Concrete Maintenance

The challenge of dealing with water in vapor form is a primary concern of Paul Frankel, president of William M. Perkins Co., a San Diego painting and coating company with an extensive project portfolio that includes decorative and protective coatings on concrete.

A high-strength cementitious material gave contractors exactly what they needed to restore this venerable and historic building.

Within the concrete industry there is a common misconception that polished concrete means no maintenance, when in reality keeping up a polished floor simply requires low maintenance.

First Federal Savings Bank, Sheridan, Wyo., asked Doug Carlton if there was an overlay that could improve their cracked, uneven parking lot. He told them no. The crack pattern shows a problem beyond random cracking. He guessed that the concrete is too thin or not properly reinforced, or that the subgrade had failed.

Acid-stained concrete has been popular for decades. The process of acid staining is well documented, as are the key precautionary items to look for before and during application. Thanks to real-world experience, continuing education and better specifications, issues with acid stains have been greatly reduced.

A garage floor is one heck of a challenging place for the beautiful artwork and skillful craftsmanship of a decorative concrete application. Hot tires, oil, battery acid, brake fluid and strong coffee make daily assaults on an applicator’s masterpiece.

The air temperature is 97 degrees F, the concrete arrives late and it turns out it’s a hot load. A set retarder is added, which only makes matters worse. The concrete now sits for eight hours before you can do anything with it. Now what?

Every year, schools and municipalities spend millions of dollars replacing old worn-out carpet and vinyl composite tiles. The cost of replacing these traditional flooring materials is quite expensive and in most cases not at all green. For the past several years facilities are looking at polished concrete as an option.

Skudo is one manufacturer of floor protection systems. Here, a worker presses a Skudo Heavy Traffic (HT) Mat into the system’s still-wet Base Coat. Once protection is no longer needed, simply pull up and discard.

An engineered piece of metal that bridges cracks to hold two pieces of concrete together and an overlay can be installed right over the top.

Moisture problems in concrete slabs old and new can play havoc with decorative concrete projects and other flooring strata in several ways, including bubbling, blistering and blushing of color. It’s commonly an interior problem because breathable products that reduce the threat are more commonly used in exterior applications.

Texas-based VLK Architects is no stranger to being recognized for its outstanding accomplishments when it comes to designing public schools such as the monumental and expressive Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center.

When this concrete was installed in 1927, the decision makers of this historic hotel wanted the assurance that the building would have the natural look so commonly seen in the High Sierras — and not the look of industrial concrete. And its still delighting guests to this day.

Picking the right sealer. Teaching the client. Selling a plan. Contractors have several ways to make sure their projects — their calling cards — stay maintained, durable and looking great.

We’re in the middle of another winter season. While it’s not predicted to be as harsh as last year’s “polar vortex” winter, we still need to be thinking about all the possible causes and sources of winter damage and eliminate them.

Smith Paint Products' new concrete cleaner, CT-8 Cleaner and Toughener, does what all cleaners should. But CT-8 doesn’t just remove dirt. It chemically changes concrete to strengthen the adhesion of decorative stains and sealers.

If done right, polished concrete — and other decorative concrete approaches — offer low-maintenance solutions in interior and exterior settings.

That’s “low-maintenance” as opposed to “no-maintenance” or “maintenance-free.”

Have you ever looked at your concrete-covered tools and wished you could just — poof! — make the hardened mess disappear?

Well, that’s the premise behind Poof!, a cleaning agent from Kover Krete Systems Inc. in Orlando, Fla.