How To Care For Concrete Floors 101

How To Care For Concrete Floors

Investing in concrete resurfacing in Atlanta is one of the best things you can do for your floors. You can end up having an excellent-looking surface that is clean and safe for everyone who wants to use it. 

However, there is some care and maintenance that needs to go into it. After all, nothing lasts forever without upkeep. So let’s talk about some of the best tips to keep your finished concrete floor looking amazing:

How To Care For Polished Concrete Floors

Without further ado, let's talk about how to take care of concrete floors. Here's some of the most important tips to keep in mind:

Avoid Rubber-Backed Mats On Decorative Areas

If you use rubber-backed mats, you can trap rising vapors. These vapors naturally emit from cement. If you place the mats over the wrong area, a hard mineral deposit can form. This will ultimately damage the surface. This also makes it less aesthetically pleasing. 

Don't Place Potted Plants On Your Concrete Finish

If you want to decorate the area with plants, use a plant dolly or plant stands. Ideally they should have legs to provide ventilation. If you don't do this, it can create a mineral deposit similar to the rubber mat concept. 

This will create discoloration. Ultimately this will be costly to repair or replace. Also keep in mind that fertilizers can discolor the surface. 

Avoid Harsh Cleaning Chemicals

Certain chemicals should be avoided when cleaning your concrete surface. This includes paint thinner, mineral spirits, acetone, methyl, glycol, ether, chloride, xylol and xylene.

Further Reading: Steam Mopping Concrete Do’s and Don’ts

Put Your Sprinkler Heads On The Right Settings

Excess watering can be detrimental to concrete surfaces. This includes sidewalks, decks, patios and driveways. Because of the hardness or softness of your water, discoloration can occur on decorative concrete. 

This is especially true if the water stays there for a long period of time. Invest in good water runoff. You should have proper drains around pools, garages or other areas where water may build up. You can also invest in dirt grading around the concrete material. This encourages runoff to prevent buildups. 

Use Protective Caps

If you want to put furniture or other items that are going to touch the concrete surface, use caps. This reduces scratching and gouging. Ultimately concrete is a hard surface, but it's made up of several smaller individual components. For that reason, scratches can have a big effect on the finished material.

Maintenance And Cleaning

You should invest in cleaning services and maintenance or do it yourself. One of the most important parts is keeping the concrete free of dust and debris. You can do this with occasional sweeping and mopping. 

You may even use a mild detergent to scrub the surface, but don't use any harsh chemicals as mentioned above. If there's a lot of foot traffic, then consider resurfacing. This provides a polished finish and also protects the different layers. 

Avoid using ammonium nitrate, salts, or chemicals that are similar. These actually disintegrate the concrete material. In addition, you should remove ice in the winter since water and ice is harmful to the chemistry of your concrete floors. 

Handling Stains

Understand that having a professional company resurface your concrete and provide a sealant can be very beneficial. However, if that's not the case, stains can occur. So to keep stains at bay, avoid tire marks, plants, and dirt in the area. 

In addition, keep grease and oil away from the concrete. Metal can also create rust if left on the concrete, so this is another object to be avoided.

Get The Best Concrete Flooring Today

Contact the experts at EnviroDek.com today. Understand how a modified cement product can be attractive, slip resistant, and safe for a variety of needs. Let the local experts provide a versatile surface that can be used in personal or commercial contexts. That way you never have to worry about your flooring surface ever again.

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