Options for heavy traffic areas

A bare concrete floor is vulnerable to damage. Accidents can occur anywhere, but especially in a warehouse facility or other environments with heavy traffic. Choosing the right floor coating to meet the demands of durability and safety, whilst also taking appearance into consideration, can be a challenge.

Epoxy

One solution is to apply an Epoxy Floor Coating. An epoxy floor coating can provide an anti-slip finish, seals porous surfaces, prevents staining, improves durability, and will brighten up drab concrete. Epoxy is a thermosetting polymer formed from the reaction of an epoxide "resin" with a polyamine "hardener." The two components are kept separate until just before use. When mixed together, the components undergo a chemical reaction that forms an extremely tough coating, which is able to withstand high levels of traffic. The properties of an epoxy coating means it can be applied to rough or uneven surfaces fairly easily, is waterproof, is resistant to oils, solvents and harsh chemicals, and is extremely durable and long-lasting. These properties will provide high strength coating to floors, many times more protective than traditional one part paint. Epoxy will protect a concrete floor from chipping, will act as a sealant against a range of spills including corrosive chemicals, and can provide a non slip coating (anti slip versions), so protecting pedestrians from potential slips and falls.

Polyaspartic

For particularly heavy wear areas, it is also worth considering products based polyaspartic resin technology. Polyaspartic is a two part reactive resin system which offers significant benefits over traditional epoxy resins when used as a basis for paint coatings. Polyaspartic systems will cure at much lower temperatures than epoxy resin, at normal temperatures can cure twice as quickly, and won’t become faded/discoloured by UV light when used outside. Polyaspartic technology is used in coatings for corrosion protection for commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction equipment, wind power stations and the construction industry. Due to its curing performance at ambient and low temperature, this technology is a highly attractive alternative to epoxy coatings in demanding applications conditions.

Powerfloat

The properties of a Powerfloat (polished concrete) floor, make this form of finishing popular in areas with heavy traffic. The smooth, hard surface is achieved by a power float machine, something that looks like a large garden lawn mower with a series of rotating blades underneath that smooth out and polish the partially set concrete surface. The result is ultra-hard and smooth, and is a much superior finish to the traditional hand trowelled floor. But this toughness also makes sealing and painting tricky as it is extremely hard and dense and this can pose real problems for painting or sealing.

Paint can find it difficult to adhere and will peel off and the result looks messy. Most surfaces need a degree of absorption or texture to make the paint grip. For a powerfloat floor, most paint manufacturers recommend shot blasting to open up the surface so that the paint penetrates. This approach can work but many of the powerfloat floor’s desirable, smooth, hardwearing properties are blasted away. Acid etching is also recommended but this simply doesn’t work effectively. Using a special Powerfloat Sealer eliminates the need for both shot blasting and acid etching. The sealer can be applied direct to the floor by roller, to successfully seal and enhance the attractive look of the natural, polished concrete, so keeping all the benefits of a smooth, hard, virtually maintenance free floor, in contrast to a floor textured by shotblasting, which can be difficult to keep clean.

Floorings for outside areas need additional consideration, with the weather playing a part. Areas that will be used by pedestrians can be affected by adverse weather so Watco Anti-Slip Traffic Paint can be applied providing a textured anti slip surface. GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) is also an excellent safety product,  available in many different styles, i.e. sheets, treads, and step covers, making it ideal for difficult and awkward spaces. If outside repairs need to be carried out in the cold, then there are cold curing products that should be considered.

{EMBED(807422)}