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Crack Chasing and Joint Filling
Self Levelling
Moisture mitigation comes after any removal, grinding, or shot blasting that may be needed is complete, and before self levelling if needed. When testing concrete for moisture, it’s recommended that a simple moisture test is done before installing any flooring, which can now be done in as little as 24 hours. Flooring problems because of moisture vapour transmission can cost the owners billions of dollars each year. Moisture Vapour Transmission (MVT) is the movement of water vapour from higher to lower concentrations as it attempts to reach balance within its overall environment. MVT problems plague impervious and permeable flooring materials including epoxy, urethane, tile, wood, vinyl, and carpet. Very often, the end result could be chipping and pitting, adhesive reversion and cracking, heaving, disbondment, blistering, and pinholes. If left untreated it can introduce health concerns associated with Sick Building Syndrome by aiding the growth of algae, bacteria, mildew and mold, as well as inducing rot.
Excess moisture and water can wreak havoc on your flooring products and ultimately lead to a failure. Moisture can come from high water tables, drainage deposits, residual water from run-off or irrigation, broken or leaky plumbing or lack of, or improper installation of a positive side moisture barrier. Providing a reliable moisture control is an important surface preparation factor and an essential part of new floor installations. If hiring a contractor, make sure that they have experience in moisture mitigation. Otherwise, you will be throwing a lot of money down the drain and will have to redo the entire floor over again properly.
Aritzia Store at Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton, Ontario had moisture mitigation issues.
A particular project completed by TTM Finishes Inc. for Aritzia at Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton, Ontario is a case point where moisture mitigation was essential. The previous contractors did not properly measure the moisture levels in the flooring beforehand, causing the project to fail. The flooring was completed, checked by the manufacturer of the coatings and solved a major flooring problem for Aritzia. The project completed by TTM Finishes also went on to win a people’s choice award for Concrete Construction magazine.
https://www.concreteconstruction.net/projects/polished-concrete-overlay-produces-showroom-quality_o
From the article:
"Because the floor is a slab on ground, the contractor also tested the relative humidity at 40% of the slab thickness and found that it measured 90% to 96%. To control moisture vapor emissions, the TTM crew applied by squeegee two coats of Ardex MC Rapid moisture barrier, backrolling it for consistent coverage. They used a modified leaf blower to broadcast sand onto the second coat."
Professional concrete contractors understand all kinds of flooring preparation concerns from moisture mitigation, demolition, floor scraping and removal to the subtle characteristics of what and how the new surface will be applied.
Types of Epoxy Flooring Systems
Types of Epoxy Flooring Systems
Epoxy
Epoxy flooring is one of the most popular choices today and is often referred to as safety flooring. It provides a safe, non-slip surface in demanding, high traffic commercial areas such as commercial kitchens, industrial warehousing or manufacturing facilities. Epoxy flooring is seamless and creates a spill resistant, stain resistant, impermeable leak-proof surface that protects concrete underlayment and surrounding groundwater. It is environmentally friendly. It’s an ideal concrete coating solution that protects floors from dust, dirt, chemicals and traffic, while requiring little, if any maintenance. The unique chemical properties of an epoxy floor allow it to offer impact, fire, chemical, and thermal shock resistance.
Since epoxy flooring is impact resistant and slip resistant even when wet, it’s a good choice for production lines, loading bays, commercial kitchens, or areas with high foot traffic. It is fire resistant and chemical resistant, so it can withstand the heavy demands of fire escape routes, clean rooms, hospitals and clinics, or aircraft hangers.
3 Types of Common Epoxy Floor Coatings
Epoxy floor coatings are generally grouped by the type of fluid the epoxy is mixed with. The three basic types of epoxy floor coatings are solvent-borne epoxy, waterborne epoxy and 100% solids epoxy.
1. Solvent Borne Epoxy
Traditionally, solvent borne epoxy is kind of epoxy that was first used long before other kinds. The epoxy is mixed with a relatively high amount of organic compound called a solvent hat eventually dries up and evaporates when the epoxy is applied, leaving a hard epoxy coating on the floor. Some of its advantages are that it has built-in cohesiveness and an ability to be applied into a thin film across the surface. However, it’s controversial that solvents are highly volatile since the vapours can be very toxic if inhaled too much and are also highly flammable.
