Flooring Insurance

I ran into this company in Vegas at the World of Concrete. Ram Board. It seems that this product is always needed when it’s needed. No one seems to think about ordering a product like this ahead of time.

It doesn’t matter what kind of flooring is put down in a construction project there will always be contractors doing finish work after a floor is put in. Lighting, painting, signs whatever. Contractors want to do their job and if you don’t protect yours too bad.

If a floor is not protected it will get damaged. It’s going to cost someone and I’ve never seen the client eat a contractors mistake.

Whether you’re the client, general Contractor or sub bookmark this company. Ramboard

Tamryns’ husband Dan made an accidental discovery when trying to find ways to clean the rust from concrete coping on the edge of their pool deck. The only cleaning solution was acid but as a liquid it would spill into the pool. Not good.

So Dan started experimenting with containing acid in a gel and an amazing product was born. The gel works cleaning wonders on flat surfaces but can also be appied to vertical surfaces without running. One of the features is that you can control where it goes.

The benefits are way beyond their expectations. It is replacing liquid acid. Liquid acid can be very effective but with negative side effects. The Gelled acid is being used to clean mold, mildew, algae etc. from building facades and interior and exterior flat surfaces. It is also very effective for cleaning the bottom of boats. It removes barnacles which are calcium without affecting wood, fiberglass or steel.

When acids are used in liquids it’s almost impossible to remove from a porous concrete surface. Water doesn’t completely remove the acids. The acids are diluted but can remain in the concrete making it soft, “spall” and deteriorate over time. Sealing the concrete can trap the acid causing the concrete sealers to break down.

Gelled acid only works at the interface of the concrete. The acids in the gel effectively pull the mold, algae and grime out of the concrete which is absorbed and contained in the gel. The Gel can be thought of as a carrier. 70% of the contaiminents are pulled into the gel and can be squeegied into a pile and removed. The balance can be cleaned with water and vacuumed for disposal.

The Gels were recently applied to a 40,000 sf concrete dock at a marina in Baltimore Md. The surface was almost black from years of buildup. The gel was rolled on and cleaned to a brand new surface and sealed. Of 20 products they tried only the gel worked.

The gels are ASTM (American Society of Testing Methods) approved. They are environmentally safe. There are 3 strengths. Cost is 12-15 cents per square foot.

1. Tek Gel for Flattooing - contains 16% acids, for light cleaning and used extensively by concrete artisans for creating graphics on concrete surfaces. Pulls acid stain out of concrete or can be used to antique an acid stained surface.

2. Tek Gel for Profiling - contains 20% acids, great for cleaning most concrete surfaces, use to clean building facades, brick, brownstone, limestone and concrete. profiles to a 20 grit, opens concrete 3 mils

3. HD 24 - heavy duty with 24% acid. profiles concrete to 80-60 grit.. Will expose aggregate in concrete. Profiles surfaces to at least 3 mils for profiling floors for concrete coatings and sealers

It is important that there be ample heat inside. The biggest concern and risk of potential problems are temperature of the concrete slab. Concrete is a great conductor of heat and cold. Even though it may feel warm inside if the slab is cold it will affect the curing time.

I’ve run into problems where the heat has been on and slab doesn’t feel to cold but someone turns heat down overnight. The next morning you walk in and expect the new coating to be cured. You walk on floor to check out the previous days work leaving a trail of footprints wherever you go.

The floor can be more of a problem than before you started. The foot marks can be deep enough that a new coat won’t cover the footprints. Sometimes it may take 2-3 coats to get right. Now a 2-3 day project turns into a 4-5 day project and triple the product cost.

A few tips:

1. Make sure all products are keep in a warm area.

2. Keep doors closed, don’t allow cold air in.

3. Make sure room is kept warm for a day before, during and after job is complete for floor and sealers to properly cure.

4. Use a fan to circulate air but do not point directly at floor. Circulating air will help speed up cure time.

If there is any doubt about temperature of the slab don’t force it. Wait until you are comfortable that the conditions are right. Fixing a problem caused by temperature will take a lot longer than delaying project until temperatures rise.

Adhesive removal is not fun so it’s important to use high quality adhesive removers.

These products are rolled or sprayed on and then go to work. Once the surface is ready the glues are scraped off with a sharp scraper. Scrapers can be found in the tile section at most home improvement centers.

Once the surface glues are scraped off and discarded the floor should be cleaned with water and a good floor cleaner and let dry.

Anything that has not come off is likely there for good. The concrete floor can now be resurfaced with a concrete overlay. Make sure the overlay is primed twice with a polymer hardner and the overlay is one of the few that will adhere like iron.

Removing adhesives is not fun but with the right products you can transform an unsightly floor to a highly functional decorative one that will endure for years and add value to your space.

The fact is that basements are wet or moist, mildewy, damp. They are below ground. Ground or earth is made up of porous natural dirt, sand and rock. So when it rains it works its way through the ground, down along concrete foundations and frequently travels below concrete floors.

When moisture gets below a concrete floor or along a foundation wall the moisture pressure will push its way through the concrete. This is called hydrostatic pressure. Concrete is porous so the moisture can push through the concrete plus being pulled through the concrete by way of evaporation.

When this happens the most effictive cure is an epoxy waterproofer that is not porous and creates a moisture barrier. The most effctive epoxy waterproofers will stop this process.

Fortunately its a fairly simple cure. A simple two part epoxy mixed thoroughly and rolled or painted on a surface. It will harden to a smooth surafce stopping moisture and preventing mold and mildew buildup resulting in a significant improvement in air quality.

Now you can focus on building out a basement space that otherwise would be an unhealthy environment.

The process is fairly simple. Use the appropriate cleaner to clean the concrete and eliminate any mold. Once dry apply the epoxy. When the epoxy cures the concrete slab can be resurfaced with numerous basement floor covering options.