Expansion joints are placed in floors to allow for shrinkage as concrete cracks as it cures. The joints are often trawled into the floor or occasionally cut after the floor is hard enough to walk on. During the curing phase of the floor these joints often develop cracks that go to the bottom of the sand or gravel base below. If you try to fill these cracks with a liquid it often leaks out the bottom leaving the joint open again before the product is set up.
In some cases it is best to leave expansion joints. Temperature changes force concrete to expand and contract. Joints cut in sidewalks are designed to allow for expansion and contraction without cracking. For most interior applications expansion and contraction is not very severe. The covered areas allow for slower temperature changes and most interior spaces are climate controlled to some degree. Food processors and other operations that have health concerns usually fill expansion joints to avoid associated cleanliness issues regarding mold, mildew and insect problems that the joints can promote.
Durall has developed an expansion joint grout that can quickly fill these joints to level without the danger of it leaking from the bottom. In addition, the grout is extremely hard, cures rapidly and has excellent adhesion properties when applied to cleaned and prepped floor joints.
First, clean your floor with a high alkaline cleaner to raise the pH level to around 12 using an aggressive scrubbing brush with a rotary scrubber. Follow the alkaline cleaner with an acidic cleaner pulling the pH down to 4 and scrub rinse once or twice with water being sure to clean the joints as you go. Often using the pressure from a water hose during each phase will blast dirt out of your joints. Next, mix up Durall’s grout with gloves and take a hand full and scrub into the joints at a 45-degree angle. Use a putty knife to remove excess material and smooth the top of the grout even with your floor. Allow at least two hours to cure. After the grout hardens it is often helpful to scrub your joints again with fresh water to remove any residue left from your scrubbing process. You will still see the joints but they will be smooth, hard and level. With a coat of epoxy or urethane the newly coated surface will look great with a minimum of wearing.
Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include complete application instructions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.
Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.
For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos/bubbles
For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com
Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)
###
About the Author:Harvey Chichester is a principal of Durall Industrial Flooring, a company with more than 40 years experience in developing special flow-coatings for industrial and residential floors. Automotive and shopping centers, breweries, food processing plants, manufacturing plants, airplane hangars, car washes, kennels, warehouses, printing plants, residential basements, pool decks, and condominiums are among some of the facilities in which he has installed floors. http:\\www.concrete-floor-coatings.com
Related Articles
Repairing Bubbles and Craters in Epoxy and Urethane Floors
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 14/12/2006 | Home Improvement
Bubbles and craters in newly installed concrete floor coatings often come from gases flowing through the porous cement. These gases can be argon, methane, or whatever is under the slab. Sometimes the gases come from chemical reactions still being produced by the preparatory floor cleaning process. Often the gases derive from air being sucked into the room by the heating system or by natural airflow. We describe here a simple, effective solution for repairing these defects.
How to Fill Expansion Joints in Concrete Floors for a Smooth Easy-to-clean Surface
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 13/04/2008 | Project Management
Expansion joints are put in floors to prevent cracks that might develop as a result of the shrinkage which occurs as concrete cures. The joints are trawled into the floor or sometimes cut after the floor is hard enough to walk on. As the concrete shrinks, these joints themselves often develop cracks that go clear through to the sand or gravel base below. Attempting to fill these cracks with a liquid can result in the liquid leaking out the bottom leaving the joint open again.
Rid Basements of Mold and Mildew With Epoxy Encapsulation
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 06/10/2006 | Health
Many older homes and buildings have developed dangerous levels of spores from mold and mildew growing in basement walls and floors. To be free of those health hazards and to avoid them returning encapsulation is being used more and more frequently. Plaster and lath, cement block, poured cement footings and other basement surfaces often get wet or damp. The microscopic cavities in many basement wall and floor surfaces become a natural place for spores to grow. Those odors and heavy air you breath when in some basement areas can now be made fresh and kept that way. The trick is to kill the growth and then seal the pores so that even if wet there is no place for contaminants to grow. Think of a plastic picnic plate. The plastic air dries quickly and there is no place for growths to hide.
Garage Floor Repair, Repair
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 12/06/2006 | Home Improvement
All too often homeowners and businesses try to repair worn, eroded and pitted floors with materials that crumble which ends up leaving large holes or depressions. Once the repair attempt fails the fix is often more difficult then the original problem. Instead of having a few damaged areas, the new holes in the repaired material leave lingering doubts about the remaining repaired surfaces. Will more of the repair material fail? Should the owner go to the expense and effort of trying to remove
Epoxy Coatings and Stains Can Transform Concrete Floors Into Artistic Masterpieces
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 01/09/2006 | Home Improvement
More and more homeowners and businesses are creating that warm, easy-to-live-in feeling by taking advantage of their facilities' largest single surface, their floor. They are using new materials, including artistic stains, to give their concrete floors great individualized looks as well as the easy maintenance qualities of a Class III laboratory.
