Moisture tolerant decorative flooring that’s thermal shock resistant, seamlessly sanitary and slip-resistant is the impressive package of benefits you provide to facility customers when you install cementitious urethane floor coatings like FloroCrete SLX with Decorative Chips.  You give your clients the reliable performance properties they need, the aesthetic appeal they want, and a cure time that fits their tight schedule.

Installing Commercial Flooringat Lower Temperatures

Now that many regions are experiencing cooler temperatures, FloroCrete cementitious urethane floor coatings are more advantageous than ever.  They cure relatively quickly at room temperature.  And as we head into winter, just a touch of catalyst can bump up the cure time, when desired.

Applications for Cementitious Urethane Floor Coatings

FloroCrete SLX with Decorative Chips is ideal for any facility that favors the look of FloroChip or even terrazzo flooring, but needs the additional properties of a FloroCrete urethane mortar basecoat.  FloroCrete SLX provides moisture tolerance, thermal shock resistance, antimicrobial properties — and even MVT protection when installed as part of the FloroProof System.

Consider FloroCrete SLX cementitious urethane floor coatings with MacroChips or MicroChips for applications like:

Food and beverage processing areas Restaurant, hospital and school kitchens Correctional facility food service Restrooms and locker rooms Retail and hospitality Sports and entertainment venues Healthcare clinics, offices, foyers and hallways

These and other slab-on-grade commercial flooring installations benefit from the unique properties of the FloroCrete SLX with Decorative Chips System.

Additional Options for Cementitious Urethane Floor Coatings

In the above commercial flooring video, FloroSpartic Polyaspartic Coating is used to grout the floor after the colored chips are broadcast.  Like SLX, FloroSpartic is a good topcoat choice for cool weather.  It’s ready for foot traffic in just 1 hour in moderate temps and only slightly longer as the mercury drops.

Both FloroCrete SLX and FloroSpartic are low odor commercial flooring products that alleviate the concern for air management during installation in occupied structures.  All FloroCrete products contain FloroSeptic Antimicrobial protection.  To get a floor that inhibits pathogen growth throughout, request that FloroSeptic be added to the grout and topcoats when ordering.

Other great finish coats for cooler weather include:

Floropoxy 4905 Standard Cure – Faster than Floropoxy 4805, with excellent hardness FloroCryl MMA – Ready for foot traffic in approximately 2 hours in moderate temps.  Like all MMAs, air/ odor management is required. More Information about Cementitious Urethane Floor Coatings

The first lower seasonal temperatures can sometimes catch even the most experienced industrial flooring professional off guard.   If you live in a region with four – or even three – seasons, you’re probably starting to hear about nighttime lows at 40° – 50° F (4.5° – 10° C). Ouch!

Bring industrial flooring products indoors when you leave for the day Do not allow concrete coating liquids to remain in a cold vehicle overnight

During mixing and installation, stay alert to any signs of cold product, such as:

Liquids appearing thicker than normal in the can An installed floor curing slower than normal

It’s always good practice to measure the temperature of industrial flooring liquids prior to mixing – but for many areas of the Northern Hemisphere, it becomes especially important from the month of September forward.   It’s never been easier, thanks to the laser temperature guns that are now the norm in our industry.  The instruments offer great accuracy and easy point-and-shoot technology, and are available online or at most hardware stores.

At this time of year, it’s the liquid product itself that is most vulnerable. However, as the season progresses, concrete floors cool down, such that indoor slab temperatures also become critical.   When slab and air temperatures cannot be brought up to a minimum of 55° F (approx. 13° C), our faster curing polyaspartic and MMA resinous flooring can help.

The following products exhibit very quick cure times at 70° F (21° C), and demonstrate a more “standard” cure, as slab and air temperatures drop:

FloroSpartic  Polyaspartic Midcoat and Topcoat

FloroCryl MMA Systems:

FloroCryl SL  – Self Leveling FloroCryl Shop – Sand Broadcast FloroCryl Quartz – Colored Quartz Broadcast FloroCryl Chip – Colored Chip Broadcast FloroCryl Deck – Elastomeric Deck, Underlayment and Joint Filler FloroCryl Build – Trowelable Graded Aggregate Mortar

Whether you’re installing a decorative colored chip or quartz commercial floor, or a more utilitarian looking, solid-colored system, cooler temps need not stop you. And of course, slip-resistance must be part of every concrete flooring application.

Come winter, we Michiganders like to make our homes a little cozier, comfier, and warmer. We want our home to embrace us and match that feeling we get when lounging in our favorite robe and slippers.

With the right planning and winter decor, you can transform your home from a cold tundra to a warm and comfortable sanctuary.

To provide you with the best winter home improvement and design ideas, we sought out the expertise of Leen Zabalawi from Leen Designs. To properly dress your home for the winter, these are the things you need:

Faux Fur – Whether you use faux fur as a blanket, bed set or sofa piece, it is sure to keep you warm and cozy throughout the winter. Not only that, but it looks great as a rug or a pillow case and adds a wonderful sense of sophistication to any contemporary or rustic setting. Candle Holders – Using a combination of beautiful candle holders will bring out the ambiance and warmth of any room in the home. Use your favorite scented candles and place them on top of the fireplace mantel or shelves. Lampshades – Even though gray is the fashion neutral that many enjoy, try mixing up your lampshade colors with something seasonal. Blue, green, yellow and red are wonderful for the chilly season and add a little greenery to the interior. Look for some silver or gold lampshades for the holiday season. Recliner – Today’s recliners come in all shape and sizes, and their popularity is steadily on the rise. Formerly known as “the dad chair”, they can now work for any age group. Set it up by the fireplace and prepare for a warm winter.

