Warehouses, distribution centers, big box retail stores, convention centers, airports, and more all have concrete floor cleaning and maintenance concerns. What are the most cost-effective, longest lasting, options? What investments need to be made in order to keep a clean environment? What flooring options should be considered?
Important Considerations for Concrete Floor Cleaning and Maintenance:
- Floor Finish: An important question to be asked is what is the floor being used for? Are there concerns with heavy forklift traffic, manufacturing where acids are involved, or food safety and USDA or FDA regulations? At the very least the floor needs to be sealed in some way for easy maintenance, but there are many ways to seal concrete floors. Here are the main ways and how they affect concrete floor cleaning and maintenance:
- Many large square-footage plants have the floors hard steel troweled and sealed with a densifier. The floor is cleanable, but it’s not resistant to abrasion, stains, and tire marks. This is the cheapest option and it looks something like this:
- If acid resistance is required, an acid resistant coating is the best way to protect the concrete from erosion and damage making concrete floor cleaning and maintenance much easier. This option can be costly, but will save you in the long run if acids are coming in contact with the floor regularly.
- Finally, a polished concrete floor is a step above a sealed floor, but not near as expensive as a coating or epoxy. Polished concrete floors are very easily and economically maintained.
- Routine Maintenance: What resources do you have available? If you have an auto scrubber (or dust mops if your facility is small) all you need is water and an occasional additive to maintain a polished concrete floor.
- Keeping the floor free of dirt and debris is step one. Typically, running the sweeper daily can accomplish this. Walk off mats are also encouraged.
- Daily or weekly (depending on traffic) autoscrub with water alone.
- Non marking tires will significantly reduce black tire marks.
- Clean up spills as quickly as possible.
- Restoring: Spiffing up this floor can be easily achieved every 7-10 years. Over time, a polished concrete floor will loose some of its luster. However, if polished properly to begin with, restoring this is quick and cost effective. If the floor has not be polished, there will be more involved in restoring, thus increasing the cost. Tire marks will be harder to restore and achieving a cleanable sheen will require basic polishing steps. Read more about cleaning concrete floors here.
In summation, a mechanically polished concrete floor is the best way to achieve easy concrete floor cleaning and maintenance.
Concrete Floor Cleaning and Maintenance Contractor
Titus Restoration has been restoring, cleaning, and maintaining concrete floors for decades in warehouses, retail, manufacturing facilities and more. Let us help you with your most challenging concrete floor needs so you can focus on your business! Contact our expert estimators for more information today!