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How to Protect New
Concrete
This section, protecting new concrete, deals with concrete
that has already been poured and finished but never treated
or protected.
Because it is new, untreated concrete, you have the perfect
opportunity to avoid problems with your floors. Take your
time and investigate options.
Sometimes folks decide to paint a floor, or apply a clear
sealer or a stain. The next thing they do is go down to
a big box store and buy something off the shelf and do the
floor. Then they have a failure of the material. Now they
are up against it. I hear this story very often.
As an old cowboy poet/humorist named Bill Jones from Lander,
Wyoming was famous for saying: "I ain't makin' this
up!"
If you don't have a good track record of successfully treating
concrete flooring with very good results then make sure
you get some expert advice so you can avoid pitfalls.
 The
first step is to decide exactly what you are going
to do before you do anything.
Deciding "exactly" includes
these (at least) things:
First, knowing specifically what product you want
to use and why.
Decide what features and performance characteristics you
want and seek a product that will provide them. Every product
has pros and cons. Every product is not best suited for
everything. Although some advertising leads you to believe
there is a perfect, miracle product...it just isn't so.
Secondly, it means knowing exactly what is required
for preparation before you buy the product.
Different types of products and ways to protect floors
require somewhat different preparation steps. By deciding
exactly what you are going to do before starting into preparation
may save you from back-tracking and starting over or doing
unnecessary work.
Thirdly, it means that you know the pros and cons
about the material.
For example, a product may have good stain resistance (a
pro) but it gets that capability by forming a film over
the surface of the concrete, which ends up making it very
slick (a con).
Fourth, it means you know exactly what has to be
done for maintenance and the preparation required for maintenance.
This is an area of huge problems. Usually sellers of products
do not make clear to the consumer what has to be done to
do ongoing maintenance. Often it is minimized to make the
product sound easy to use.
For example, if a coating or sealer peels or comes up in
places, the whole surface should be stripped. If you don't
clean off failed coatings, the new coating on sticks to
the old coating and not the substrate, i.e., your concrete
floor. So as the old material continues the process of gradually
coming off, it will take the new coating along with it.
The only exception to this rule is if you have very specific
small areas of obvious contamination resulting in peeling...and
everywhere else it is stuck well.
Fifth, it means you have given consideration to
the issue of price versus cost and have estimated the future
cost of your choice.
Everyone loves a good deal... a real steal...getting something
for a little bit of money. That's a good idea for garage
sales, but in coatings... well the old saying says it best...
"Only rich people can afford to use
cheap paint"
Same thing is true of concrete sealers and
coatings. Trust me, if you pay a little it is going to cost
you more in the long run. Usually many times more.
So when it comes to coatings, paint, floor
treatments for your concrete floors -- do not be a "price"
buyer. Instead, investigate the issue of "cost"
as well.
The truth is that the very most expensive
material is not always the best, nor the least expensive
not always the worst. But the general trend is indisputable.
After many years of stripping failed coatings myself, and
talking to people every week who have coating failures,
I want to warn you... take this advice to heart.
A good starting point is to read over the information in
"How to
Plan for New Kennel Flooring". Clicking this link
will open a new window, then you can just continue here
when you have read over that information.
Here's
my advice for things to consider and some things to avoid
Remember to consider both interior and exterior areas.
They have different exposures and many products for interior
use should not be used outside.
The Kennel Kit is an exception
to the general rule. It can be used equally as well indoors
and out of doors. In fact, I strongly urge using it outside
as it avoids all the pitfalls and risks of surface coatings.
If you are going to put a coating on the interior for cosmetic
improvement, then you would just use the Deep
Seal as a concrete prep (similar to primer idea) and
not the Top Seal.
More to come.... in meantime, please call or email for
more information or help.
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