Perfecting the basics is a mark of a true master.

That's why our team here can install the most amazing polished concrete floor systems. It is how we have gotten to where we are today. However, you may be wondering why someone would want to bother and have their concrete polished in the first place. (Epoxy floors, after all, are more resilient.) If you are asking that, then this post is for you, as there are several benefits that you can gain by having your concrete floor polished.

The Venues is a place where you can host events and weddings in multiple spaces. (500 guests using their multi-room layout!) It was once a downtown warehouse here in Toledo, but it has been elegantly turned into a cool event venue with an industrial feel. Their most recent addition added yet another spot, perfect for wedding ceremonies and rehearsal dinners. Hoover Wells was lucky enough to help get this room ready for a bride's big day.

"The Venues is like no other event venue in the city of Toledo. Nestled in the heart of downtown, our large open rooms have high ceilings, concrete floors, and exposed brick walls. We provide the perfect minimalist backdrop that can be transformed to suit your style and wedding vision. We believe in providing a non-traditional venue, so our clients have more options to make the space uniquely their own." - venuestoledo.com

PLUMBERS, PIPEFITTERS, HVAC & WELDERS - UA LOCAL NO. 671

The professionals at Hoover & Wells was contracted to rehabilitate and restore existing concrete in Monroe, MI. We installed new flooring finishes for our partners and friends at local 671 in their newly acquired building!

The Project

The partner’s new expansion needed a floor overhaul before it could be considered functional for the anticipated use. Using our Rez-Stone 9412 (find out more about this system here) 1/8" Color Quartz, we were able give them the exact floor system they desired! Jobs like these may lack in size (at least compared to the projects we often get in warehouses or hangers), but they still take a great deal of attention and expertise from our crews to surpass the owner’s expectations.

Over the last two decades, the demand for polished concrete has grown drastically. Twenty years ago, when Hoover & Wells started polishing concrete floors, customer expectation was set by specifying a desired gloss level. Although gloss testing is important, there are other tests that have been developed in recent years that will better define the overall expected outcome of the polished concrete surface. Distinctness of Image, Haze, and Roughness Average can be used in addition to the Gloss test to ensure the owner gets the quality floor he or she is paying for. The testing needs to be performed before the application of a sealer/guard because these products tend to give inflated readings. So, let's go over some of these terms and what they mean!

Proper concrete surface preparation is the most important part of the application of protective coatings or overlayments. Applicators should inspect and prepare concrete surfaces as failure to do so can result in failure of the flooring system.

All concrete surfaces must be sound. The surface strength of the concrete must be at least 200 psi for the successful application of Rez-Stone flooring products.

Depending on which Rez-Stone flooring system is used, removal of surface defects may be required. Smooth trowel surface on the substrate is required. Protrusions such as mortar splatter or trowel marks should be removed by grinding.

Any oil, grease, curing compounds, release agents, laitance, or unbounded coatings must be removed prior to the application of Rez-Stone flooring systems.

THE 3 FACTORS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION

When selecting a flooring system for your facility, there are three factors to consider: the type of facility, the budget and the current condition of the substrate.

Type of Facility:

The first questions to ask yourself is: What are we doing in our facility? Asking yourself what the building’s use is will determine what type of floor system best suits your facility. For example, a food processing facility will require a different flooring system than that of an automotive manufacturer. Food industry flooring requirements are usually driven by government standards against bacteria and whatnot. On the other hand, the type of flooring in the automotive industry is driven by durability, impact resistance, safety and sometimes aesthetics.

WHAT IS CONCRETE POLISHING?

Being in the commercial and industrial flooring industry, we hear many different terms that can be confusing like shot blasting, DOI (Distinctness of Image) or RA (Roughness Average). Concrete polishing is the refinement of concrete surfaces using chemicals, metal bonded and resin bonded diamonds to achieve the desired finish. There is an endless amount of combinations between chemicals and metal/resin bonded diamonds to help obtain the desired finish. Our 40+ years of experience helps in understanding what is the best combination in your particular circumstance. The Concrete Polishing Association of America classifies finished gloss levels from 1 (flat) to 4 (highly polished) and aggregate exposure as A (little aggregate), B, C and D (large aggregate) depending on depth of desired surface cut.

THE MOsT CRITICAL STEP OF THE INSTALLATION PROCESS

Here at Hoover Wells, we pride ourselves on how we can maintain the superior quality of our work. Besides safety, nothing is more important than the floors we work on. With over 40 years of experience in the industrial flooring industry, we offer a unique, wide range of specialized services, but none of those services can be done properly without good preparation work.

Our Rez-Stone epoxy is the best out there, but no matter which material you are going to apply, the best epoxy in the world has a hard time adhering to substrates that have not been properly prepared. Imagine painting a wall that has been covered in drywall dust. Your now dusty paint-roller would barely be able to transfer paint to the wall. The paint that does get to the wall will end up patchy and flaking off. Similarly, if you put glue onto a smooth surface, it will have a difficult time adhering.  The glue needs some type of profile to adhere.  Dirt, grease, oil, preexisting coatings, sealers and many other substances inhibit epoxy from adhering to the substrate.