CPC Floor Coatings Blog

Does your facility have a moisture problem? Maybe you come in the morning to find a wet or damp concrete floor. Or worse, perhaps you just had your floors done in the last few months and have discovered your new floor coating is already peeling or blistering.

If you’ve already checked for leaks and have controlled for weather-related humidity but are still having issues, it could be that the moisture is coming through the concrete slab itself.

There’s nothing more frustrating than taking time out of your production schedule to have a new floor coating installed, only to have it peel or crack just months (or days!) later. What causes new floor coatings to fail?

Here are some of the most common causes for floor coating peeling, bubbling and more:

Oil residues

Does your facility regularly uses oils, greases or corrosive substances? If these have ever been spilled on your floor, they may have soaked into the concrete at some point (after all, concrete is a porous material).

Previously on our blog, we’ve discussed some of the workplace safety hazards that damp concrete floors can pose, including the risk of slipping accidents and respiratory issues caused by mold.

If you’ve noticed your facility’s concrete floors are wet or damp in the morning, there are a couple of potential causes. The moisture could merely be condensation resulting from temperature differences between the air and the concrete. However, the moisture could actually be coming from the concrete itself—either as a byproduct of the curing process, or as vapor from the ground works its way up through the porous floor. (For a fuller explanation, see our recent post Why is our facility’s concrete floor wet?)

Maintain your concrete floors to keep your employees safe

We know that workplace safety is your priority, and no employer wants to see their workers injured on the job. However, when you work in an industrial-style setting—such as a warehouse, manufacturing plant or even commercial kitchen—you may find that you have unique safety challenges related to your concrete flooring.

One way you can protect your employees from slip-and-fall accidents as well as a number of other health hazards is to make sure your facility’s floors are properly maintained. Below are common flooring-related hazards to be aware of, plus tips for how to prevent them:

Are you looking for a colorful way to brighten up your warehouse, retail space or clinic? Does your production floor need marked pathways to improve the traffic flow of people and machines?

Most of us are familiar with the concept of simple paint or even just colored tape. However, there are an array of floor coating options that not only provide beautiful color, but will protect and enhance the performance of your floors as well.

Have you ever come into your facility first thing in the morning to find your concrete floor damp or sweaty? Have you found puddles in low-lying areas, or noticed that your new floor coating is starting to blister or get discolored?

Besides being an unsightly nuisance, a wet concrete floor can cause a host of other problems. It can compromise worker safety by creating slippery surfaces, can damage sensitive equipment, and can cause mold problems, especially if there’s wood or carpeting on top. If the floor is coated with epoxy or another coating, moisture can cause it to bubble, stain, peel, or crack.

If you’ve ruled out the possibility of a leak from the roof or from your equipment, you may be dealing with an issue with the concrete floor itself. So what are common causes for wet concrete floors?

Recently our crew applied a protective coating to a concrete off-loading containment ramp for an aerospace client. Since this ramp functions as a containment area, it was important that we chose a coating that is chemical resistant as well as one that could stand up to the outdoor elements.

Our Concrete Coating Solution

Our team applied a water-based, modified urethane coating, which features characteristics of both epoxy and urethane. It protects the concrete underneath from chemical attack, and it’s strong enough to provide wear resistance and prevent impact damage that may happen during loading and unloading heavy materials. The concrete ramp coating is also non-slip for increased worker safety.

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If you’re looking for an economical way to upgrade the concrete flooring in your restaurant, hospital, customer lobby or manufacturing plant, you may want to consider getting your floor polished to an attractive shine. Polishing concrete actually increases the floor’s hardness, is relatively easy to maintain, and can be enhanced with colors in addition to the glossy texture.

But does the smooth surface of polished concrete make it slippery for you employees or customers? Generally, no. But there are definitely some cases in which you don’t want to use it. 

Polished concrete is NOT slippery when dry

Though the process of polishing compresses the surface of the concrete by pushing the molecules closer together, the end product is still slightly porous. When kept clean, polished concrete has about as much grip as regular concrete, and provides better foot traction than marble or even some linoleum surfaces.  

Whether you’re building a brand-new facility or renovating your current one, you don’t want to overlook the importance of flooring that will stand up to your industry’s day-to-day operations and keep employees safe. There aren’t many simple one-size-fits-all solutions out there, especially if your facility does specialized work. So how do you determine what kind of floor coating or flooring system you need to be looking for?

Here are three steps that will get you started on finding the right flooring fit:

Once you’ve decided on the right floor coating solution for your facility and have it professionally applied, you’ll want to keep it in top shape for a long time to come. Whether you’ve chosen to go with polished concrete, an epoxy or urethane coating, or a specialized solution, a little precaution will go a long way in extending the longevity of your floors and keeping them looking their best.

Here are five ways to protect your flooring investment: