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The installation process starts with determining the type of concrete you have depending on its hardness, moisture content, and structural condition. Each of these variables contributes to how we approach the next and most important step—concrete preparation.
Our main form of preparation is shot blasting, which extends the life of your floor by giving you the greatest adhesion possible. Blastrac Walk-Behind Shot Blasting Systems use a high performance, airless, centrifugal wheel for propelling blast media at a high velocity, in a controlled pattern and direction.
Metal abrasives, thrown by the rapidly rotating blast wheel, are accelerated toward the surface being prepared. The media strikes the surface and rebounds, along with the removed contaminants, into a recovery chamber or separator. The dust collector removes pulverized abrasives, dust, and contaminants. Very little abrasive is lost and the usable media is returned to the storage hopper for recirculation by the blast wheel.
Different surface profiles can be achieved by varying the shot size, shot flow rate, and machine travel speed. Shot blasting produces the most course profile while removing any deteriorated or weak concrete, leaving the surface immediately ready for coating. This is the number one form of preparation used in the coatings industry today.
In applications where a shot blaster is not preferred we use a diamond grinding process. Typically this process is used when you have soft deteriorated concrete or a thick preexisting coating. The use of course grit diamonds or polycrystalin diamonds help us achieve the required profile. Our diamond grinders consist of eight rotating heads. By varying the grits and bonds used, diamond grinders can be affective on differing concrete types. Diamond grinders are especially helpful when cracks or joints are at different profiles and need to be leveled.
In the case of many floors in Manitoba, we have to use special menders and fillers in order to fix any pits, cracks, and/or spalls that are present in the existing concrete floor.
We feel that it is best to leave all control joints open to allow for the movement of the concrete and relieve the stress. Although, control joints can be filled if specified.
The repair process is followed by vacuuming the floor and using a leaf blower to flush out any remaining debris.
Typically in garage floor applications we will apply a polyurea full chip coating system.
Prior to coating the floor we will start with coating all vertical surfaces:
We start by mixing up a small amount of our base coat, a 100% solids self-priming pure polyurea, which we brush on to all vertical surfaces. Next, we use a scraper to pull the pile of chip vertically against the wall, leaving the surface fully covered. We then vacuum to recover any loose chip left behind on the floor.
Once our base-coat is fully cured we “scrape” down the flake. With metal blade scrapers we walk along the floor surface putting pressure on the blade to “cut” and “scrape” any loose or vertically standing flakes. In most applications we scrape the floor from front to back and also side-to-side to ensure we have hit all angles of the chip. This results in the floor having a nice even texture. At this time we also scrape vertical surfaces by hand to knock down any loose flake. We then vacuum to recover any loose chip left behind on the floor.
After our floor is prepped, coated, flaked, scraped, and vacuumed, we can start our final step — the application of the clear coat. Typically, we use a 96% solids Polyaspartic Polyurea UV stable clear coat that is applied at a rate of 145-160 sq. ft. per gallon. We start by clear coating all of the vertical surfaces and then brushing the perimeter of the floor itself. With the clear coat, instead of mixing one gallon of product at a time, we mix the entirety of the product needed to cover the whole floor. We pour the mixed product directly on to the floor and use a soft squeegee to spread the coating to our desired thickness. Then we use an 18 inch roller to back and cross roll the floor. This takes out any lines left behind by the squeegee and leaves a nice and even clear coat over the entire floor.
At this point we clean up and leave the floor to dry. After four to six hours you can confidently walk on your new coating and after 24 hours you can park and drive on the coating. We hope you fully enjoy your new floor!
204-2033 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Phone: (204) 990-3288 Email: Stephen@jenkynscoatings.com