Thin Cement Overlay: A Coating System with Strength

A Thin Cement Overlay System Able to Handle Any Hardship

When you are looking at flooring and you hear thin cement overlay, you may turn your nose up at it, figuring that the word “thin” is actually defeating your purpose of wanting to thoroughly protect the cement/concrete that will be under that thin cement overlay. However, what you do not fully comprehend yet is that a thin cement overlay is comprised of cement, various aggregate such as calcium carbonate, silica or sand, and in addition a polymer.

Polymers are what will give this overlay strength. What is a polymer, you may ask? Basically it is acrylic glue. This is what will allow this overlay to thoroughly and completely bond to the substrate, which is your existing concrete or even wooden floor. Now, the overlay will have its performance highly improved, will allow it to be flexible, and of course gives it increased strength.

Now, the overlay will also probably be given a number of additional chemical additives so that the overlay functions how the installer wishes. In other words, helping along its leveling properties, as well as drying properties, and anti-foaming properties as well. In addition there will be dozens of further formulations, so that the texture is what you desire, and the colored elements match what you have chosen as well.

In the business of applying a thin cement overlay, there are different means of applying it. Some installers will speak of a micro topping, a broom coat, a scratch coat, or a squeegee coat, but all of those are actually a type of skim coat. Basically they are used to resurface or bring forth new coloring to either drab or slightly damaged concrete. A skim coat may also be sprayed onto the existing floor.

Then there are self-leveling overlays. These are utilized more on slightly more damaged concrete or where the floor is not exactly level in spots. Generally people are ecstatic with those, as they get a brand new floor that dries in about 4 to 6 hours, and it can then be lightly stepped upon.

What they’ve obviously not heard of yet is Silikal. Silikal can be a self-leveling overlay with a vast difference from the other products we’ve listed. You see Silikal goes on very quickly, and in addition it cures within one hour. That does not mean gingerly walking on it either, you can if you so desire drive a car over it, or even a forklift!

Protective Floor Products In Every Day Use

Protective Floor Products A Foot Away

There are so many protective floor products that it’s difficult to know where to start. For instance looking under protective floor products, one might even find baby mats that are slipped under a baby’s high chair. They’ve got a point, after all it is a protective floor product!

Yet, not the kind we needed to cover in this article. What we are talking about here is some sort of product that will help protect cement flooring. Thus one finds products such as a pigmented yet water-based epoxy primer. Being a primer, one can easily understand that more needs to follow. Such primers dry quickly, usually within 60 to 90 minutes. Dry in the business means “lacquer dry” which simply means that it is dust free. The primer must dry quickly because the cement will be re-coated at least once more. Once thoroughly dry then a colored product can be applied on top of this primer.

Now, when looking at protective floor products, one inevitably hits the various offerings put up by rubber flooring. Generally these ads for these products tout the fact that you would not chip the concrete with a 25 lb dumbbell if it was covered with rubber flooring. They then go into the fact that if your kitty has an accident on rubber flooring, it will not be impossible to clean, but the very opposite is true. They then talk about the stain and the smell that would remain if you’d carpeted that space instead of using rubber.

The problem is, of course, that rubber can have liquids seep under it and then you have such problems such as mold, mildew and other growing things, including that awful smell that may have been occasioned by the cat’s lingering and very odiferous liquid mistake. They lack explaining that one has to “know” that kitty urine has seeped under the rubber!

Chances are that next in your exploration of protective floor products you will light upon various water based polyurethane hardwood floor coatings. You will, of course, require a base coat, followed by a durable totally clear finish topcoat. It is unfortunate that the totally clear finish topcoat will unfortunately yellow with age in a pretty short time, and thus the flooring will require stripping as well as another polyurethane coating applied.

Finally we come upon a product that has been around for many years, and has managed to please all those who have utilized it for those many years. The product’s name is Silikal. Silikal is an industrial flooring manufacturer who offers the very highest quality industrial and commercial floors and coatings.

Concrete Coatings for Pool Decks: Recreational Safety

Concrete Pool Deck Coatings & The New Trend in Design

Numerous swimming pools exist in motels, hotels, various clubhouses, and many other places where the public may utilize the pool. Having the proper concrete coatings for pool decks had definitely become extremely essential. Thus one of the principal fashions to be seen in outdoor flooring design is utilizing a highly decorative pool deck. These concrete coatings for pool decks now are not only colored and textured, but they become an actual draw to the pool. Thus the concrete coatings for pool decks accomplish a lot more than to simply make available a safe and sound, slip-resistant deck that can be utilized for more than sunbathing and barbecuing. Today, interior designers pay just as much concentration on the pool decks as they do the interior design of the rest of the property.

After all, at present decorative concrete has beckoned to interior decorators to creating lavish pool decks that can actually complement the exterior of the building, and even meld with the remainder of the outdoor environment. In the present day concrete coatings for pool decks can now appear to be an exotic and conventionally expensive material such as wood, imported stonework, or slate as desired by the decorator.

