If you have a newborn and are considering getting polished concrete floors, you may be asking yourself if they will be safe for your child. The thought of having your child crawling on the hard concrete may seem like it would be bad for their wrists and knees, but today we will look at exactly what makes concrete flooring safe for children.
concrete floors
Case Study: New Concrete Floor Coatings for a Local Commercial Bakery
There’s no better smell than a pie baking. So, when the Smith & Company Flooring team was asked to restore Blue Raeven Farms Bakery’s concrete floor, we were excited to take on the project. In a week, we were to grind the floor, fill any existing cracks and apply new concrete floor coatings for a local commercial bakery.
When we started, we noticed the substrate was in rough condition with a lot of pre-existing cracks. The floor was made with an extremely soft concrete slab, which made it slightly rougher than is typical. While neither of these issues created major problems, it was definitely something the team had to be more conscious of while working.
The concrete floor had four sections, two of which were to be coated with solid colored epoxy. Our team applied a 20mill coat of a 100% solids two-component self-leveling epoxy from General Polymers. Specifically, we used General Polymers GP3745 and the color was “Steel Gray.”
The other two sections of the commercial bakery floor needed a decorative flake finish. After grinding and prepping the concrete floor, the team applied a 6mill base coat of polyaspartic. We followed this by broadcasting the “Smoke” colored 1⁄4” flakes. Once that was dry, we cleaned up excess flakes and applied two more 6mill coats of clear polyaspartic.
It was a fun project to turn this older commercial building into a nice bakery. Their floors are going to look great and last for many years to come! See the before and after photos below to be amazed by the improvement.
Before
After
Building a Large-Scale Vivarium with an Epoxy Floor
Whether you’re planning to build a vivarium or you’re looking to learn more about epoxy flooring, we’d like to help! A vivarium is an enclosed space that is usually used for raising animals or plants in a controlled environment. Sometimes these areas are designated to create a mini ecosystem or environment that differs from the natural environment in that area. It’s important to install a durable floor in this space, which is why we recommend building your vivarium with an epoxy floor.
Because a vivarium needs to meet specific requirements to create the proper environment, it demands specialized construction methods; this includes the flooring. A proper floor for a space like this must be able to contain the environment while avoiding the introduction of external elements. It must also have a high level of resistance, be durable and easily cleanable. An epoxy floor is a great solution for these requirements.
We understand that depending on the animals you’re keeping, flooring needs will differ. While some animals may need flooring with texture, others may need an especially durable surface. Canines, hooved animals, rodents, non-human primates, and aquatic animals will require different flooring specifics. But all will need to be easily cleaned. Most of our decorative quartz, decorative flake and solid colored surfaces will satisfy the differing needs of any of these animals.
In addition to the space for the animals, many other areas in a vivarium facility can benefit from an epoxy floor as well. Having durable and easy to clean surfaces for hallways, cage washing areas, showers and locker rooms, surgical suites, warehouses (especially those with chemicals) and mechanical equipment rooms is a smart decision. Check out the chart below to see the specific types of epoxy floors that will work best in these varying areas.
Epoxy floors are a great surface for a variety of uses. A vivarium is just one of them. For more information, contact Smith & Company or visit our website.
How to Make the Most of Your Interior Concrete Floor
You’ve just moved into a new place with a basement that has a concrete floor. You’re thinking to yourself, “What am I supposed to do with this room?” Well, a concrete floor provides a versatile surface to create a bonus room that fits your lifestyle. If it’s not already polished, contact a professional concrete floor specialist to install an epoxy coating or other finish to match the style you’re wanting.
An Over-21 Room
Treat yourself and your friends to a room for just adults. Polish your interior concrete floor with a darker brown or marbled grey color. Install a bar and stock it with your favorite drinks. Bring in an area rug that matches your style and enjoy the atmosphere of a bar in your own home. In case you have a friends who gets a little clumsy after a few drinks, you’ve got the perfect floor to wipe up the mess.
Craft Room
Are you or your kids artistic and in need of a place to let your creative juices flow? A polished concrete floor provides a wonderful surface to get messy. Whether you love painting, scrapbooking, or glitter projects, your floor can handle it. It proves to be an easy-to-clean surface that can be enjoyed by all.
Man Cave
A basement with a concrete floor is a great space to utilize for a man cave. Let’s be honest, a man cave isn’t a place where you want to be clean and tidy and the furniture you like often leaves scuffs on the floor. You don’t want to stress ruining the flooring but you know that spills and scuffs are inevitable. So solve your messy man cave problem with a polished concrete floor. Many types of epoxy coatings won’t scuff and they all can handle the spills you and your buddies are bound to bring about.
