Concrete Flooring- Concrete Imperfections
Cracks, divots and grinding in Concrete flooring
BGSB is a concrete flooring expert offering domestic and commercial pour to polish services. BGSB’s service is based on integrity and education. Concrete by its very nature has several inherent problems. Despite this correct management can alleviate their impact. To inform and educate please be aware of these issues when considering concrete as an option for your concrete flooring.
Substrate failure: Concrete depends upon the support of the ground beneath it. Poor substrate can cause concrete to sink. Control and dummy joints normally adopt any cracking but unfortunately control and dummy joints do not sense movement and don’t always adopt cracks as designed.
Moisture content: Concrete expands and contracts with moisture content. This can occur when; there is not enough direct sunlight, poor natural and or engineered drainage, where land has been rehabilitated such as wet lands, cold climates and periods of cold/wet weather .
Cement hydration: This is caused from failing to apply enough water during the initial concrete pour . Dehydration causes many little fracture cracks through out the slab that eventually expand and surface. These cracks are caused by movement, vibrations and static hydration of the concrete slab.
Expanding and contracting theory: Concrete slabs expand during the day, more during summer and contract at night or during the winter. This process continues for 99 years. Once concrete reaches its final curing stage it will not continue to produce any chemical reactions or hydrostatic movement.
Divots: Due to the nature of concrete being porous, concrete draws sand and other earthly materials that act like an abrasive element. In time, people, cars and other heavy objects graze concrete. This causes concrete flooring to wear and also leave an uneven devoted surface. A rain damage sub-floor is a typical case of a “divot surface”.
Contour Marks: In the case of existing slabs where a toppings product was never considered, there may be many trowel marks throughout the concrete slab and along the borders. The most noticeable are the control/dummy joints. These marks are highly visible after a decorative application has been applied to the surface of concrete floors.
BGSB Recommendations: It is for these reasons that no one can guarantee cracks will not appear or for your concrete to look forever new. Repaired cracks may re-appear and larger reinforcing will not alter concrete cracking.
All cracks and divots in concrete floors should be repaired with Mega-Poxy-H. Cracks should be followed through with a saw cut. The saw cut is not a guarantee but experience proves concrete cracks at its weakest point. Saw cuts are intended to provide controlled cracking.BGSB colors all saw cuts to match the applied design. This makes saw cuts almost invisible providing a continuous color across the surface of the design.
Since no product has a warranty to fill large divots, BGSB recommends grinding and grouting. This two stage process will remove up to 90% of divots and contour marks. This process also fits in the supplier guidelines and warranty threshold. Control and dummy joints can also be filled with Mega-Poxy-H and saw cut for a near new finish.
