor won’t require waxing or sealers and will maintain its sheen for a long time. It is recommended that you use only neutral pH cleaners on the floors.

Because of the various benefits of polished concrete floorings, it has become an ideal option for both residential and commercial properties.

For more information on polished concrete, or to get an estimate, you can contact The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form.

Self-Levelling Epoxy Flooring Vs Concrete Levellers

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Concrete floors and wood sub-floors are never perfectly flat or exactly level. All pre-manufactured flooring has a specific allowance for levelness and flatness. When it comes to getting a floor level and flat to the specification required, a concrete self levelling overlay or underlay is often the solution.

BEFORE Self Leveling Concrete Process

There is a difference between and underlay and an overlay, in fact, in our opinion they should be called pre-layments and final-layments.

Underlayment: This is a leveller that is not designed to be used as a finished surface. It is to be used as a base for a flooring system such as carpet, tile or hard wood.

Overlayment: This is a levelling agent or system that can be a wear course or final floor topping. It is still recommended that it be sealed with epoxy or similar.

DURING Self Leveling Concrete Process

Now, focusing on overlayment, let’s discuss the reasons one should choose epoxy over a concrete or gypsum bases overlayments.

Firstly: adhesion. You might think concrete would have the best adhesion to a concrete but in fact epoxies have been shown to have a much stronger bond. This is because when applied, epoxies are much more liquid like than concrete and therefore are able to penetrate the slab and expand in is pores. This requires proper surface preparation via grinding or shot blasting.

With concrete overlays, the bond is achieved on the surface only using a proprietary binder or primer. While this does work in effect, it’s not nearly as strong or as well bonded as 100% solids 2 part epoxy.

Another huge benefit to using epoxy for a self-leveling overlay is the fact that epoxy itself is a sealer. In theory, assuming your floor doesn’t require more than one coat of epoxy self-levelling overlay, you could do one coat and your floor would be level, sealed and the colour you want.

AFTER Self Leveling Concrete Process

With a concrete self-levelling overlay you would have to wait for the concrete to cure, sand it, then clean and vacuum and then apply an approved sealer.

Unlike concrete overlays, epoxy overlays have many options concerning non slip and final sheen. Epoxies also bond well with other coatings where as concrete overlays often fail in the department.

To ensure the best outcome when levelling a floor you will not be covering with other flooring, you best bet is to choose a leveller that can withstand years of wear and tear on it’s own without requiring a sealer. That solutions, is self levelling epoxy. If you have any questions about Self-Levelling Epoxy Flooring Vs Concrete Levellers, ask our team today!

Why You Should Test Concrete Before Finishing a Floor

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

You’ve heard the expression before: “Measure twice cut once”.

When it comes to concrete slabs, this is doubly important because an error in judgment or a lack of uncovering underlying issues, is much more costly when coating concrete than with just about any other renovation or addition to a structure.

It’s very important to test for multiple conditions in concrete before finishing a floor. This is especially true when choosing a finish that is not porous and doesn’t allow the slab to breathe.
improper floor preparation
If there is contamination in the slab that has not completely gassed off (evaporated) or been worn away, this may not even be noticeable prior to putting a coating down. Once the floor can no longer breathe, you may become surprised to see some unwelcome additions to your finish such as; bubbling, hollow spots or complete de-lamination can be the end result of trapped floor contamination.

It is also very important to check the slab porosity, hardness, pH levels and moisture content.

There are do it yourself ways to test all of these variables; however, they typically only test one extreme end of the range of measurement.

Concrete flooring professionals can provide you with the results and peace of mind you need prior to making an investment in decorative or protective concrete flooring. In fact, even if you are installing your own tile or hardwood it is always a good idea to have a concrete professional come to your project and test for moisture and porosity prior to install.

In the case of hardwood flooring, high moisture can cause warping and swelling. With tile, low porosity could leave to a bad bond of the glue or mortar.

When working on concrete close to exterior walls or foundations or even in garages, it is very common to see a white powder – called efflorescence appearing due to high moisture content. While in some cases the moisture content causing this a efflorescence is low enough to be coated, however, in other cases if coating was the action taken, it would most certainly lead to a failure.

Hardness of concrete is also a factor when choosing to seal or paint. When sealing or painting a concrete slab it is very important to prepare the surface via abrasion. If the concrete is too hard, which can be measured using the MOHS scale, it very like won’t be a good surface to receive a topping until it has been grinded via diamond segments. This is because high hardness and low porosity are quite often found in the same places.

To ensure success with flooring over any concrete surface, your best bet is to have a concrete professional provide you some data on your slab before install.

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