Bare concrete floors might often be the cheapest option, but it can lead to a whole list of problems that could incur more costs, hassle, and lost time, rather than just installing a coating in the first place. To elaborate, here are just a few issues that could occur when choosing to have an uncoated concrete floor.
1. Uncoated concrete is vulnerable to moisture and could be affected by issues such as freeze- thaw damage and rebar corrosion.
2. Without protection, concrete is susceptible to extreme temperatures, harsh chemicals, impacts, tire traffic, de-icing salts, and liquid. In an industrial area this could mean that the floor quickly becomes chipped, contaminated, cracked and unlcean.
3. If nothing else, bare concrete isn't the best look. A finish with colors, patterns, and textures can have a significant impact on the morale, confidence, and positivity of people in the environment.
4. Specialist systems can provide benefits that actively enhance the facility. For example, sites with sensitive electrical equipment can protect them against static electricity discharges by installing an antistatic resin floor finish.
5. Slip resistance is an important flooring criterion in many environments. Bare concrete can quickly become slippery and unsafe, however anti-slip aggregates can be broadcast into a resin coating to provide tailored, targeted slip resistance.
6. Critical safety and navigational signage can be incorpated into a resin coating to help identify paths or highlight hazards.
7. Concrete is porous and can be penetrated by moisture and contaminats. This can lead to bacteria build up and make it very diffult to achieve a high level of hygiene. Floors coated with a seamless, impervious surface are much easier to clean and maintain.
8. Extensive traffic from pedestrians, wheeled equipment and forklift trucks across a concrete floor can stir up a lot of dust. This can cause allergies, lead to hygiene issues, spoil produce and affects equipment onsite.
9. Unsealed concrete has litle to no light reflectivity, in comparison, some coatings can increase light reflectivity by up to 300% lowering light bills and making the space a brighter more pleasant place to be.
That's just a few reasons that uncoated concrete might not be the best idea, whether its a commercial or industrial environment, its always best to think carefully about what benefits and what properties the floor needs to provide in order to install a finish that protects the substrate, improves hygiene, looks great and that can withstand the locations challenges.