Concrete is an incredibly strong material. As such, you may see garage floor coating companies talking about how a floor coating can help make your concrete floors more durable, and feel suspicions rise. After all, isn’t concrete strong enough without floor coatings? Concrete structures from centuries ago are still standing, so why on Earth would your floors need a coating?
Here is what you need to know about concrete strength, whether concrete is strong enough without floor coatings, and what floor coatings can help your concrete floors with.
Just How Strong Is Concrete?
Concrete is one of the strongest, most durable construction materials. That said, different types of concrete have different strengths and are good for different uses. Strength is the basis for acceptance or rejection of concrete in a structure. There are codes and specifications that designate the strength required of concrete in certain areas of a structure.
For instance, the concrete used for a bridge will be different from the concrete used for a residential driveway or sidewalk due to the different demands of these areas. Having the right concrete strength is essential for safety, to prevent failure.
The quality of concrete is judged largely on its strength. Concrete gets stronger over time. Granted, you need to ensure that concrete cures before you can drive on it, but even during the curing process, it’s strengthening. One of the best things about concrete is how it just continues to get stronger with time.
Types Of Concrete Strength
When people talk about concrete strength, they are usually talking about compressive strength. However, depending on the loading applied to the concrete, the concrete must have other types of strength too.
Types of strength include:
- Compressive (squeezing)
- Flexure (bending)
- Tension (pulling apart)
- Shear (cutting/sliding)
- Torsion (twisting)
Reinforcing steel or fiber mesh can be added in order to make concrete even stronger.
How Is Concrete Strength Measured?
Concrete strength is typically measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). This is how strong concrete is once it is cured. The higher the rating, the stronger the concrete. Contractors spec the appropriate concrete psi for your project.
Normal concrete has psi of 2500 to 5000, but ultra-high-performance concrete can be significantly more, with a minimum of 17000 psi. UHPC has integrated fibers to create a stronger product.
What Affects Concrete Strength?
Concrete strength is affected by many factors, such as:
- Water-to-cement ratio
- Type
- Quality
- Amount of cement
- Cleanness
- Grading of aggregate
- Quality and amount of water
- Presence/lack of admixtures
- How it is handled and placed
- Temperature
- Curing conditions
- Whether foreign materials make it into concrete
- Age
- And more
Isn’t Concrete Strong Enough Without Floor Coatings?
Put it simply? Yes. Concrete is plenty strong without floor coatings. As previously mentioned, concrete continues to strengthen over time. However, there are various factors that can damage your concrete and impact its performance which floor coatings can help with. Jump on to the following section to learn more about this.
What Do Floor Coatings Help Concrete With?
While concrete is strong, it can crack, get stained, spall, and sustain other types of damage. Once damaged, it’s important to ensure that you address the issue promptly. This is because if you don’t repair damaged concrete, the damage will continue to worsen.
Tempting as it may be to put off a minor repair, if the damage is allowed to worsen, then what would have been quick and easy to fix can because expensive and an extensive project.
Floor coatings help with this. Floor coatings form a protective layer on top of your concrete, staving off potential damages. Floor coatings help with impact resistance, moisture resistance, freeze/thaw resistance, durability, protection from stains, and overall aesthetic appeal. They work to prevent problems like uneven surface color, pitting, spalling, efflorescence, cracks, and more.
Concrete can generate dust whenever driven over, so floor coatings can also help you maintain a cleaner garage. This is in addition to the fact that floor coatings in general are easy to maintain – if you spill something on them, all that you need to do is wipe it up! No need to worry about stains here.
Are You Considering A Floor Coating?
Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Virginia provides professional floor coating services for both residential and commercial properties. Our floor coatings keep your concrete protected and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your space. Contact us today to receive your free estimate or to learn more about our floor coating services.
