How to Choose the Right Floor Coating
The right floor coating depends on how the floor is used and what condition it is in. Choosing on looks or price alone is the most common reason a floor coating fails early. These are the questions that decide it.
1. How is the floor used?
A showroom with foot traffic is a different job from a warehouse with vehicles and equipment, or a workshop where oil is spilled. Tell your contractor what actually happens on the floor every day, including the heaviest equipment and any spills.
2. What condition is the concrete in?
Cracks, damaged areas, old coatings, oil contamination and loose surfaces all need dealing with before anything is applied. A coating only performs as well as the concrete beneath it.
3. Is there moisture in the slab?
Moisture in the concrete has to be considered before coating. If it is ignored, the coating can fail. Ask your contractor how it will be checked and addressed.
4. Is the area indoors or outdoors?
Floors that are exposed to weather and sunlight are not the same as indoor floors. Say where the floor is so the right system is recommended.
5. What should it look like?
Decide whether you want a plain coating or a decorative one such as an epoxy flake floor, and what colours suit your brand or building. A logo can be set into a flake floor.
6. How long can the area be out of use?
Coatings need time to cure. Tell us when the space can be closed off, and whether the work must be done in phases or over weekends.
What to ask any contractor
- How will the floor be prepared?
- How will moisture in the slab be handled?
- Which system do you recommend for how I use the floor, and why?
- How long before the floor can be used?
- Is everything itemised in the quote?
Send us the size of the area, how it is used and photos of the floor, and we will advise on the right system. See our page on industrial epoxy floors in Pretoria.