New Marketing Approach for Industrial Flooring Products
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 23/02/2006 | Business
A kit-based approach to selling epoxy floor coatings is now being used to target both industrial and home users. These all-in-one kits have been developed with the recognition that people want to buy solutions not products. This outcome-based concept ens
Contaminated Cement can be Controlled by Encapsulating With Epoxy
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 23/02/2006 | Environment
Remediation of pollution can be expensive and technically difficult. Many state and local pollution control agencies have found that encapsulating contaminated concrete is the most economical and long lasting solution for existing contamination. 100% sol
Use Epoxy Joint Sealer to Stop Concrete Floor Vibration and Damage
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 23/02/2006 | Management
Many heavy industrial settings, including paper warehouses, steel and other heavy-weight or high-traffic applications suffer from shaking concrete floors. The source of the vibration is most often caused by rolling equipment crossing expansion joints cut
More from Durall Industrial Flooring
How to Make Retail, Shop, and Garage Floors Glass-smooth
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 27/04/2008 | Presentation
Ultra smooth floors (glass-smooth) are often a "required" look for showing off quality operations and merchandise. As is frequently the case in obtaining a high-end result, glass-smooth floors are achievable but at a cost in materials and effort. Of course, it helps to start with a smooth floor but even highly damaged floors can be brought back to glass-smooth with some hard work and…epoxy.
Repair Carpet Tack Strip Holes in Concrete Floors
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 24/04/2008 | Remodeling
When carpet is removed from over concrete holes and craters are left from carpet tack strips that were nailed into the concrete. Each nail when removed can leave up to a ½ in. wide hole in the floor. The same is true with doorway transition plates that edged your carpeting or tile. The removal of old walls will leave even bigger holes in the floor. The following information can help you repair your floor holes so that smooth modern flow coated flooring can be applied.
Checkerboard Floors and Collector Cars Look Great Together
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 19/04/2008 | Classics
step-by-step instructions on how to put down the checkerboard floor you have always dreamed of.
Saving the Healthcare System With Health Annuities
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 13/04/2008 | Business Opportunities
As one gets older healthcare expenses are almost certain. That’s why health insurance cost go up as we age. Then there is long term care, and what if the Medicare plan changes, due to the expected increase cost burdens? Many of us can self insure for a few years out of our savings if the health impact is not too catastroph?
How to Fill Expansion Joints in Concrete Floors for a Smooth Easy-to-clean Surface
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 13/04/2008 | Project Management
Expansion joints are put in floors to prevent cracks that might develop as a result of the shrinkage which occurs as concrete cures. The joints are trawled into the floor or sometimes cut after the floor is hard enough to walk on. As the concrete shrinks, these joints themselves often develop cracks that go clear through to the sand or gravel base below. Attempting to fill these cracks with a liquid can result in the liquid leaking out the bottom leaving the joint open again.
Repairing Bubbles and Craters in Epoxy and Urethane Floors
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 14/12/2006 | Home Improvement
Bubbles and craters in newly installed concrete floor coatings often come from gases flowing through the porous cement. These gases can be argon, methane, or whatever is under the slab. Sometimes the gases come from chemical reactions still being produced by the preparatory floor cleaning process. Often the gases derive from air being sucked into the room by the heating system or by natural airflow. We describe here a simple, effective solution for repairing these defects.
Rid Basements of Mold and Mildew With Epoxy Encapsulation
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 06/10/2006 | Health
Many older homes and buildings have developed dangerous levels of spores from mold and mildew growing in basement walls and floors. To be free of those health hazards and to avoid them returning encapsulation is being used more and more frequently. Plaster and lath, cement block, poured cement footings and other basement surfaces often get wet or damp. The microscopic cavities in many basement wall and floor surfaces become a natural place for spores to grow. Those odors and heavy air you breath when in some basement areas can now be made fresh and kept that way. The trick is to kill the growth and then seal the pores so that even if wet there is no place for contaminants to grow. Think of a plastic picnic plate. The plastic air dries quickly and there is no place for growths to hide.
Epoxy Coatings and Stains Can Transform Concrete Floors Into Artistic Masterpieces
By: Durall Industrial Flooring | 01/09/2006 | Home Improvement
More and more homeowners and businesses are creating that warm, easy-to-live-in feeling by taking advantage of their facilities' largest single surface, their floor. They are using new materials, including artistic stains, to give their concrete floors great individualized looks as well as the easy maintenance qualities of a Class III laboratory.
Home Improvement 
| Posted: 04-04-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 34 | Rating: (57) 
(?) 
