Important Steps for Concrete Surface Preparation

Feb 6, 2019

One of the most overlooked aspect of working on or with concrete is the need to perform significant preparation on most concrete surfaces. Even if the concrete is newly poured, there is still much preparation that needs to be done in order to successfully apply treatment, waterproof it, or perform construction, as in the case of laying a floor on it. Ideally, you will work with a surface preparation specialist in New England before you commence whatever project you are attempting on the concrete; whether you do or not, however, you should follow these tips if you are getting the floor ready, or make sure they are followed if someone else is prepping your floor.

Include Prep Work in Any Contract

Too often, with any work that involves concrete surface preparation, the assumption is the contractor or vendor will handle all surface preparation. If you are hiring surface preparation contractors, it is assumed they will do a thorough job. Assuming either is a mistake. Insist in the contract that you be given the option to personally inspect the prepped flooring before any work commences. This includes if your surface preparation is done separately from your contracting work. If at all possible, on the day of the work, let the workers know you want to and will inspect the prepped flooring before they can move on

Follow the Manufacturer’s Recommendation

Manufacturers generally come up with instructions for a product because they want to ensure that, when used as directed, their product will stand the test of time. Given that, following those instructions is a good idea.

Inspect Your Floor

Once you have the area to be worked on clear of any major items, perform a thorough inspection at the ground level. Look for residue buildup, dirt, dust and debris, cracking and chipping, etc. All of those items will have to be addressed before you treat the floor or perform any work that requires laying flooring on top of it.

You also should test the moisture level of the floor as well as checking for oil and grease. The presence of any of those 3 will help determine the method you use to clean the surface. In cases where the floor is heavily stained or there is a lot of residue buildup, you will have to use a more abrasive cleaner.

Cleaning the Surface

Surface preparation companies may have a few “tricks of the trade,” but this step mostly requires elbow grease. There is no substitute for being thorough and working hard. Use brooms, mops, cleaners, scrapers, vacuums, and whatever else you need to in order to clean the surface and remove as much dirt and debris as possible. A final step should be to go over every square inch with a vacuum and then perform a hand test to make sure you have not missed any dirt or debris.

Repair Any Damage

Just about all concrete floors accumulate cracks, dents, divots and even major cracking as time goes by. Before you do the final work on the floor, you need to use a concrete-friendly patch to smooth over any of the above. Use a spreader or a scraper and apply the patch evenly, let it dry overnight, and reapply if necessary.

Proper preparation of your concrete floor is the only way to ensure the work you want done will produce a finished product you can rely on. For more information on treating concrete floors, check out Advanced Prep Coat, Inc.