There are three main variables in selecting which grinder to us for polishing concrete; the weight of the machine, RPM variability and number of heads on the machine. The weight of the machine is important in order to have enough down pressure to cut the concrete during the initial grinding. The RPM variability is important so you can adjust the speed of the cutting or polishing. Most machines will have 3 or 4 heads, depending on the concrete an whether you are in a cutting phase or polishing stage will determine whether or not you will use a 3 headed or 4 headed grinder.

An experienced industrial flooring expert will have knowledge of the different types of polished concrete equipment needed for every situation. A reputable concrete polishing contractor will own multiple grinders with varying weight and heads in order to bring out the best in your concrete. If your project seems too much to handle, contact Liquid Floor Systems today. Let Liquid Floor Systems assist you in creating a great looking industrial floor. We want to help you protect your investment and increase the value of your facility.

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Liquid Floor Systems recently completed a polished concrete project in Eastern North Carolina. It was a LEED project, which meant we had to comply with specific requirements in order to help the GC obtain the LEED certification on the building. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measurements (usgbc.org).

Another focus of the project was on the analysis of the concrete. We had to determine the best polish steps to give the customer the best looking floor. The polish was initially going to be an 800 grit in order to save money on the project.  Through our process this floor ended up looking like a 3000 grit polish, greatly exceeding the customer’s expectations.

Overall, it was a great LEED concrete project and everything turned out perfect.  At Liquid Floor Systems, we take pride in everything we do and every inch counts. We want to exceed your expectations.

With the advancement of science and technology, there are innovations taking place in all industries, and that includes flooring. Yes, flooring has come a long way from plain old linoleum, granite, marble, mosaic, and tiles. With the development of an industrial epoxy floor coating, you now have the option of fully customizing your floor with graphics, patterns, and vibrant colors.  Epoxy floors not only improve the quality of your floor, but it also enhances the look of the floor as well. Let us show you how an industrial epoxy floor coating can enhance the look of your work area.

Full Customization and Design:

Industrial epoxy floor coatings are a good choice for your floor, because you can design the look and feel to your liking. Epoxy floors allow you to fully customize your floor with vibrant colors, distinctive designs, and much more. It allows you to highlight line striping and aisle markings, which give the entire area a very professional and organized look. Industrial floor coatings will create a bright and vibrant work area for your employees, and leave them with a more productive and happy work environment.

Protective and Long Lasting:

Industrial epoxy floor coatings are ideal for industrial and commercial areas, where the floor is subject to heavy duty work. A great feature of epoxy coating is that it is impervious to stains of all kinds. It is extremely easy to clean and maintains its shiny look, and will continue to reinforce the look of the floor for a long time. Moreover, it will not crack up with the variations in temperature brought on by the changing seasons. An Industrial epoxy floor coating has protective and long lasting attributes that will help continue to keep your floor looking great for a long time.

An Industrial epoxy floor coating is a revolutionary solution for your industrial floor that provides an atmosphere unlike anything else. Let Liquid Floor Systems assist you in creating a great looking industrial epoxy floor coating. We want to help you protect your investment and increase the value of your facility.

For more industrial epoxy floor coating help go to: http://www.liquidfloors.com/

It’s not just the preparation phase that makes a difference.  There are fine points all along the way that make a huge difference in the outcome.  The following steps should be followed for optimal results:

1. Determine Floor Type - Not all concrete floors are the same.  Is the existing concrete soft, medium or hard? Understanding what’s already there is the foundational step for everything that follows.

1. Select the Right Grinding Methodology – The two main approaches are:

• Shot Blasting – Most contractors use shot blasting because it’s the cheaper way to go.  However shot blasting is often too aggressive an approach, and is usually more appropriate for resurfacing rather than for applying a thin film.  Shot blasting is downright abusive to concrete and can create stress fractures in the floor.  No matter how carefully it’s done, it also creates pits and valleys, high spots and low spots. When it comes to coatings such as urethane and epoxy, diamond grinding is usually the better approach.
• Diamond Grinding is a preferred prep method for a variety of reasons.  Many contractors don’t it because it requires more time, money and skill.  But the most important part is getting the coating to bond to the underlying floor, and diamond grinding is the best way to thoroughly open the pores of the concrete throughout the floor without damaging or gouging the concrete.  It also produces the smoothest most uniform finish, thereby producing the best and most long-lasting result. The precision tooling of a diamond grinder also allows a trained technician to select the exact proper cutter for a specific floor, again minimizing damage or gouging to the underlying concrete.

