Prepping for Concrete Floor Refinishing
Whether you plan on sealing the garage floor, updating your patio, or refinishing your basement, concrete floor refinishing cannot (and should not) occur without proper preparation. Failing to perform the necessary prep work prior to a concrete floor renovation can at best result in a less than stellar outcome and at worst, set your timeline back even further. The bottom line is this: if you want the best-looking, longest-lasting, most durable concrete floors, preparation is key. Let’s outline how to properly prep for concrete floor refinishing.
How to Prepare a Concrete Floor for Refinishing
Clear the Area
Let’s get the most obvious step out of the way first: you can’t get started until the entire floor is cleared from objects. Take this opportunity to do some decluttering!
Clean That Concrete
Once you’re faced with nothing more than your floor, the next step is to thoroughly clean it. You might be shocked at how much dirt, dust, and debris can get caked onto concrete, especially if it’s bare, poorly sealed, or worn down. After all, bare concrete is porous, making it easy for small particles to get inside and build up over time. The most efficient cleaning method is to power wash the concrete with a degreasing solution. You can also mop and scrub as necessary. Do your best to remove all debris and stains and allow the floor to fully dry before then vacuuming any remaining dry particles. If old paint is remaining, you may also need to sand it away and then vacuum the remaining flakes.
Repair All Cracks
Concrete’s porous nature makes it highly prone to cracking. This is perfectly normal, but you don’t want to leave any cracks open before applying polyurea concrete floor coatings. Using the right concrete patch compound, fill up these fractures, holes, and abrasions. Fully push the material in the crevices via trowel and allow everything to dry. Make sure your floor ends up smooth, even, and level before moving on
Pre-Treat/Prime
If you plan on refinishing/sealing your floor with polyurea coatings, it’s a good idea to apply an initial coat of epoxy primer first. This first coat will bond to the concrete itself and help the subsequent coats better adhere to the floor. By priming your floors prior to painting, you also lower the chances of the concrete absorbing the coating. You want to end up with a strongly-bonded coating that provides protection from above and from within, and priming helps achieve these goals.
Polishing Prep Work
Of course, polyurea coatings aren’t always part of the equation when it comes to concrete floor refinishing. Concrete polishing is another avenue that’s growing in popularity. This process involves grinding the concrete with diamond grinders while applying a concrete densifier to the surface, resulting in a bright, glossy, durable, low-maintenance floor.
Prepare Your Floors or Prepare to Be Disappointed
In truth, prepping your floors for refinishing is half the battle (if not more) of ending up with beautiful, sturdy floors. And while anyone can handle certain aspects of this task, the more nuanced parts are best left to the experts. Fortunately, the flooring professionals at Anderson Painting are just a call or email away.
To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
