The flooring of your commercial property is one of the most important parts of your facility. Keeping it clean and in good condition is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also one of efficiency and safety.
When you make sure that your floor is professionally cleaned, you can often remove buildup and ensure that your place of business will continue to look its best. But no matter how well you maintain your flooring, not even consistent upkeep will protect your flooring forever.
Foot traffic, corrosive chemicals, vehicles, heavy machinery, and moisture buildup are common issues that commercial floor coating faces. These sorts of wear and tear can quickly scratch or dull your floor’s topcoat, or even strip away layers of your flooring when they are cleaned improperly. Natural weathering, accidents, and damage can still occur over time, and eventually your floor will need to be replaced.
Signs Your Commercial Floor Coating Needs A Replacement
Your floor may not tell you when it is time to replace commercial floor coating and give up on continuing repairs. You will have to watch for the signs. These are some of the signs that you may indicate it is time to have your commercial flooring replaced:
- Chips or Cracks – When dealing with any type of commercial flooring, it’s important to look out for multiple cracks or chips. If you only find a few, it’s probably just from a sharp object hitting the floor, and those sorts of issues can be repaired. If there are many cracks throughout the flooring, however, most likely there is a foundation problem and the floor needs to be replaced. This issue is most common in tile but can occur with any type of hard surface flooring.
- Odor – If you begin to notice a bad smell coming from your facility that cannot be washed away, there’s a chance it could be your flooring. While this is more common on carpeting because of the fibers that can hold onto odors, bad smells in non-carpet flooring can often point to a mold issue. In this sort of situation, a replacement is not only necessary but must happen quickly.
- Stains – Over time, the sun, chemicals, and wear can cause concrete to fade or discolor. While some color change can be expected, severe or uneven discoloration can indicate a problem. For epoxy floors, if the finish becomes yellowed or clouded, it may be a sign that it needs to be replaced.
- Visible Aggregate – In areas with high traffic, the top layer of the concrete or the epoxy coating can begin to wear away. This exposes the aggregate within the concrete, making it more susceptible to damage. If the floor is no longer smooth, or if the aggregate is visible, it’s a sign that your floor needs to be replaced.
- Blisters and Delamination in Epoxy Flooring – If your floor is covered with an epoxy coating, blisters or areas where the coating is peeling or lifting (delaminating) can indicate a failure of the coating. This can be due to improper preparation of the underlying concrete, a poor mixing or application process, or an issue with the epoxy itself.
- Excessive Vibration or Noise – If the floor vibrates or makes excessive noise under normal loads, this can indicate structural issues that could lead to catastrophic failure. Your commercial flooring may appear fine, but could need to be replaced right away.
Different types of flooring may have different warning signs. Because we also offer concrete and epoxy repair, we recommend that you contact us as soon as you suspect something may be wrong. We can determine if there is an issue that requires minor or major repairs, which we can quote you on, or we can let you know if we also think it might be time for your flooring to be replaced.
Don’t Wait Too Long to Replace Your Flooring
It can be easy to want to put off floor replacements. There is a very long list of responsibilities that any boss or facility manager has to handle. But maintaining your commercial flooring is vital to a safe, functional, and professional workplace. Contact Colorado Concrete Repair today for an estimate.