In the word of Pietro Aretino, “Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.” Let your intelligence in winter home improvement and design blossom this season.

Some Extras to Remember

Nature’s influence on design is very popular in the market, so add some faux bois candleholders in a gold leaf finish to add some sparkle and character to your seasonal display. A glass bowl with some pinecones and evergreen sprigs fits the trend perfectly.

When the holidays are over, you don’t have to get rid of the lampshades you used for that time. Just use them for your next design endeavor.

Warm Up with New Carpet

Our Job Collaboration with Leen Designs

Looking to transform your entire living space with a warm and comfortable renovation? New carpet is guaranteed to make your home snug for the winter season.

Epoxy floor coatings can transform a space, both in terms of design and functionality. Epoxy can extend the life of a concrete slab and offers one of the best flooring lifecycle values on the market. Without the proper substrate preparation, installation and primers, however, epoxy floors can fail.

Here are some of the steps professional installers take to ensure that epoxy floors look and perform as designed:

BEFORE

AFTER: Gorgeous professional flooring installation by CIC of GA

                          Proper Surface Preparation and Cleaning

Professional floor installers need to apply epoxy floor coating to a clean, dry and correctly profiled surface. Experienced installers will know the best way to prepare a concrete surface for the floor system being installed.  Mechanical preparation is now the industry standard, with vacuum-assisted shot-blasting or diamond grinding being the typical methods.

All floors, new and existing, must be properly prepared and abraded.  Curing compounds and laitance must be removed from new concrete; old coatings, dirt and contaminants must be removed from existing slabs.

When older concrete is saturated with oil or chemicals, installers may need to degrease floors to help ensure proper adhesion of the coating system. In such cases, water recovery with a wet-vac is imperative and all hazardous residue should be disposed of in accordance with local regulations.

Moisture Conditions

Moisture vapor transmission (MVT) that originates under the concrete can move upward through the slab, creating havoc for epoxy flooring or nearly any other type of floor covering. If left undetected and untreated, the presence of MVT can produce blistering in the floor after installation.

The Right Substrate

Epoxy floor coatings are, in themselves, incredibly strong. However, when the epoxy coating is stronger than its substrate, as in the case of weak cement or improperly mixed concrete, problems can arise. A coating system is only as good as what’s underneath.  An unstable sub-surface results in a malfunctioning floor topping.

For example, flexible, expansive wood makes a poor substrate for rigid epoxy floor coating systems, which can crack as the wood moves.  Sub-floors made of composite board are also not recommended.  An ideal epoxy floor coating substrate is a structurally sound, clean and uncontaminated concrete slab.

Applying the Correct Primer

Seasoned professionals know that one primer doesn’t fit all epoxy flooring systems – and that foregoing a primer when the manufacturer recommends it is a recipe for disaster. Installation of the epoxy primer that’s specifically designed for a given floor system is one way to help ensure that a floor remains well-bonded and has a long usable life.

Proper Resin and Hardener Mix

Beautiful high performance epoxy flooring is the result of a chemical reaction between at least two liquid components, the resin and hardener, which must be combined in proper proportions.  The timing and technique of blending, as well as the choice of mixing equipment, all play a role in the success of the final product.

A new floor polymer floor offers commercial, retail, industrial and institutional environments a variety of benefits including a beautiful appearance, high-performance and durability. Are you looking to paint or refinish your industrial or commercial floors? Not sure what the best method is to install a resinous floor? Professional polymer floor installers use a variety of methods. Today we’ll discuss four different installation methods.

Photo courtesy of Epoxy, Inc. of Florida

Trowel Applied Flooring

This method uses hand-troweling (using a flat bladed trowel) or power-troweling to install aggregate-filled polymer mortars. The aggregate is applied as a single mortar blend. Typical application is 3/16ths to 4/16ths of an inch in thickness.

General steps for trowelled application:

Prime Screed Apply material with trowel Apply topcoats as necessary Broadcast Applied Flooring

Similar to troweling, broadcast applications use a liquid resin and aggregate component. However, unlike troweling, the two are applied separately in alternating layers. Examples of aggregate components include Colored Quartz or Colored Chips.  Typical application of each layer is 1/16th of an inch in thickness.

Steps for broadcasting application:

Prepare substrate (Note – any floor imperfections must be properly corrected or they will be visible through broadcast floor) Apply primer Apply basecoat and broadcast aggregate Sweep off loose aggregate after basecoat has cured Apply a second basecoat and broadcast aggregate Sweep off loose aggregate after final broadcast is cured Apply grout coat to seal aggregate Slurry Applied Flooring

Slurry is another common technique for installing resinous flooring. It is economical and a great way to add strength and wear into any floor. In this case, liquid resin is combined with powders and/or aggregates and applied as a fluid mixture. Typical application ranges from 1/8th to 3/16ths of an inch in thickness.

Basic steps for a slurry-applied floor include:

Prepare substrate (including any crack repairs) Prime Apply slurry mix with notched squeegee Apply optional topcoats

For floors that require additional thickness, a broadcast floor may be installed on top of the slurry.

Resin Only Flooring Application

Unlike slurry or broadcast floors, resin only floors do not contain fillers, resulting in a thinner cured finish. Final thickness ranges from 13 mils to up to 32 mils.

Installation of resin only floors requires:

Prepare (including crack repair) Apply primer Apply topcoats as needed

Choosing the right application method for installing your resinous floor depends largely on the desired result and overall environment of your floor. Consult with a knowledgeable polymer flooring specialist to provide you with the best method for your particular flooring needs.