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  Nationwide Industrial Concrete Flooring Contractors & Concrete Finishing Specialists

Back Common problems faced by concrete finishers and how to avoid them

Concrete floors can be deceptively difficult to install, with problems such as shrinkage, cracking and crazing a possibility that concrete finishers must endeavour to avoid.

Concrete finishers must take care to ensure that all steps of the concrete flooring process are undertaken with the correct care and attention, whilst also taking note of external factors which may affect the curing process, such as weather and temperature.

Read on to find out more about the most common problems concrete finishers face when installing concrete floors and how to minimise the risk of them occurring.

Cracking

Cracking in your freshly laid concrete floor is by far one of the most common problems encountered by concrete finishers and unfortunately cannot be one hundred percent prevented.

This is because concrete floors naturally shrink as they dry and the higher the excess of water in the concrete mixture, the more dramatic the concrete shrinkage will be. As such, adding the correct proportion of water to the concrete mixture is one of the best ways a concrete contractor can prevent a concrete floor from shrinking dramatically.

Another popular method employed by concrete finishers is to use control joints. Control joints are placed in certain pre-planned areas within a concrete floor slab to prevent random cracking and produce a more durable surface.

Crazing

Concrete crazing appears as fine, interconnected cracks on the surface of the concrete floor in near hexagonal shapes. Whilst it is very unlikely that crazing will affect the overall strength and integrity of your concrete floor, it can result in an unsightly appearance.

Crazing is usually the result of the concrete drying too rapidly and poor concrete finishing practices. Environmental factors such as low humidity, high heat, direct sunlight, wind and many other factors will have a dramatic effect on how quickly concrete flooring cures. If concrete finishers do not take these into account and adapt respectively, then crazing is more likely to occur.

Other factors that could lead to concrete crazing include a wet concrete mix, excessive power floating and proceeding with concrete finishing processes before all bleed water has evaporated. To avoid concrete crazing, concrete finishers can consider erecting wind breakers, fogging to increase humidity and avoiding finishing practices until all bleed water has evaporated.


As professional concrete contractors, we have installed concrete floors for a range of prestigious clients in the UK. Our expert concrete finishers always take the necessary steps and precautions to prevent common problems such as cracking and crazing and can provide leading maintenance advice for you following installation. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

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