Disregarding the fact that these decks are in actuality cement pool decks, the amazing variety available in order to design a truly exceptional, fully functional and exceedingly affordable pool deck is easily attainable. One has only to look at Silikal’s ideas about concrete to ascertain that fact.

Once treated with Silikal, a pool deck has an exceptionally durable surface, one which has even the benefits of being non-skid as well. Compared with a wooden deck, which requires constant sanding as well as resurfacing the benefits are easy to understand. These amazing concrete coatings for pool decks are actually currently created at a small portion of the costs that will be incurred by wooden decking. The very flexibility of a Silikal pool deck will please your designer immensely.

Once a designer has worked with the outdoor lighting, perhaps has added pergolas or trellises and arbors, and maybe cabanas, the entire scheme will begin to take shape. Adding deck planters, even matching concrete benches or even a romantic gazebo, and your pool deck will be the talk of the town! In addition be sure and utilize the same designer to add a matching spa to your Silikal swimming pool.

Interior Concrete Sealant: A Choice Worth Considering

Interior Concrete Sealants & The Pallet of Choice They Bring

Often it is discussed online why have an interior concrete sealant? To some it makes sense to have an exterior concrete sealant, after all one wishes to protect concrete from the salts that a concrete area will get during the winter, but why protect concrete from anything on the interior? First consider the spills that concrete is subjected to such as dirty water, rusty water, oil spills and the like. Dirty water coming from just simple cleaning infiltrates through concrete so that eventually the concrete has a terrible odor emanating from it. It also stains concrete so that it becomes appallingly unattractive.

Another reason of course why one would use an interior concrete sealant would be to enhance the concrete floor, for today the colors and the shine that they can give concrete stagger even interior decorators with the complexities of choices available. Preserving the concrete is of course important but all concrete goes through a natural weathering process even when it is interior concrete. Thus an interior concrete sealant can stop concrete from looking pitted, and stop it from making concrete dust. Even inside a structure, concrete can go through spalling. This causes larger chunks of concrete to fall off and poor curing ordinarily causes it. It is unsightly and of course it’s also dangerous as it frequently causes falls.

The very best interior concrete sealant there is is Silikal. First of all it is USDA approved flooring, and that’s because it protects your floors from algae growth, bacteria, fungus and mold. Silikal flooring fits the demands of chemical processing plants all the way to food preparation locales. Silikal floors can be found in beverage processing, dairies, commercial kitchens, restaurants, and even businesses that make drugs for both humans and veterinary needs. That is because those floors are non-skid, easily maintained, and anti microbial as well as being able to withstand any heavy traffic, even forklifts!

Imagine a floor that is thermal shock resistant? That’s correct; Silikal can even be utilized in the freezers and cooler floors of those businesses. It is because Silikal is completely non-porous that it is a wholly seamless flooring surface thus water borne pests, dirt and bacteria simply cannot attach to the floor. In addition, one of the most important factors with regard to Silikal is that once it is laid in your particular facility, any work can be begun within one hour. That means that no business, no matter what, will need to close down for the lengthy time other floors take to set up, sometimes even as long as 72 hours!

Floor Coverings for Hallways: Endurance Where it Counts

Floor Coverings for Hallways Never Looked Better

Floor coverings for hallways present a unique problem. If it is a long hallway broken only by one door after the other and the floor coverings in each room will differ from the hallways, then the hallways can be covered in just about anything, as the space is broken by the doors. However, hallways that give onto other rooms, should in theory at least, all be covered with the same floor coverings for hallways.

Some hallways are actually the visual thread that will connect an entire building or office together. In that case, floor coverings should either be the same or at least complimentary to the main rooms that the hallway connects. Texture and color should be about the same as well.

You will also need to decide if you wish to speed your guests along those corridors, or if on the other hand, you wish to utilize subtle patterns as well as colors to create eye catching image highlights that will actually encourage your visitors to stop. Then they can admire your mementos of your corporation perhaps, or look at the photographs and pictures that tie in with your company. Making this kind of design statement will reinforce what the visitor thinks of your company whenever you utilize patterns, lighting textures and different colors to emphasize your hallways.

Floor coverings for hallways are also special when they consist of not just a hallway but an entryway as well. After all that will be the important first impression a visitor will have of the inside of your building. An entrance hall is a high traffic area as are the hallways, thus make sure that the first impressions count heavily. Some companies have their logo placed right into their entryways, which certainly makes a nice impression.

Unfortunately hallways also suffer from the dirt and even mud that is brought into your offices. Thus be sure that the flooring choice is easy to clean, and can actually take the strain of that constant traffic. In addition do keep in mind that your flooring should not only be easy to maintain, but provide excellent slip resistance as well. Also even flooring needs to maintain elevated indoor air quality, thus do not use any product that has VOCs, also known as Volatile Organic Compounds.

Of all the floor coverings for hallways, chances are that you will find exactly what you need through Silikal. They are even the ones who can have your logo imprinted for you right into your flooring as mentioned above.