Concrete CoatingsWE GO TO GREAT LENGTHS FOR YOUR SPACE TO REACH IT FULL POTENTIAL
Concrete is a wonderfully versatile building material, used in projects from housing to massive office buildings. It has a number of interesting properties that make it suitable for all of these projects. Concrete is poured as a slurry, so it can be moulded and fit into all types of shapes and sizes. When it hardens, concrete is extraordinarily durable; anything from foot traffic to heavy machinery can pass over a concrete floor. For walls and other protective surfaces, it’s ability to resist impact and battering winds makes it a great choice. All of these factors combined make concrete the second most consumed material in the world, after water.
|
While all of these qualities make concrete an exceptional building material, it’s not without its flaws. The number one problem with concrete is that it’s porous; that means water can get into it and wreak havoc. This is especially dangerous in Winnipeg, where water inside the concrete will expand in the winter time as it turns to ice; this causes cracks and structural damage to the concrete. The porousness of concrete also means it’s prone to expanding and contracting as temperatures change; this means some traditional paint won’t work well on concrete.
|
Being the second most consumed material in the world means that we’ve developed a number of ways to shore up the downsides of concrete. The most common way of giving concrete durability is the use of concrete coatings, a wide variety of chemicals that imbue the concrete with properties it wouldn’t have otherwise. The number of different concrete coatings is remarkable; there are even coatings to make concrete acid-resistant, but it’s not likely you’ll need those for your home.
The coating you’re most likely to need is a waterproof coating; this mitigates the porousness of the material and heads off potential winter-cracking hazards. There are various levels of strength for waterproof coatings, from simply sealing the concrete to make it water-resistant to water-repellant. There may also be areas of your exterior for which you’d want slip proof concrete coatings which add traction; this can be useful for sidewalks or concrete exterior flooring for patios or gazebos. |
Concrete can, of course, be painted, so long as the right processes are used. We’ll verify the concrete to be sure it’s not too moisturized; paint can be lifted off of a surface by moisture, so dry concrete is needed. We’ll seal the concrete appropriately to avoid problems in the long-term, then use an elastomeric paint that can expand and contract without cracking; it also provides a protective coating for the concrete. You can do some fantastic work with paint on concrete, either painting the entire surface, or sections in order to create a pattern. When you choose Madani Group for your concrete coating, you’re choosing a company who will take all the precautions necessary to make sure the paint lasts. Don’t just slap a coat on to find it cracked and discoloured after a few months; call the pros, and get concrete coating that lasts.
|