We have a new concrete slab on grade. The surface is smooth and hard. The surface is beginning to dust or give off a fine white powder. What can we do without removing the slab or installing an expensive overlay? The dust is getting on the inventory and that must stop.
There are many causes for a concrete floor surface to dust. In this case the cause is not the concern. The solution is the immediate need. The best product for the immediate dustproofing of the floor at your property is L&M SEAL HARD™. Seal Hard is odor free and clear. You could apply the Seal Hard and open the floor up to traffic in the same day.
The wise thing to do is a test panel on the worst area of the floor and watch the for the dust free performance. You can then make an informed decision.
We want to apply one of your membrane sealers on a warehouse floor. The problem is that moisture is visible upon the surface of the concrete in early morning. The floor is six months old and we think the moisture is condensation and not moisture vapor from within the slab. What can we do to tell the difference?
Our experience from other, similar circumstances leads us to tell you to use a thin piece of sheet metal and place it on the dry floor surface. The piece of sheet metal should be large (about 20 square feet in size). Tape the sheet metal down with some duck tape in order to seal the entire perimeter edge. Allow it to lay in place at least overnight. Examine the top, exposed surface of the sheet metal the next morning for the presence of moisture. If water is present because of atmospheric condensation, the water will be present upon the top surface of the sheet metal and when you lift the metal sheet, the surface will be dry. There may be a minor amount of moisture under the sheet. This would be from the normal vapor transmission. If, however, the underside of the metal sheet is highly condensed, the problem is probably due to excessive moisture rising through the slab. This may or may not be a problem depending on the origin of the moisture.
L&M LUMISEAL FX™ is an effective, user-friendly membrane that can even be placed over concrete releasing a moderate amount of moisture vapor. L&M LUMISEAL FX is a low-odor, non-yellowing, low-gloss sealer. It has excellent tire marking resistance. If you're not quite sure of your particular application, or the right LATICRETE® product to use to solve your problem, contact us!
We have a concrete block wall with a northern exposure, we have insulated and finished the inside and enjoy the improved looks and warmth the insulation and wallboard provide. We have observed the outside of the wall stays wet or damp for days after a rain or snow melt. Can we improve water resistance of the out side face of our wall? We suspect the water will create problems over time.
The concrete block surface exposed to the water from rain and snow melt will become a problem. Historically, the water will find a way to get to your finished surfaces. We would recommend L&M AQUAPEL PLUS™ as a clear, liquid applied treatment to the exposed face of the block. AQUAPEL PLUS is easy to apply and is odor free. The concrete block wall will repel the water in the future versus letting it soak in and ruin your finished spaces.
We have an expansion adjoining our existing plant. The floor in the existing plant was treated with iron shavings and cement. We can see the iron shavings on the worn parts of the floor. Our existing plant managers told we cannot use it in the new adjoining floor, too much dust from the iron and cement shavings. We have to treat our new floor. What can we do?
Contact your project engineer and discuss this situation with them. The information you are about to see is to be used in combination with the meeting with your project engineer.
L&M SEAL HARD™ is a liquid applied hardener and is totally dust free. SEAL HARD is not an iron hardener and it contains no cement dust. Your plant engineers may have very legitimate reasons for a no dust process.
The construction activities will not be altered. The concrete can be placed as planned and the concrete floor can be finished as specified. The SEAL HARD liquid can be placed upon the finished floor in as soon as the floor is three days old or older. There is no odor associated with it and absolutely no dust. The SEAL HARD treated floor will resist dusting and wear. The color is clear.
We have a beautiful brick paver driveway, walkway and patio. How do we protect it and not change the colors nor make it slippery?
This is an important question. The bricks your contractor used were "interlocking pavers" and are not furnace produced bricks, instead they are cast from cement and sand under immense pressure.
The way we suggest, to protect your investment in your paver pavement, is L&M AQUAPEL™/AQUAPEL PLUS™. It is colorless or clear and will not change the color of your pavers.
You are wise to avoid a treatment that might make the pavers slippery. L&M AQUAPEL/AQUAPEL PLUS soaks down into the pavers and protect from within, and do not make a surface more slippery. You can apply it with a sprinkler can and a sturdy push broom, the result will be a long lasting and protected system for your pavers.
Why did our concrete contractor insisted upon placing our big wide driveway and patio at or near sunset? We live in the desert southwest and we like it, but it seemed odd to require the placement of concrete at the end of the day.
It sounds like your contractor is operating from experience gained in your desert area. We suspect the contractor is wetting the sub grade or soil with water, just prior to placing the concrete in the evening, too. This is all an attempt, in our opinion, to place and finish fresh concrete with a quality approach.
We think your contractor is waiting for the cool of twilight to place the concrete and avoid a rapid surface drying and surface cracking, normally caused by heat and wind. Heat and wind will dewater the surface of fresh concrete and leave many surface shrinkage cracks. This is a situation to avoid. We will speculate, your contractor is also spraying a moisture loss control product upon the surface of the concrete as it is being finished or "smoothed." This moisture loss product is called an evaporation control product (L&M E-CON™).
The next step in giving you a quality concrete project, will be the curing of the finished concrete surface. We prefer to cure with a heavy solids membrane, like our L&M LUMISEAL FX. It cures and seals with the same product.