Coated concrete flooring offers excellent durability, is easy to maintain, and is surprisingly attractive. However, these floors do require a certain degree of care to keep them in top shape. Late autumn and early winter are ideal times for providing your concrete floors with special care to ensure that they look and perform their best during the year to come. Here’s what you need to know!
Inspect Your Coated Floors for Damage
The first step in year-end maintenance for your coated floors is to perform a thorough inspection. Look for signs of wear and tear, such as chips, cracks, and peeling, and make plans to address them promptly. Keep in mind that these issues will become worse over time if not remedied, particularly during the winter months when moisture and cold temperatures can penetrate surface imperfections.
Carefully inspect high-traffic areas and edges where damage is most likely to have occurred. Using a flashlight will help you spot subtle scratches and cracks in the coating. If you find damage, plan for repairs before the year ends, even if the damage is minor. Catching issues early on prevents you from having to pay for costly repairs down the road.
Deep Clean Your Floors
Although coated floors are very easy to clean, they nonetheless benefit from a good deep cleaning at the end of the year. Dirt, grime, and assorted chemicals can build up on the surface, resulting in a dull finish and potentially degrading the floor’s protective layer.
Steps for a Thorough Cleaning
The following steps will result in a thoroughly cleaned surface:
Sweep or Vacuum
Use a soft-bristled broom or a vacuum designed for hard surfaces to remove loose debris.
Mop With a Mild Cleanser
Use a mixture of a mild, pH-neutral detergent and warm water to mop your concrete floor. Avoid anything with harsh chemicals, and use a soft mop that won’t damage the coating.
Tackle Stubborn Stains
Use a degreaser formulated for coated floors to remove oil and grease spots. Scrub gently and let the degreaser do the job — scrubbing too hard may damage the surface.
Reseal if Necessary
Sealer promotes continued durability to concrete flooring and provides an extra layer of resistance to stains and moisture damage. Depending on the type of coating on you flooring, you may need to reseal it periodically. There are several signs that your floor is ready for resealing, including a dull surface that is rough to the touch and existing coating that looks scratched or otherwise damaged. Additionally, if water no longer beads on the flooring, that’s a sign that the seal needs to be reapplied.
The first step to resealing your floors is to thoroughly clean the floor with a mild detergent and warm water and allow it to dry completely. Apply the appropriate sealer for your specific coated floor, taking care to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow adequate drying and curing time before using the floor.
Protect Against Winter Elements
Cold weather conditions are rough on coated concrete flooring, particularly those in garages or entryways where they may be exposed to salt, moisture, and mud. De-icing salts are known to be especially harmful and can severely degrade the coating over time.
Placing floor mats or outdoor rugs at entry points helps protect your flooring from being damaged by water, salts, mud, and assorted debris. Keep an eye out for spills and puddles, and clean them up as soon as possible to prevent moisture from seeping into weak spots.
Check and Maintain Coated Garage Floors
Garage floors take an immense amount of abuse that includes everything from heavy vehicles and machines to leaking motor fluids and chemical spills. The end of the year is an excellent time to assess the condition of your garage floors and provide necessary upkeep.
Garage Floor Maintenance Tips
Here’s how to keep your garage floor in top condition through routine maintenance:
Sweep Regularly
Loose dirt, dried mud, rocks, and assorted grit can scratch the coating, so sweep it up on a regular basis.
Inspect for Tire Marks
Rubber marks can be easily cleaned with a non-abrasive cleanser and a soft cloth.
Protect From Heavy Loads
Placing mats or pads under tires, heavy equipment, or storage racks helps prevent tire marks, indentations, staining, and other damage.
Address High-Traffic Areas
Wear and tear is more pronounced in areas that receive a high amount of foot traffic. Pay special attention to these spots during your year-end maintenance inspection and routine.
How to Maintain High-Traffic Zones
An application of floor wax or polish designed for your floor type offers extra protection. Additionally, arrange your furniture to distribute weight evenly across the surface, and slightly rearrange it every few months. Strategically placed rugs and runners help keep scuffing to a minimum.
Stick with brushes with soft bristles, soft mops, or non-abrasive sponges. Only use cleaning products marked safe for coated flooring. Limiting water issues helps prevent moisture issues, especially in basements or areas with bad drainage.
Plan for Long-Term Maintenance
Year-end maintenance is a good opportunity to craft a plan for keeping your coated floors in top shape throughout the coming year.
Regular cleanings are the best first line of defense against damaged and worn-out concrete flooring. Set reminders to reseal the floor every year or two, depending on how heavily it’s used. Inspect for damage every three or four months to catch emerging issues before they escalate.
Invest in Professional Maintenance if Needed
If your flooring has extensive damage or wear, or if you’re unsure of how to handle specific issues, consider hiring a professional. Flooring experts have the knowledge and tools required to restore your coated flooring to its original state, helping to protect your investment in your home.
Signs that your concrete flooring can benefit from professional help include the following:
- Cracked or chipped surfaces
- Peeling
- Extensive staining and/or damage
- Overall dull appearance
Store Cleaning and Repair Supplies Properly
The end of the year is also a good time to take stock of the cleaning and maintenance supplies that you use to care for your flooring.
Floor care supplies should be kept in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children and away from direct sunlight. Keep clutter down by tossing out expired or nearly empty products, and organize your supplies and tools to make them easy to find and access.
Contact Valley Concrete Coatings & Polishing for More Information
Residents of Phoenix, AZ and the surrounding areas know they can count on Valley Concrete Coatings & Polishing for their flooring and decking needs. Besides concrete flooring, we also offer epoxy flooring, cool decking, and polyaspartic floor coatings.
Call us or reach out through our online portal to learn more about keeping your concrete flooring in top condition. Don’t forget to ask about our military and first-responder discounts and our popular referral program.
