Repairing and Caring for Concrete Floors in Michigan

by | Apr 2, 2017 | Augmented Article®, Concrete, Demolition, Flooring, Junk Removal

Repairing and Caring for concrete floors| solving concrete issues in Michigan| do it your self tips| Done with that®

A Done with That® Project by Koper, America’s #1 Connected ContractorTM, Free Augmented Article©

Solving concrete floors in Michigan, with a few inexpensive materials, you can make most concrete floors look like new in a matter of hours. Fixing a problem with your floor now can save you time and money in the future.

Over time, moisture, paint or oil spills and freezing temperatures can all take their toll on a con­crete floor. There are a number of things you can do to fix these problems, ranging from quite simple to more time consuming: you can clean, patch, paint, apply a protective sealant or resurface the entire floor.

The easiest repair to make is to fill holes and cracks with patch­ing mix, available at most hard­ware stores. Some mixes require the addition of a bonding agent, so it is important to read the in­structions carefully before you make a choice.

Most stains in a concrete floor are easy to remove by scrubbing with a solution of water and household detergent. Tougher stains may require stronger mea­sures, like a mild acid or a solvent such as paint thinner.

Deeply stained concrete that resists cleaning may need to be painted. A number of latex, oil-based and epoxy-polyurethane paints have been designed espe­cially for concrete surfaces. Etch­ing the floor first with a mild acid, such as muriatic acid, will ensure an even stronger bond. Instead of painting the whole floor, you can also camouflage stains by spatter­ing one or two colors of paint onto the floor’s surface with a paintbrush.

An alternative to paint is sealer, available clear or colored. Sealer is useful on concrete floors in basements where moisture may be a problem. It can also be ap­plied over a recently patched crack or hole for added protection. If you want to paint the floor later, however, you must remove the sealer first. A sealer can also be helpful against dusting, a concrete decay process in which white dust de­posits accumulate on the floor sur­face. Dusting results from the use of low-quality materials in the concrete or improperly mixed concrete. A floor hardener, often made of sodium silicate, is the best cure for this problem. It stops the dust buildup by chemically improving the bond between the substances that make up concrete. Hardeners also add a tough coat­ing that protects the surface against stains and moisture.

For badly discolored or cracked floors, it is a good idea to resurface the floor with a special resurfacing mix available at hard­ware stores. Once this has been done, a coat of sealer or paint will go a long way to prevent damage from occurring in the future.

Repairing a Crack in the Floor
  1. Clean all loose pieces of concrete and other debris out of the crack with a wide floor scraper.
  2. Use a wide broom or brush with stiff bristles to sweep up loose par­ticles of concrete and dirt.
  3. Remove any remaining debris with a vacuum cleaner. This pre­pares the surface for patching.
  4. With a pointing trowel or chisel, widen and deeper the crack. This will help the patch to bond
  5. Use a trowel to fill the crack with patching mix. Smooth the surface so it is even with the rest of the floor.
  6. Coat the area with a concrete sealer. This helps prevent further damage to the area.
Patching Holes
  1. Create a good bonding surface by undercutting the edge of the hole with a brickset and hammer.
  2. Apply a bonding agent, if neces­sary. Fill the hole with patching mix and smooth with a trowel.
Resurfacing a Concrete Floor
  1. Stir the resurfacing mix well. Pour I out enough mix to cover an area about 2 feet square.
  2. Pour a second portion of the mix near the first. Wait a moment to allow the mix to spread.
  3. Blend the two portions evenly with a finishing trowel. Continue these steps until the floor is covered.
Creating a Nonslip Texture

Sand. Sprinkling sand over a still-amp coating will create a coarse sur­face and provide good traction.

Scoring. Damp concrete can also be given a textured surface by using a broom, brush or trowel.

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If your in Lake Orion, Clarkston, Oxford Oakland County, Michigan and would like a free quote please contact us at 248-701-9328, for the best rates in Clarkston, Lake Orion and Oxford.

Service areas include: Metro Detroit, Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, Genesee, Troy, Auburn Hills, Shelby Township, Bloomfield, Birmingham, Washington, Clarkston, Orion, Oxford, Flint, Saginaw, Davison, Novi, Wixom, Plymouth, Ann Arbor and Michigan.

Perhaps you desire the best rate concrete floor repairs in Oakland County, Michigan call 248-701-9328 for a free quote.