Home Gym
Create a mini gym with the space that your concrete floor provides. Because concrete stays cool, it’s the perfect surface for a workout room. Plus, a decorative chip broadcast floor doesn’t scuff, so don’t worry about marking your floor with rubber weights or equipment. Polish your floor with a color or design that is lively and energetic. Bring in whatever equipment you enjoy using and add some mirrors on the walls. This will create an atmosphere where you’ll look forward to your exercise time and get the most out of your workout.
Game Room
A room designated specifically for games and a lot of activity, whether it’s for you or your kids, is a great idea. This provides a space where you have the freedom to have fun without worrying about making a mess. You don’t have to worry about the mess when food (and spills) join your game time. If your family loves basketball or racket sports, paint a mini court to play on your concrete floor.
There’s no need to worry about your concrete basement anymore. There are many options to utilize this unique space according to your needs. Be creative and have fun with the flexibility that a polished concrete floor can provide. If you’re looking for a professional to finish your floor, contact Smith and Company for an estimate.
Concrete Contractors Salem OR
The Pioneers in Capitalism – Concrete Contractors
Concrete contractors greater than two thousand years ago in Italy, noticed that combining lime with ash and water, they were capable of make a substance with unimaginable power and endless shapes. Volcanoes produced ash that was a byproduct of extraordinarily scorching lava which when combined with lime created concrete. As the concrete contractors, known as master builders, experimented with this superb product, they have been able to build constructions that defy modern building practices.
The structures enabled the master builders to build cities. They constructed aqueducts that brought fresh water from the mountains to the cities in abundance. The buildings enabled Rome to become the leader of the world. People were able to build schools, turn out to be educated, companies had been shaped and the country prospered. The military was formed and their authorities enlarged.. Till their authorities taxed prosperity away, Rome was the leader of the world as a result of advancements in using concrete.
After the fall of the Roman Empire using concrete trickled to a crawl for nearly 1,400 years and began for use once more in varied areas around the globe in the 1,700’s and 1,800’s. Slowly, concrete contractors started utilizing concrete again to construct buildings, new cities have been formed.
This unimaginable substance has been used to make bridges, buildings, and highways for the final 150 years.. Constructing led to the event of cities and an unprecedented interval of growth. Capitalism was on the rise, thanks again to concrete contractors. Without these construction entrepreneurs we wouldn’t be where we are today.
Since the web went mainstream, there has been large improvement of latest merchandise and techniques of use by concrete contractors. The listing of recent developments in the usage of concrete is vast. Capitalism is on the rise as a result. The internet has enabled data sharing and the ability of creative minds to get together . New products have been created, new gear developed, new firms fashioned to revenue using concrete in new ways. Shoppers are benefiting, opportunities are being created.
Concrete Contractors of Today
Decorative concrete contractors have made immense artistic advancements.. Simply go online and search for decorative concrete. It’s everywhere. Epoxy coatings and polished concrete are in industrial buildings, retail shops, eating places and workplace buildings. Some of the costliest homes and buildings in NYC, London, and Hong Kong have decorative concrete..
Concrete contractors are building parts equivalent to counter tops, sinks and furnishings with lightweight cement products with energy exceeding the durability of different products. Actually, right this moment something that can be constructed, could be constructed with concrete. Companies have developed cementitious products which can be being molded into decorative constructions with energy rivaling steel.
Concrete contractors say that concrete is not only for sidewalks and foundations any longer.. Because the opportunities to profit can be found, merchandise will proceed to improve. New equipment shall be designed and built to make it easier and quicker to use the brand new products. Simply as concrete contractors capitalized over 2,000 years ago and improved the world with this wonderful product, history will repeat itself. New innovations will spur entrepreneurs to create new companies. Brand new objects will begin to flourish.
The one factor that can impede new developments by concrete contractors is identical that introduced down Rome 1,600 years in the past and that’s authorities intervention and excessive taxes that thwart human ingenuity and motivation.
Local Areas and Places We Serve:
Middle Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, West Linn, Tualatin, Wilsonville, McMinnville, Tigard,
Newberg, Dundee, Four Corners, Salem, Keizer, Sherwood, Yamhill and their surrounding communities.
[wpseo_map width=”650″ height=”300″ zoom=”-1″ map_style=”roadmap” show_route=”0″ show_state=”0″]
[wpseo_address show_state=”1″ show_country=”1″ show_phone=”1″ show_fax=”1″ show_email=”1″ show_url=”1″ show_opening_hours=”1″]