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Industrial Flooring Options in Ottawa

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Floors in industrial premises undergo considerable amount of wear and tear so they need to be resilient and durable. Concrete is a great option for industrial flooring but these surfaces do need finishing for added protection. There are many options available to you and some finishes are better than others in an industrial setting. At The Floor Company, we recommend the finishes listed below.

epoxy coating ottawa

Epoxy Flooring 

Epoxy flooring is very popular because it is affordable and relatively easy to apply. Epoxy floors are also quite durable and won’t damage easily with chemical spills. The surface is also very easy to maintain so you just need to sweep and mop it up to make sure it’s clean and presentable. Epoxy coatings need proper surface preparation before application because you can’t apply the epoxy over uneven or damaged substrate. The concrete underneath should be in good condition.

The application also takes a little time because the epoxy needs to cure between coatings. Once it’s completely cured and installed, you can expect the flooring to last for 3 to 5 years without problems.

Concrete Polishing

Concrete polishing is also a very popular way to finish a floor in industrial properties. It’s much more durable than epoxy coatings, though it’s also more expensive to install. Polishing hardens the surface and makes it very dense. This ensures any chemicals or oils don’t sink into the surface. The concrete just isn’t porous or soft enough to sustain stains.

There are many levels of polishing; so you can choose from a matte finish to a glossy shine based on your requirements. The higher grade of polish would require finer grits and more time so it can be more expensive. Polishing floors also takes time because the surface must first be prepared and all cracks must be patched before a contractor can polish it.

The time and labor involved makes concrete polishing a more expensive alternative to epoxy floorings. However, polishing lasts much longer and is more durable. It’s also more suitable for industrial environments. The upfront cost might be high, but the cost of maintenance is very low and the floor can last for a very long time.

For information on industrial flooring options 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, Bellevielle, 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

UV Stability and Resistance in Concrete Coatings

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Exposure to sunlight and the UV rays are often a grave concern with reference to concrete coatings. Some coatings can fade or yellow over time because of the exposure to the sun. This significantly shortens the lifespan of the coatings, and forces you to change them regularly.epoxy flooring ottawa concrete

There are some coatings that are more resistant to wear and tear than others. If you want a longer life for your concrete floor coatings, we at The Floor Company, recommend that you consider your options carefully.

Epoxy Coatings

Epoxy has several advantages. It’s more affordable than other options available to you in the market. It’s also easier to handle and apply than other common concrete coatings. Unfortunately, for all its conveniences, epoxy coatings are actually very susceptible to the harsh outdoor weather and UV rays. Within a few years, you may see a distinct yellow or amber tinge to the epoxy coating that can turn your beautiful, polished finish into something not so perfect.

While there are some UV resistant epoxy coatings available in the market, they don’t stand up against the other products available in the market. If you want to use a coating on the floor that might be exposed to sun, it’s a good idea to avoid epoxy when sealing outdoor work.

Urethane Coatings

This is a more expensive coating but it certainly delivers in terms of performance. This coating is a little more time consuming to apply. However, it is highly UV resistant and doesn’t yellow easily. You can expect 5 to 8 years of durability from this coating.

This coating is great for floors with high traffic and is also chemical and stain resistant. This concrete floor coating isn’t as hard as epoxy so it’s a little more resistant to stains. As its UV stable, it doesn’t fade, and it’s also more resistant to temperature variations.

Other surfaces like latex and vinyl aren’t as resistant to UV rays and temperature variations. They shouldn’t be used in outdoor applications if you want a durable surface that looks good as well.

For more information on coated, UV resistant 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, Peterborough,Belleville and Durham, simply 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

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.custom concrete floors garage

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 TilesThere 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. Eco polish concrete floor ottawa

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.

Acid Stained Concrete Vs. Dyes and Tints

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

While most people are happy with a natural coloured concrete slab, some opt for a more brilliant colour or just a slight change in the tone of grey and light beige’s that are naturally occurring when polishing and/or sealing concrete.

Acid Stains

In the past, the most common way to change the colour of a concrete slab was to do an acid stain or acid wash.

Acid stains require a lot of labor and immense amounts of water to be introduced into the slab in order to carry the acid and the resulting reaction that occurs when the acid and concrete properties meet.
Acid Stained Concrete Vs. Dyes and Tints colour chart
While this technique is time tested and proven, it does present certain issues such as adding a lot of moisture to a slab that is  going to be sealed next.

Using water to penetrate and stain a concrete slab means that the slab will have to dry for many days prior to a sealer being applied. Even when using a water-based sealer, there is a certain risk that is being taken when applying it to a floor that was recently wet or damp. The sealer could flake off or be weaker in the long run. Also, if you require an impact resistant floor or wish to finish with a coating such as an epoxy or a polyaspartic, the floor must be grinded first prior to being sealed.

When doing an acid stain, this is not necessarily the best outcome as grinding the floor prior to staining it will reduce its ability to take on a new colour

Concrete DyesAcid Stained Concrete Vs. Dyes and Tints 1

Decorative concrete dyes and concrete dye systems have come a long way and, in our opinion have replaced acid stains as the go-to product to use for staining concrete that will be sealed or polished.

These decorative dye systems are first sprayed down on the floor and either scrubbed in or left to dry. There is no need to neutralize them with large amounts of water or neutralizing agents. This means that, the floor can be polished or sealed on the same day that it was stained.

Another advantage to using concrete dyes as opposed to concrete acid stains is that the colour is much more predictable because there is no requirement for a chemical reaction in order to achieve the look that you are going for.

Concrete dyes can be used to change the overall colour of the floor but can also be used to create borders, accents, logos or really any other effects you may be going for.

If you would like more information about concrete dyes and stains, please contact us today to talk to one of our specialists.

Polished Concrete Flooring Explained

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Polished concrete is the process of changing the properties of a concrete slab. First, the floor is honed in order to reduce high spots and remove weak and dusty concrete capping. Second, the floor is hardened using an environmentally friendly process. This hardening process reduces the size of the pores in the concrete and then the floor is polished using progressively finer diamond grits or diamond fragments embedded in metallic or resinous segments, once this process is complete, the new highly modified surface is guarded using a penetrating sealer and then literally baked using friction heat from a high speed burnishing process. The end result is a floor with a beautiful and naturally occurring sheen that although shiny, is not slippery.

Check out some of our polished concrete floors in our gallery

Let’s get the most common question out of the way first; is concrete cold? Polished concrete, although not as warm as carpet, tends to be warmer on the feet than tile. This is because unlike tile, polished concrete absorbs more air polished concrete floors ottawatemperature because it is a more porous material than a glazed tile. While not as warm as carpet or any other flooring, with an underlayment or a subfloor under it, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

Unlike linoleum or other floating floors, polished concrete does not make an artificial squishy sound under your foot. Polished concrete leads to a high quality natural stone feel adding a rich high end feel to your home.

Other advantages to polished concrete are its natural reflective properties. These properties give your space a calming characteristic that is conducive to a natural and relaxing environment.

If you have children, pets or an environment that requires frequent sweeping like a woodworking room or art studio, polished concrete cannot be beat. You can see such floors at big box stores like Ikea, Home Depot, Walmart and more residential areas like high end lofts and condos.

Polished concrete is the process of changing the properties of an existing floor as opposed to purchasing and adding a floor to your space, therefore, the environmental impact both during installation and in the future when modifying or disposing of a property is greatly reduced compared to using a manufactured product.

Installing a polished concrete floor in your home or commercial location could take 2-3 days depending on the amount of square footage. If you are looking for a flooring company to turn your floor into polished concrete, contact us today for a free no obligation estimate.