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How To Avoid DIY Concrete Repair Jobs by Using Ribbed Matting
There’s no doubt about it—a concrete floor is by far one of the strongest and most durable heavy-duty flooring option available. With many existing types of concrete, all made by shifting the amounts of 5 main ingredients (or by completely suppressing the use of one or more of them), this surfacing option can be tailor made for different applications that require distinct levels of density, resistance to certain chemicals, and varying degrees of strengths. For industrial applications, specifically those that deal with the manufacturing of goods and the extraction of raw materials, concrete flooring really is a great choice. But the same things that make concrete such a durable and resilient surface, is also what makes concrete repair an absolute pain! Hard as stone, if your concrete suffers damage, repairing and replacing it is going to be a costly and time-consuming process. By using a rubberized industrial floor you can protect your concrete surface right from the get-go and actively work toward avoiding damage. Rubberized workshop flooring, for example, can protect your subsurface from fallen items—especially heavy tools that can easily crack or chip concrete, while at the same time helping to protect the item itself. A dropped power drill, saw, or grinder won’t stand much of a chance against concrete, however if there’s some ribbed matting acting as barrier things might not end so badly! A thick equipment floor mat, on the other hand, can protect expensive heavy-duty equipment from its own movement and particularly from banging hard against an unforgiving surface.
When it comes to concrete repair, three are the two main complications that most commonly arise from this surfacing option as well as a brief explanation of how to handle the repairs themselves. While we explore these common problems, remember that a rubberized industrial floor is a great way to safeguard this heavy-duty flooring option.
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DIY Concrete Repair
- Cracks and Fractures
Regardless of whether you pour your concrete correctly, cracks can start to appear with time. However, cracks and stress fractures can also start to show soon after the floor has been installed, much a building-owner’s dismay. Fixing these cracks can help you avoid more serious damage. If a crack develops and moisture or debris enters into the area, then as the concrete naturally expands and contracts, more serious and notable cracks can appear. Laying down some rubberized workshop flooring can help prevent small and minimal cracks from developing into bigger problem areas.
- For Small Cracks—
For this project you’ll need:
- Screwdriver
- Wire brush
- Safety Glasses
- Hose or bucket of water
- Concrete patching material (available in hardware stores)
First and foremost you’ll have to clear all the loose material from the crack. Use the screwdriver to scrape away loose flakes or pieces of concrete. Once that’s done, use the wire brush to clean out any remaining rough edges. Finally, use a hose or a bucket of water to wash out the crack, removing any remaining debris—then wait for the water to drain. After mixing up your patching material, fill the crack with a putty knife. Make sure you smooth the surface while the compound is still malleable.
- For Larger and Cracks With More Extensive Damage—
For this project you’ll need:
- A power saw (circular saw)
- Dust Mask
- Safety Glasses
- A Trowel
- Cold Chisel
- Bucket
- Concrete Mix
- Latex Modifier
- Concrete Resurface
The steps for this project are a bit more involved and we’d recommend that you visit The Family Handyman website for more in-depth instructions. Briefly, what this project will entail is isolating the large cracks and cutting deep grooves along the damage. Then you will have to chip out the remaining concrete, smooth out the edges, and fill in the newly opened space.
- Pitting and Spalling
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According to Dave Root, an eHow contributor, pitting can be caused by a variety of reasons, some of which are:
- Climate—Places that see ice and snow can cause pitting in concrete due to the constant cycle of freezing and thawing.
- Inadequate Mix—Often, using a mix that does not properly adhere to the local climate can lead to pitting.
- Improper Placement and Finishing Techniques—If concrete is not properly cured, moisture can begin to evaporate as it sets especially on hot days. If the finisher added moisture to the concrete, this added water will also weaken the surface of the floor.
- Aggregates and Concrete Degradation—Pitting can also occur if improper aggregates are included in the material. Usually, concrete materials are tested and standardized, but every now and then something can get through.
- Age—Regardless of how strong and long-lasting concrete is meant to be, in the end, all materials are subject to wear and tear especially if exposed to harsh and abrasive conditions.
Repairing a pitted concrete surface is a pretty detailed process. It will require the following materials and tools:
- Epoxy
- Dust Mask
- Safety Glasses
- Small Trowel
- Chisel
- Wire Brush
- Concrete Mix
The actual concrete repair process for pitting follows closely with the repair of cracks. Smaller pits can be filled with your epoxy or latex products, by being applied then smoothed over. Larger pits will require the same treatment as cracks, cleaning out the damaged area and smoothing out the edges, and then you can apply your concrete mix and use a trowel to level the surface.
While pitting may be unavoidable, especially if you happen to be inheriting a concrete surface from a newly purchased building, the use of a textured rubber floor—like ribbed matting, can offer a less costly and time-consuming solution. A pitted surface is unsightly, but if it’s encompassing of a large area, it may not be cost-effective to tear out the whole concrete structure and replace it completely. A rubber industrial floor is a great way to cover an unsightly concrete surface, or to protect a brand new concrete surface in order to avoid future damage.
- Chipping
Not all damage can be attributed to outside factors like weather and material quality. Sometimes, damage occurs because of common human mistakes—such as dropping heavy pieces of equipment. This can lead to chips and cracks on concrete surfacing! Employing an equipment floor mat in locations that see a lot of activity, such as workstations, under machinery, or along assembly lines can create a barrier between the item that is dropped and the subsurface below. Like cracks, fractures, and pitting, chips on a concrete floor should be repaired because if left untreated they could continue to deteriorate.
For this project, here’s what you’ll need:
- Power Saw (circular saw)
- Screwdriver
- Wire Brush
- Hammer
- Safety Glasses
- Cold Chisel
- Dust Mask
- Concrete Mix
- Sand Mix
- Acrylic Fortifier
More thorough instructions for this project are available at The Family Handyman, but here’s a small run down of what you’ll be doing to complete this DIY project:
- First you’ll have to evaluate your damage. While our list of items for this project mentions some pretty heavy-duty tools, if you cracks are small, you may not need them.
- Small chips can be treated much like small cracks. Make sure you remove all the lose material, clean it out, and then apply a filler material.
- Some chips may be so severe that you’ll have to cut some of the material in order to properly repair the damage—this will be very similar to the way we repair larger cracks.
In the end, the best way to avoid unsightly chips on your concrete floor is to offer additional protection. A rubberized equipment floor mat can easily be placed over areas that see the most potential for dropped items or heavy machinery.
A rubber industrial floor can serve a number of useful applications. For one, it can help cover an unsightly floor that is already suffering from superficial damage such as cracks, pitting, and chips. This could potentially save you from having to repair your inherited surface. However, to avoid concrete repair in the future—especially if you have a brand new surface—putting down rubberized workshop flooring can help your subsurface last longer. Ribbed matting, like all textured surfacing, will also offer great safety qualities. Rubber already has a high coefficient of friction, and that paired with the added traction that comes with texture makes it a great slip-resistant floor.
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