How To Get The Most Years Out Of Commercial Concrete
Deploying concrete at commercial locations makes it possible for businesses from warehouses to stores to accommodate large amounts of traffic. You're likely worried, though, about how many times you'll need to have a provider of commercial concrete services in your location to do work. To help you head off potential trouble, follow these three tips for getting the most out of your commercial concrete surfaces.
Choose the Right Concrete in the First Place
Commercial concrete contractors in the modern industry are able to closely formulate mixtures to the needs of their customers. This means addressing questions about how much stress will be placed on a surface due to traffic, equipment, and stored materials. Ratings for concrete are usually made in pounds per square inch (PSI). For flooring and pavement purposes, concrete usually has to be rated for at least 3,500 PSI and as high as 5,000 PSI. A higher rating will be necessary if reinforced concrete can't be employed.
If you're unsure about how much of a pounding will be administered to a surface, it's a good idea to have an engineering study conducted prior to pouring materials. Make sure the survey studies the ground underneath in addition to the expected traffic for the site.
Treatment
When you have a concrete company to do work, it's a good idea to ask them what options are available for treating the floor. In many cases, simple waxing will do the job, but you should always ask the professionals who install the surface what they recommend. Get details from them about what materials were used to create the surface. These will be helpful when you hire a company to deal with cleaning, stripping, resurfacing, sealing, and polishing the concrete. If you're going to have reactive chemicals at a location, it's critical that you have the surface sealed.
Basic Maintenance
Finding neutral cleaning products to tidy up concrete surfaces is essential. Chemicals in the cleaning solutions that you or your contractors use may actually serve to break up the surface. When in doubt, always use water first to test whether that will work. Work your way up to more aggressive solutions slowly rather than grabbing for the meanest product you can find.
There's also a lot to be said for regular sweeping of concrete. Airborne particles and dust can erode and pit the surface, providing places where water can collect and create cracks.
For more information, contact a company like Burge Construction.