“White glove” service
Hinding Concrete Solutions takes the integrity of your floors – and our products – seriously. We know that the foundation of every quality floor coating project is in the prep work. Where many companies skip corners, Hinding goes the extra mile to deliver “white glove” treatment and ensure that you have the ideal surface for our floor coatings to adhere to. We base every quote on an on-site professional evaluation … never on just a phone conversation.
For every project, we begin by grinding the existing surface with diamond grinders, exposing a fresh surface and opening the pores of your concrete. This allows for better wicking into the surface, leading to better adhesion and a longer lasting floor. Floor preparation is crucial to the proper installation of the floor coating system. Without proper floor preparation, the floor coating liquids will not be able to penetrate and bond to concrete. After the floor has been ground a sufficient amount, we ensure that all holes, divots and uneven areas are filled, leaving you with a smooth, like-new finish.
Next, our floor coatings are applied and thoroughly checked for a smooth, even finish. Once the coatings have cured, we will apply a top coat for added protection. The top coat provides the ultimate protection against stains and normal wear and tear. A top coat also will make cleaning the floor a breeze, unlike other products on the market. Think of the top coat like a clear coat for your car. The automotive industry doesn’t manufacture cars without a clear coat, does it?
Since we use a commercial-grade polyurea coating, your floors can be ready for foot traffic in as little as 24 hours!
Safety and convenience for the customer is a priority!
Unlike epoxy-based systems, polyurea contains no regulated volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). It is odorless and non-toxic, and has been approved by the U.S. FDA and USDA for food contact. The Hinding surface preparation process involves dry grinding and bead blasting only. No acid-etching fluids are applied. Concrete dust is mitigated by powerful vacuum collection systems.
The sequence of events
1. Installation Assessment
Our expert sales people personally examine and assess the condition of your floor to determine whether there are any concrete moisture, cracks, oil or other contaminants present that will require special treatment. In order for us to provide you with a reliable cost quotation and the strongest warranty in the industry, we will only begin a coating project after all existing conditions are taken into account and a plan for resolving any issues is proposed and accepted.
2. Crack Repair
Many homes have some minor or major concrete slab cracks. Hinding uses the concrete industry’s most advanced crack repair technology to repair any cracks in the concrete before we begin the installation of the floor coating. Our crack repair products do not have any strong odors or harmful VOCs, they can be used on either larger or smaller cracks, and are designed to be fast curing.
3. Concrete Preparation
In order for the floor coating to properly bond to the concrete slab, our installation team will lightly grind the slab with an advanced dustless concrete grinding system. Shot blasting also may be used, depending on the hardness of the concrete slab. These processes “open the pores” of the concrete to allow the prime coats of material to bite to the floor. This step is critical for a successful finish, and Hinding employs the most advanced equipment and techniques available in order to achieve it.
4. Stem Wall and Cove Base
Among the many things that help make Hinding’s polyurea floor coating unique is its ability to be installed on horizontal as well as vertical surfaces. Through the use of a fast-curing and easy-to-apply product that has the same zero-odor, zero-VOC qualities, we can mold a “coved” base finish in the corners where the wall meets the floor, creating a neat and easy-to-maintain edge.
5. Moisture Mitigation/Vapor Barrier Coat
We utilize advanced equipment — the Tramex CMEXPERT ll Moisture Meter — to check various areas of the floor surface to gauge moisture content. If it is determined that there is a 5% or greater content, one of our state-of-the-art moisture vapor barriers will be applied to the prepared concrete. If moisture is less than 5%, we proceed to the flooring system of your choice. Only when the moisture level of your concrete floor is accurately evaluated and addressed in this way can you be assured that the final coatings will not delaminate.
6. Base Coat(s)
When the floor is ready and any moisture vapor barrier coat that has been applied is fully cured (one to three hours), a tinted or clear base coat of 85% to 100% polyurea is then installed on the prepared concrete floor. Then vinyl-colored chips, quartz, aluminum oxide or silica sand is broadcast over the base coat to achieve the finish that the customer has chosen. There are a multitude of flake and quartz color options, and you can even customize your color choice by visiting the Citadel Finish Flooring Systems website and search their Chip Swatch Blending design tool. You can choose the percentage of each chip color and mix as many colors as you choose.
7. Final UV-stable Clear Coat
Once the base coat has cured for one to three hours, a layer of 100% solids Aliphatic Polyurea, 100% Ultraviolet-stable clear top coat is applied. This clear coat protects your new flooring from the sun, whether installed indoors or outdoors, and will never “yellow” or show any signs of color degredation over the life of your new floor.
8. Cleanup
The Hinding Quality Control Process outlines a set of standard procedures and provides checklists that our crews adhere to at every job site. Each crew follows a Site Cleanup Checklist at the conclusion of each install.