How (NOT) to destroy your industrial concrete flooring

There are several factors that are critical to the life of your industrial concrete flooring, not the least of which is the professional flooring installer you choose. You want to ensure you hire an installer who can perform the proper surface preparation and who understands the specific needs of your operation in order to provide the longest-lasting floor coating possible. With that in mind, here are some of the most destructive elements to your industrial flooring and what you can do to prevent them. 

Sugar and Other Acidic Food Substances

Many people don’t realize how acidic sugar is. As a chemical with a very low pH, sugar is extremely corrosive. It’s so corrosive, in fact, that our food processing clients with bakeries and sauce manufacturing facilities require a high-performance floor coating to prevent sugars from eating away their flooring. For bakery clients, we install a virtually indestructible floor coating that meets FDA and USDA regulations and is also easy to clean. 

Moisture

In addition to catastrophic moisture such as leaks and flooding, persistent humidity can also be disastrous for concrete floors. It can cause swelling and cracking in the substrate, affecting the 

overall durability and safety of the floor. Moisture can also lead to mildew and mold, which can cause safety concerns as well as unsightly stains. If humidity, leaks, or flooding is a risk in your region, ask your flooring specialist about a moisture mitigation solution for your facility. 

Cleaning chemicals

Often the chemicals required for disinfecting food-grade tankers and other food processing equipment are highly acidic and can quickly cause damage to the flooring in these facilities if not properly contained. Surface Solutions has years of experience installing heavy-duty flooring for food processing and other food industry operations with a formula that’s built to withstand corrosive chemicals and frequent cleaning.

Impact from heavy equipment and vehicles

In addition to the physical weight of heavy equipment like forklifts, tractor-trailers, and other vehicles that can cause fractures and damage to a surface over time, the black tire marks from forklifts can build up and compromise the slip resistance and appearance of your industrial concrete flooring. Concrete polishing is one way we transform worn-out floors, beginning by grinding and sanding the surface and finishing it with a stain guard sealer. 

Talk to Surface Solutions

If you’re beginning to see early signs of deterioration in your facility’s industrial concrete flooring, reach out to an expert flooring technician at Surface Solutions. We can determine the most suitable approach for repairing or replacing your flooring and the best materials to keep it safe and durable for as long as possible. Get a quote, or call us at 317-388-8000.