1. Hand Grind All Edges – Most contractors don’t bother with this detail.  They figure their industrial grinders get “close enough.”  But without hand grinding the final few inches all the way to the walls, there’s no assurance that the coating will properly bind to the concrete at the edges . . .  and that can mean a shoddy result.

1. Thorough Cleaning – Once the grinding is complete, the floor must be meticulously swept and vacuumed – all the way to the edges — so that no residue remains that could interfere with complete bonding.

1. Primer Coat- Apply the first layer of the coating, such as an epoxy primer specifically formulated for penetrating and bonding to the concrete. Usually 3-5 mls in thickness.

1. Second Layer – Apply the build coat of the epoxy, usually 8–10 mls in thickness.

1. Sanding – For optimal bonding, both a chemical bond and a mechanical bond are ideal.  This is why Liquid Floor Systems chooses to sand this epoxy layer, though not everyone bothers with this additional step.  Is it absolutely necessary?  Maybe not.  Does it produce the best and most long lasting result?  Absolutely!

1. Thoroughly Clean After Sanding

1. Apply Urethane Top Coat. The most important element of this final step is to roll on the urethane within the “recoat window “for complete bonding between the epoxy and the urethane.

If each of these steps is performed by experienced concrete floor coating professionals, an epoxy floor with a urethane seal is one of the most attractive, long-lasting and cost effective concrete floor coating options available.

Lee Davis, President of Liquid Floor Systems, Inc. has been has working in the concrete floor coating industry for more than 15 years.  He’s a proud perfectionist when it comes to epoxy and urethane concrete floor coating installation. Contact Liquid Floor Systems today for a free consultation.

Epoxy vs. Urethane Concrete Floor Coatings

People researching concrete floor coatings often wonder whether they should use an epoxy or urethane coating for their concrete floor. The answer in many cases . . .  although not all . . .  is use both!

Each of these floor coatings works in a different way, performs a different function, and has advantages in particular applications. Both provide protection against chemical corrosion, wear, and damage.  Both are long-lasting and reduce replacement and maintenance costs.  Both increase safety with non-slip surfaces. Both can increase light reflectivity by up to 300% which lowers utility bills, brightens the work space and improves employee morale.

Epoxy concrete floor coatings function more as a floor priming/resurfacing method; whereas urethane is more of a wear surface protecting the epoxy. Here’s a brief summary of the two products:

Epoxy

Epoxy is an ideal product for resurfacing a concrete floor.  It can be applied from as little as 2mls to as much as 80+mls thick depending on the application and underlying floor surface.  It can build up an old, cracked and pitted concrete floor and make it look brand-spanking shiny and new – and increase the floor’s light reflectivity by as much as 300%.  It’s also a great way to add color to the work place and/or use multiple colors to designate certain areas, walkways, use it for directional arrows or put a logo or other design right in the floor. Epoxy concrete floor coatings don’t just make a floor look better; they actually protect  the floor surface. Appropriate for retail, industrial, showroom and public buildings, epoxy floor coatings are popular for a number of uses including: labs, manufacturing plants, hospitals, schools, automotive, aerospace, galleries, showrooms, malls, big box users, and many more.   With proper preparation of the underlying concrete (which usually means diamond grinding rather than shot blasting) and expert installation for proper curing and bonding, an epoxy floor simply can’t be beat.  Certain formulations of epoxy concrete floor coatings meet LEED requirements for VOC limits, making this a “green” approach to creating a new floor.

Urethane

Urethane is not an adjustable thin film floor coating.  Urethane is rolled out at 350 – 500 sf per gallon, which translates to about 2 – 3ml in thickness — and there is no way to adjust that.  Furthermore, urethane does not bond well to concrete, so it is not an ideal coating to apply directly to an existing concrete floor.  However, urethane is an outstanding top coat and sealer for most kinds of epoxy applied over concrete floor coatings. Urethane mortars are ideal for the food and beverage industry because it provides and seamless and smooth floor coating that is moisture and heat resistant.  Urethane is also great in a lab or industrial setting because it can be chemical resistant.  For companies seeking an ecological floor solution, Liquid Floors offers both VOC-compliant and odor-free urethanes for many applications

Summary

In general, it is believed that the best approach is to use epoxy to build up floors and then urethane to seal and protect them.  With urethane as a topcoat over epoxy, the floor will outlast unsealed epoxy 3:1 and you will get excellent wear and abrasion results.  However every flooring customer’s needs are unique, depending upon the particular use and desired outcomes.  That’s why Liquid Floor Systems believes in customizing concrete floor coatings for each individual application.

