Concrete preparation is possibly the most important part of installing a new decorative concrete flooring system or coating, yet it seems to be forgotten by many homeowners and even contractors. If you want to successfully install a decorative concrete floor, you need to first have a clean and repaired concrete slab. Starting with a clean slab allows the new coating or flooring system to bond with the concrete substrate.
Why Do Coatings Fail?
The reality is, most concrete coatings fail because of improper concrete preparation. Too often, not enough work is done to prepare the substrate. Because of this, the coating doesn’t fully bond with the concrete, which leads to the coating delaminating down the road.
If you want a durable, long lasting decorative concrete floor, the first step is preparing your concrete.
Tips for Preparing Your Concrete
Before you install a decorative concrete flooring system or coating, the first step is preparing your concrete surface. This can be as simple as pressure washing your driveway to grinding your concrete with a Warrior concrete grinding machine. In either case, you should do your best to clean and prepare your concrete substrate so it’s ready for the new concrete floor coating. Some tougher floors may require extra preparation work, including removal of previous coatings and even shot-blasting to open up the concrete’s pores to allow better adhesion. In any case, proper concrete preparation is key for starting your new decorative concrete floor or coating.
The Concrete Protector Can Help
The Concrete Protector® sells only the best decorative concrete supplies and this includes Warrior® grinding machines. Warrior® is the leading concrete grinder brand in Europe and The Concrete Protector® is their official North American distributor. Because of this, we are able to bring you the best concrete preparation machines on the market today. If you’re looking to prepare your concrete or the concrete of a client, choose The Concrete Protector® and our top of the line Warrior® grinding machines.
For more information about concrete preparation, visit The Concrete Protector