Frequently Asked Epoxy Coating and Polished Concrete Questions (FAQ's)

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How do I care for my floor coatings?

  • Never use a mop to clean a floor that is greasy or oily.
  • Make sure the pads or brushes on the automatic scrubber are in good shape. Pads should be red or blue 3M cleaning pads or similar. Brushes should be nylon non-abrasive Malish 8129 series or a similar 
medium flex bristle brush.
  • When using a deck brush, choose a medium/stiff 
bristle.
  • When using a rotary floor machine, use a tan or red 
3M pad or similar.
  • When removing solution with a squeegee, use a soft, 
neoprene squeegee. Do Not use a water spray to remove cleaning solution from the floor because it will over-dilute the solution and cause grease and oil to fall back onto the floor.
  • Wax strippers should never be used.
  • Spills should be cleaned up immediately to prevent staining and as a safety precaution.
  • Surfaces should be adequately protected when moving heavy equipment across the floor.
  • Through proper training and education, unnecessary wear of the floor (such as forklift spin and skid-marks) can be avoided

How do I care for polished concrete floors?

Daily Maintenance

  • Dust mop the floor daily with a microfiber pad to keep dirt particles off the floor. It is very important to remove dirt, sand and gravel as they are abrasive and will eventually dull the polish if not cleaned up properly.
  • In high traffic areas, use an auto-scrubber with PH neutral cleaning product.
  • Dry mop/broom floor first to remove large particles from the floor surface.
  • Use an auto scrubber equipped with a “natural hair pad” for polished concrete while using a neutral cleaning product formulated to suspend the dirt particles so they can be more easily removed. Using water only leaves much of the dirt on the floor, where it will eventually abrade and discolor the surface.
  • If the facility is too small to warrant using an auto-scrubber, we mop the floor instead.
  • Try to clean spills and stains from the floor as quickly as possible so they don’t absorb into the surface.
  • Give the cleaner enough time to start breaking down the grime, such grease and other contaminants, and then suspend the particles. If you apply a cleaning agent and then immediately vacuum it or mop it from the surface, the cleaner will not have sufficient time to work.
  • Make sure the cleaning solution does not dry on the surface. This can be accomplished by cleaning small areas and making sure the entire process is complete before moving on to other areas.

Bi-Annual Maintenance

  • Follow “weekly” maintenance plan.
  • Burnish the floor using a high-speed burnisher equipped with diamond impregnated pads (grit of pad equal to that of floor finish).

Long Term Maintenance

  • Reapply guard and use burnisher to remove excess.

What are the benefits/uses of resinous coatings?

  • Create an easy-to-clean, seamless surface: Our resinous industrial floor coating products dry to become durable, seamless surfaces that can easily be wiped free of dirt, dust, and debris. Because of this ability for easy cleaning, our resinous floor coating services are ideal for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical preparation and packaging plants.
  • Result in a hard-wearing and durable surface: Our resinous floor coating products turn concrete floors into a seamless and durable, high-performance surface that will last for years to come.
  • Provide an attractive flooring surface: Our resinous floor coatings dry to a high-gloss shine and are available in a variety of different colors and styles. You can choose to use one solid color or create a decorative pattern using several colors in order to create an attractive and durable flooring solution.
  • Create a chemically resistant surface: Resinous floor coatings are a chemically resistant flooring option for manufacturing plants, warehouses, and industrial plants that need a durable flooring solution.
  • Improve safety: Our resinous floor coating products can improve safety by creating a slip, impact, heat, and fire resistant flooring solution. These high gloss floor coatings can also improve brightness in a work area by 300%.
  • Allow for designated traffic and work zones: We can use different colors of our resinous floor coating products simultaneously to define safety zones, forklift traffic zones, and other work zones.
  • Increase productivity capabilities: Using resinous floor coatings in a factory, warehouse, or industrial plant can reduce wear on transport vehicles, allow for faster material movement, and prevent wear and damage to the floor.
  • Offer an environmentally friendly flooring solution: Resinous floor coatings are an environmentally friendly flooring solution for companies interested in choosing “green” alternatives and building materials.
  • Allow for quick and easy application: Our resinous floor coatings are self-leveling products. This allows our experienced professionals to apply a resinous floor coating quickly over any new or old concrete floors.
  • Durability: Concrete floors coated in resinous material last longer and resist considerable wear, thus saving you money and allowing you to manage other business concerns.
  • Strength: Once the resinous flooring material has been converted to a solid polymer, it becomes incredibly strong and prevents chemical breakdown.
  • Saves time: Resinous flooring is usually quickly and easily installed, which means less time shutting down production for installation.
  • Low-maintenance cleaning: Once concrete has the resinous coating, it is no longer porous since sealed, and is therefore easier to clean.
  • Aesthetic: Coatings are usually available in an array of colors and patterns to fit your specific style.
  • Safety: These seamless floor coatings are also resistant to slippage, temperature, extreme impact, and even fire, maintaining both the safety of your employees and your building.
  • Brightness: Typically, a high-gloss option for coatings can be provided, which improves lighting in your facility to a significant degree due to reflection.
  • Sloping: Coatings can be sloped to drains to control flow of water.

What are the benefits/uses of polished concrete?

  • Cost savings: Using the slab on grade as the finished floor surface is more cost effective, because maintenance costs are lower.
  • Less maintenance and longer service life: Polished concrete floors are easy to clean, requiring only occasional damp mopping. They also eliminate the need for messy waxes or coatings as well as the associated labor, time, and expense to apply them. The glossy surface of polished concrete resists the marks of forklift truck tires and staining from oil and chemical spills.
  • Resistant to moisture transmission issues: Polished concrete allows the floor to breathe and eliminates issues that arise with other industrial flooring materials that seal off the concrete, such as tile, etc.
  • High light reflectivity: Important for office building floors, hotels, restaurants, and other public facilities that want to project a bright, clean, professional image. Also saves energy by reducing artificial lighting requirements.
  • Is a sustainable flooring alternative: Polished concrete floors does no require hazardous coatings, cleaners, or adhesives.