2. Waterborne Epoxy
Waterborne epoxy is a type of epoxy that is water soluble and uses water as its main carrier, not solvents. These water based types aren’t as reactive as solvent based epoxies, and are therefore safer by comparison. Relative to solvent based epoxy, it is easy to apply in thin or thick coats, and it only needs water to clean it up. Often, It is used mainly for hydrostatic pressure applications on concrete and concrete slabs (basically, this is waterproofing the concrete slab.) While it is relatively safer than solvent-based epoxies, they still have their own fair share of environmental impacts.
3. 100% Solids Epoxy
This type of epoxy tries to completely function without a fluid carrier and is just pure epoxy, which is why it’s called 100% solids epoxy. One of the benefits of this type of epoxy is that it avoids the environmental problems that solvent-based or waterborne epoxies have. However, it’s much harder to apply. Without a fluid carrier, it has quite a high viscosity that may be a challenge to apply on any floor. Because of this, you cannot produce thin coats or films with this kind of epoxy. However, it can be very versatile and adaptable in its numerous applications. In addition to determining if your project should use solvent borne epoxy, waterborne epoxy, or even 100% solids epoxy, a final consideration will be the aesthetics of the floor.
Epoxy choices include solid finish, flake or chip flooring, quartz flooring/ glitter, or metallic epoxy flooring to create the look and texture you prefer. Lighter flooring colours reflect room lighting to increase the brightness in an area.
Epoxy Flooring Types & Where They are Used
Self-Levelling Epoxy Floors:
Self-levelling epoxy is used to apply to concrete floors that are old, cracked, or damaged to create a smooth, durable, and a leveled texture on the surface of the floor. Self-leveling epoxy floors not only provide a shiny, seamless look but it comes in many different colors that appeal to commercial, industrial, and residential spaces.
-Where To Use Self-Leveling Epoxy Floors: kitchens, athletic facilities, manufacturing buildings, warehouses, showrooms, commercial garages, and more.
Epoxy Mortar Floors:
This flooring type is the most stringent epoxy floor system available for use. This epoxy floor is made up of 100% solid epoxies and graded or quartz sand. Mortar systems are ideal for spaces that require a floor that is highly chemically-resistant and can withstand a great deal of impact. It is often used to repair cracks before applying another type of epoxy floor.
-Where To Use Epoxy Mortar Floors: mechanical spaces, warehouses, commercial kitchens, restaurants, garages, manufacturing plants.
Quartz-Filled Epoxy Floors:
This type of flooring is a combination of a high-performance epoxy polymer resin and stained quartz grains. This epoxy should is used for decorative spaces that require sanitary and slip-resistant properties.
-Where to Use Quartz-Filled Epoxy Floors: locker rooms, restrooms, schools, cafeterias, lobbies, offices, showrooms, and more.
Anti-Static Epoxy Floors:
An anti-static solution is a highly recommended epoxy floor for spaces that contain flammable materials or in spaces where there are static hazards. This epoxy floor typically holds a conductive compound that accumulates static electricity that dissipates any potential discharge.
-Where to Use Anti-Static Epoxy Floors: electronic, chemical, or pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, healthcare facilities, or any spaces that use flammable gases or liquids that bring a risk of combustible dust buildup.
Epoxy Flake Floors:
This type of epoxy floor contains coloured flake materials that are mixed in the epoxy to create a vibrant, multi-hued look. The flakes provide the added benefit of reducing any slips and falls because it provides each surface with subtle grooves. Epoxy flake floors come in an infinite variety of sizes, colours, styles, and textures that is customizable for any space.
-Where To Use Epoxy Flake Floors: locker rooms, sports venues, showrooms, clinics, commercial kitchens, and more.
Epoxy flooring is a versatile chemical solution that is practical, long-lasting, highly resistant to impact, and customizable for any space. Whether you need an elegant entrance to a restaurant or need an unyielding surface to withstand industrial work - there is an epoxy floor system right for your space.
TTM Finishes Inc. is an award winning concrete contractor that has been in business for over 20 years. We provide professional epoxy floor installations covered by a double warranty and one of the few contractors capable of offering this in the GTA.
For your next epoxy flooring project, call us for a free quote.
Office (905) 850-0335
Cell (416) 768-7800
TTM Finishes Inc.
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