Over time, cracks can develop in industrial concrete floors, especially from forklifts and other types of heavy machinery that regularly travel throughout a facility. Dealing with these cracks can be a hassle, as even a simple service call can become a customer service nightmare.
Here are some ways you can repair your industrial concrete floors on your own.
Table of Contents
Cleaning the Floors
The first step you’ll want to take prior to actually getting to work on repairing the floor is to clean it. This will entail removing all loose materials from the surface that requires filling. Always remember that the concrete should be completely dry and free of grease or other substances that could make repairs ineffective.
Fill the Cracks
Using a concrete repair filler, you can then begin to fill in all of the cracks until they’re slightly overfilled. After two or more hours, the filler should have dried and successfully filled all of the cracks entirely.
Keep in mind that overfilling is better than underfilling, because you want to make sure all of your cracks are completely filled for effective repair or concrete resurfacing projects..
Sand the Floor
Once the filler has dried, you can then sand any rough edges to smoothen the floor again. Again, it’s far better to overfill and spend more time sanding than to neglect to fill cracks enough, as the cracks will otherwise likely form again soon after the repairs.
Finish with Floor Coatings or Paints
Depending on the type of floor you have, you can use either epoxy floor coating or another type of coating or paint. A finished floor will be consistently protected from additional damage, and will greatly expand the lifetime of your floors, saving you time and money in the long run.
However, you should understand that not all floors will be compatible with a certain coating or paint, which makes it important to consult with floor coating experts if you want the right solution.
While you can perform this step on your own if experienced enough, you’re better off working with professional epoxy coating companies and painters if you want the best results, using the best available equipment and materials in the industry.
Keep Your Floors in Good Shape
Many businesses often overlook their industrial concrete flooring, but the fact is that this is a crucial element of any facility, accommodating foot and heavy machinery traffic while also helping maintain a safe work environment. Without a well-maintained concrete floor, facilities will likely suffer.
For repairs that are small enough, you can perform these on your own, but depending on the extent of the damage, you may want to contact concrete repair experts and floor coating companies that can get the job done efficiently and effectively.
While you may spend more money doing the latter, you may find that you reduce maintenance costs in the long term while benefiting from a fully functional floor that keeps employees safe and operations efficient.