It’s true, epoxy flooring is crazy durable and mixing it with concrete is a match made in heaven as far as durability. But, concrete cracks. In fact, you can depend on concrete cracking like you can depend on the inevitability of taxes. It’s always going to happen in some regard, it’s just a question of when and how. There’s not much one can do to stop it, unfortunately, as the craftsmanship of the concrete won’t matter in the long term, the materials used, or any other factor can’t really stop that possibility from occurring. The only thing you can do about cracks in concrete is respond to them. However, it can become a bit more complicated if those cracks happen underneath an epoxy coating.
The Basics of a Crack In The Concrete/Epoxy
Cracks are handled in much the same way as a joint or existing crack in the concrete should be handled by your epoxy installation company. It’s true, they can pose a challenge in regard to the aesthetics of the floor, especially if you’re looking for that coveted and seamless epoxy flooring look that really makes this flooring material unique. Fixing these cracks starts with a simple concept: understanding the crack or joint itself. Once the crack or joint is diagnosed and can be analyzed in what direction the concrete is moving so that you can prevent further disruptions in the surface of the epoxy, then you’re on the road to a fruitful repair. These types of repairs can vary in pricing, so your epoxy expert might come back and offer several options for repairing and mitigating further crack issues. It’s important for you to understand just how much you might need to pay to get the epoxy looking seamless and free of imperfections again.
How We Understand Joints
Joints have a purpose which is why they’re put into your concrete flooring on purpose. However, joints are often meddled with at the behest of a consumer for aesthetic purposes. Correcting a joint the most attractive way might not be the best way to do so and that becomes evident fairly early in the flooring’s life. Unfortunately, joints aren’t known for doing what’s best when they’re under epoxy flooring, and often the joint will have to be covered or bridged. That said, there are a couple of different factors that must first be considered before moving forward with that project to ensure the continued integrity of the flooring. First, you must consider what the joint is put in place for.
The Types of Joints
There are three types of joints and each requires their own special treatment if you’re going to cover them with epoxy and make the floor look seamless. There’s a control joint, which is put in place to reduce shrinkage stress. This works by creating a weakened point in the concrete to try and influence where the crack may eventually happen, so it’s not structurally disastrous. Next, there’s a construction joint that is usually placed between separate portions of concrete that were poured individually. This is also called a stopping point or sometimes referred to as a cold joint as it incorporates a metal strip that is attached to the bottom of the slab of concrete and joined with metal dowels that form a pre-modeled edge between each concrete pour. The third type is referred to as an expansion joint and it’s placed there to provide room for movement between two separate slabs. These are used to absorb vibrations, bugger the expansion and contraction of the movement of the concrete as well as reduce and isolate the movement overall.
Each of these joints needs to be covered and filled in expertly to still allow them to complete their structural purposes in the concrete. Don’t trust just anyone to handle the joints in your concrete correctly. PPI Epoxy Flooring’s experience is unmatched in how we handle joint covers and other obstacles to installing your epoxy flooring.
Crack Repairs In Epoxy
The cracks in your concrete that are almost guaranteed to occur because of shrinkage, stress or force are not as bad as you may have originally thought. Sure, it’s ruining the look of your epoxy flooring now, or could in the future, but it’s actually easier to cover and repair than joints are to cover to create the coveted seamless flooring look. Cracks can be caused by overloaded weight, temperature and movement caused shrinkage and so many other things. They’re simply unavoidable, but how you address them afterward is what counts. Pursuing crack repair sooner rather than later is always a smart decision.
Crack Repair
Once a crack has occurred, whether it’s happened in an intended place thanks to control joints or not, it’s good to start getting to work on repairing the crack sooner rather than later. Cracks must be treated as if they are not dormant, and as if they are actively still occurring. Your crack repair might include your contractor using foam or sand to totally fill in the crack from top to bottom before they go about repairing the epoxy. Once the repairs have died and been determined as structurally stable, the cracks and joint filling will be ground flush to the surface to ensure the epoxy level is undoubtedly even upon installation.
Once completed, it’s possible that the cracks and joint repair will be somewhat visible in the flooring. Depending on how long the cracks were left to decay and how the joint was designed, it could leave visible differences in the flooring. However, a good epoxy coating contractor can advise you in terms of the finish and texture of the epoxy to help guide you toward avoiding ruining the aesthetic appeal of the flooring within the realm of possibility.
Schedule Epoxy Flooring Repairs In Orlando With The Best
PPI Epoxy Flooring is equipped with years of experience dealing with specific architectural patterns throughout the Orlando area. We know best where places are likely to have cracked flooring due to shifting ground. We can quickly diagnose the type of joint in your flooring and the type of crack so that we can easily let you know what sort of measures need to be taken to ensure an attractive repair is achieved. We’re at your beck and call for all epoxy and concrete flooring repair because we want you to have access to experienced and comprehensive repair for your commercial property’s aesthetic needs. Whether you’re concerned about future cracks or the look of a joint in your flooring is bothering you, we can help.
Our services are competitively priced, and we always provide free consultations initially so that you have a firm idea of what you’ll be getting for the quoted price. We pride ourselves on offering open and transparent practices and letting you know just what’s possible as far as repair and installation.
Have questions about our other services? Feel free to check on all of our offerings! We’re always clear with our clients about what services would best suit them, and if we believe that you need something else besides epoxy flooring, we’ll be sure you know before we proceed with your project. Our primary goal is to create long-lasting flooring solutions for our clients, so we won’t merely allude to the truth, we’ll let you know what’s best.
Schedule your initial consultation today to get started on making your business and your flooring stand apart now.