How long does a resinous coating install take?

Install averages 5 days, plus 3 days to cure. Coatings are a multi-step process. We do not rush cure times and do not skip steps on our systems. We install floors that will last. Your project square footage and system chosen will impact the duration.

How long does a polished concrete install take?

Install averages 5 days, plus 24 hours before foot traffic. Polishing Concrete is a multi-step process. We do not rush or skip steps on our systems. We install floors that will last. Your project square footage and system chosen will impact the duration.

Do we have to shut down our facility?

Depending on the scope and area in your facility, yes you might need to shut down.

What coating brands do you work with or use?

  • Dur-A-Flex
  • Tnemec
  • Sherwin Williams
  • Sika
  • BASF
  • Schonox
  • Mapei
  • Ameripolish
  • General Polymers
  • Prosoco

What is the typical price for systems? (Pricing varies based on project size)

  • Resinous: $5/sf for thin basic system, $8/sf for decorative flake and quartz & $10/sf for heavy duty industrial. $8/sf for integral cove base.
  • Polish: $4 / sf for level 2, $5 for level 3, and $6 for level 4
  • Moisture Mitigation: $3 / sf
  • Traffic Coating: $4 / sf

How long is a quote good for?

In general, quotes are good for 30 days.

What is your resinous coatings installation process for fluid applied flooring?

  • Days 1–5: Prep, Cove & Prime, Base Coat, Grout Coat, Top Coat,
  • Days 6–8: Curing – Protect floor, foot traffic after 24 hours, final cure after 72 hours

What is your polished concrete installation process?

  • Days 1–2: Aggressive Cutting
  • Day 3: Densifier Application
  • Day 4–6: Polishing
  • Day 7: Seal, Burnish, and Clean Up

What are the requirements for flooring installations?

Typically temperatures between 50-90 degrees. No moisture and a clean & sound substrate to install over. Floor needs to be completely free of debris; items can remain on shelves with a 2 foot clearance from the floor. There will not be access to the space once Treadwell starts a system installation.

Do you provide moving options?

No, but we can refer you to a moving partner we have a relationship with.

Do you provide storage options?

No, but we can refer you to a storage partner we have a relationship with.

What installation services do you provide besides floors?

  • Demolition of existing flooring & coatings
  • Floor leveling & restoration of pitted and spalled concrete
  • Gypcrete installation
  • Installation of floor graphics
  • Line striping
  • Moisture mitigation
  • Epoxy wall panels
  • Repair of existing epoxy floors or polished concrete

What other services do you provide?

  • Project financing
  • Extended warranty packages

What other services do you NOT provide?

  • Moving and storage of equipment and furniture.
  • Asbestos abatement.
  • Carpet, VCT, hardwood flooring & tile.

What are the industries you serve?

  • Automotive Dealerships
  • Service Garages
  • Hospitals
  • Restaurants
  • Veterinarian Clinics
  • Bakeries
  • Supermarkets
  • Food Processing
  • Manufacturing Facilities
  • Warehousing Facilities
  • Commercial & Retail Outlets
  • Chemical Processing & Containment Providers
  • Airports & Flight Hangers
  • Schools & Colleges
  • Churches
  • Prisons
  • Pharmaceutical Facilities
  • Breweries
  • Data Centers
  • Residential

What geography do you cover?

Treadwell is proudly located in the Kansas City area, but has installed our fluid applied industrial floors in numerous states throughout the Midwest including:

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • Iowa
  • Oklahoma
  • Arkansas

Is Treadwell a Union Company?

No. Treadwell is an open shop company.

Where can I see examples of Treadwell’s work?

We have an extensive list of projects. Contact for a list of places for the type of floor you’d like to see.

Why is my current coating failing?

  • Moisture vapor transmission
  • Contamination of substrate
  • Poor preparation of surface
  • Prior to making a final recommendation: Treadwell can analyze your current resinous flooring system to determine the cause of failure. We utilize our test results to choose the best flooring option available for the unique needs of your facility.

How long will coatings last?

The life of an resinous flooring system is dependent upon a number of factors:

  • Type of flooring system
  • Amount and type of traffic
  • Exposure to chemicals
  • Cleaning procedures

With the proper flooring being installed for the environment and proper maintenance being performed, floors can last up to 20 years or more.

What colors are available?

  • Resinous: Standard colors as well as custom available. Solid colors and blends are also available. Treadwell can create designs in the floors as well.
  • Polish: Can stain the concrete or leave it natural grey.

What textures are available?

  • Resinous: Can be aggressive and gritty to glass smooth or anywhere in between based on the needs of your application.
  • Polish Concrete: Produces a smooth floor.

Do your products smell?

Some of our products have a slight smell. However, low and no voc options are available if this is a big issue.

Are your floors green/LEED?

Yes. Most of our flooring systems contribute to LEED. Our projects are low VOC and use sustainable ingredients.

Do you subcontract out your labor?

No. All Treadwell craftsmen are employees of Treadwell.

How can I get a quote?

You can call us a 913.396.6216 and we will connect you with a flooring representative who will provide a custom quote. Also, you can fill out our contact form online and a representative will be in touch within 24 hrs to provide a quote.

How soon can you install?

Typically, 4-6 weeks are required to properly plan a flooring project and get samples approved, material ordered, and a crew assigned to a job. Sometimes we can fast track an install in as little as a week.

Can you work over a weekend or at night?

Yes we are able to work weekends and evenings at a small premium over normal working hours.

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