Liquid Floor Systems President, Lee Davis, has been working in the floor coatings industry for more than a decade.  He believes that the epoxy/urethane combo for concrete floor coatings produces the best floor possible.

Epoxy vs. Urethane Concrete Floor Coatings by Liquid Floor Systems is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

For companies, schools, hospitals, labs, manufacturers, and large retail users looking to repair, replace or rehab their concrete floors while also being good corporate citizens and upholding community values, epoxy is an outstanding and environmentally sound way to get a great floor and also be “green.”

An ideal solution for warehouses, manufacturing facilities, heavy industrial, R & D space, showrooms/galleries, food service, laboratories, aerospace, automotive, medical buildings, retail buildings and public facilities, floor coatings offer the following environmental advantages:

• · Many formulas meet LEED requirements for VOC limits.
• The product used by Liquid Floor Systems meets the VOC (volatile organic compound) threshold requirement of less than 100 grams per liter for LEED, and also meets their Indoor Air Quality Requirements (IAQ).
• Coated floors can be cleaned with an environmental cleaning solution using detergent-free scrubbers and a new electrically charged water scrubber technology.
• Even with normal cleaning methods, urethane and epoxy reduce maintenance and cleaning costs.
• Epoxy is 100% solid, no odors, no off-gassing, etc.
• Because of its light-reflecting qualities – up to 300% more light reflectivity — less lighting and less energy for lighting is required.

• Saving an old pitted, cracked or stained concrete floor by applying epoxy rather than tearing out and replacing it is a significant boon to the environment in terms of materials saving, energy saving, and landfill issues.
• Floors coated with epoxy can protect against dangerous chemical deterioration.
• Although improved employee morale is not a “green” issue, it’s certainly a human issue. Making a workplace clean, bright, shiny and colorful is a wonderful way for any organization to demonstrate its core values.

For any building owner or occupant interested in human and environmental health, an epoxy floor coating is an ideal solution for concrete flooring.  However, it’s important to choose a contractor that not only knows and understands the VOC ratings of the products, they should also understand LEED requirements for installation and use.

Concrete Polishing

Concrete polishing is a green solution that is rapidly gaining in popularity for existing floors and new construction. Read more about concrete polishing as an alternative to applying epoxy or tearing out and replacing the floor.,.

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Lee Davis, President of Liquid Floor Systems, Inc. has been LEED-trained, and will be sitting for his LEED Green Associate certification exam in 2010. If you are interested in a free consultation, contact us today .

A newly re-done concrete polished floor can do wonders for your company. A concrete polished floor is cost effective solution that is also great looking. However, re-polishing your industrial concrete floor can be quite a tedious task. You will need the right know-how and equipment in order to get the job done right. Below are five essential tools for creating the perfect concrete polished floor.

The most essential equipment required for a perfect concrete polished floor are:

1.    Grinders and polishers: It is not only important to have the best grinders, but the correct weight and RPM of the grinder is also necessary for a good polishing job. Grinders come in various sizes and go up to 36 inches. The size of the grinder will depend on the area of the surface that a polisher will cover in one day. A diamond grinder equivalent to HTC 800 is ideal for cutting and polishing floors. A grinder with a higher RPM is needed for polishing the concrete in the steps. Having the correct cutters is equally necessary. The right cutters for the diamond grinder are just as important as the grinder.

2.    Diamond tools for grinding and polishing: This is the second most essential equipment needed for a concrete polished floor. There are two kinds of pads tools used. The metal bond tools are used for grinding and polishing hard preparing concrete floors, while the resin tools are used for polishing the surface.

3.    Industrial Floor Vacuum: Most polishers have evolved, and now are a dry grinding and polishing system and this gives rise to a lot of dust. Since this dust can be hazardous to your health, you must have a quality industrial floor vacuum to clean up all the dust and fragments left over.

4.    Hardening and compacting agents: All concrete polishing surfaces use agents to harden the concrete, and make it denser. The main job of the hardener agent is to make the concrete hard, so that it can be easily polished. The compacting agents make the concrete floor dense or thick, so that it becomes water-resistant, stain-free, and shiny for a longer period of time.

5.    Enhancing the floor with coloring agents, dyes and stains: Gone are the days when a plain light floor was all that you could get. Now with the help of dyes and stains you can get the floor color of your choice. If the final concrete mixture is yet to be poured, the look of the floor can be enhanced by mixing glass beads, integral color, metal pieces, colored aggregate etc.

If this process sounds too difficult for you to do alone, let Liquid Floor Systems assist you in creating a great looking concrete polished floor. We want to help you protect your investment and increase the value of your facility.

Does your old industrial concrete floor have stains? Is it cracked or worn out? If yes, then you need to give your old industrial concrete floor a facelift. Re-coating an old industrial concrete floor can make your industrial center like new. However, it is easier said than done, re-coating your industrial floor can be a very un-daunting task. It is going take knowledge, preparation, and time. Below are 5 steps to give your old industrial concrete floor a facelift.

1. Checking the floor: First and foremost you need to check the floor to see if the substrate is firm and that the floor is tightly attached to it. You must also check that the floor is not peeling, or cracking, or leaving the substrate. A re-coat will only be as good as the last one if the coating is not tightly bound to the substrate.

2. Isolating spots: If there are spots on the floor, or the floor is lifting, then you must deal with them first. In this case, you must remove the top coat before you begin anything else.

3. Sanding or buffing the floor: For this you will need a sander or a grinding machine with an aggressive sanding head. Since only the top gloss or shine has to be removed, a buffing – machine with a medium grit sanding head is needed. Once you have removed the old coating only then can you begin the re – coating process.

4. Cleaning the floor: If you have ascertained that the floor is firmly attached to the ground below. Now, check for the kind of finish or seal that has been applied on your old floor. Cures and seals, epoxies, polyurethane and oil and water based seals can be removed by using a floor cleaner.

5. Choosing a coat of your choice: Once the cleaning has been done thoroughly, then you can go ahead and choose the coating of your choice. If you are using an epoxy based coating, then you need to apply a primer for uncoated concrete. In case the floor is previously coated then after thorough cleaning you can apply a top coat with a urethane topcoat. The primer, though easy to apply, it might take 16 hours to dry up. A urethane top coat is excellent for epoxy floor coatings as it improves the look of the floor and shields it against wear and tear.

Depending on which coating you choose you will have to allow your industrial concrete floor to dry off in about 24 hours, before you can start using it. If this process sounds too difficult for you to do alone, let Liquid Floor Systems assist you in creating a great looking industrial concrete floor. We want to help you protect your investment and increase the value of your facility.

For more industrial concrete floor help go to: http://www.liquidfloors.com/

So you’ve made the first step, you are fed up with your old, worn out, and cracked industrial concrete flooring. You have decided in order for your business to thrive, your industrial floor needs a facelift. The hard part is going to be choosing the right industrial concrete flooring company to get the job done right. This will be an important decision for your company, because in the land of flooring companies, not all are created equal!

Liquid Floor Systems is the best solution for your flooring needs. We offer multipurpose flooring solutions that will improve everything from the value to the cost of your flooring. We are accomplished professionals – committed to helping our customers meet their goals – on target and on budget. Our experience sets us apart from others in the industry, making us the natural choice when it comes to your next industrial concrete flooring project.

Why Choose Liquid Floor Systems?

* 40 years total experience
* Professionally trained applicators
* Free consultation providing customized surface solutions
* Comprehensive warranty
* The most flexible installation schedule in the industry including weekends and holidays
* Surface testing using the latest methods
* Detail oriented workmanship
* Support of product manufacturers
* Latest surface preparation methods

Liquid Floor Systems is here to help you with your industrial concrete flooring needs. Your project is our project. Your success is our success. We don’t just want to meet your expectations, we want to exceed them. This is always our goal.

Epoxy Floor coating- Armor Top High Shine Blue

Industrial epoxy floor coatings add value to your work space by making them brighter, more attractive, and more efficient. The benefits of urethane and epoxy flooring are many – from the maximized cost efficiency to the long term protection and improved look. Below is a step by step process in applying an epoxy coating onto your industrial floor.

Step 1: Diamond Grind area to remove contaminants and prepare concrete for coatings.

Step 2: Vacuum thoroughly to remove dirt and dust from the area.

Step 3: Apply 100% solids epoxy prime coat (pigmented) to area, and distribute it with a squeegee.

Step 4: Allow epoxy prime coat to tack over.

Step 5: Apply 100% solids epoxy build coat (pigmented) to area, and smooth the epoxy using a long-handled paint roller.

Step 6: Allow epoxy build coat to tack over.

Step 7: Sand epoxy with 100 grit screens to prepare for topcoat.

Step 8: Rinse area and remove any excess material from your industrial floor

Step 9: Apply aliphatic high gloss urethane (pigmented) to area.

Step 10: Wait for industrial epoxy floor to fully cure, and begin business operations.

If this process sounds too difficult for you to do alone, let Liquid Floor Systems assist you in creating a great looking industrial epoxy floor. We want to help you protect your investment and increase the value of your facility.