Cleaning & Preparation:

Before making any repairs to concrete or similar surfaces, a little preparation is always needed. This could be as simple as a good sweep with a broom to remove any loose material or cleaning/priming using the right products to work with your chosen repair product.

For easy cleaning we recommend using our Floorsaver Cleaner and Degreaser. This product is a water-based biodegradable product, this means it is nice and safe to use and wash away without any concerns over nasty chemicals or solvents. We supply this in 5L for smaller jobs, up to 20m2 or a 25L version for larger products. It can be used on bare concrete, tarmac, asphalt, brickwork, blockwork, or similar surfaces to remove oil, grease, and common contaminants. Simply apply with a broom and work into the surface, leave for a few minutes and rinse away with water.

Our repair products do not usually require any further priming or preparation, except Pourable Concrete Leveller, which is includes with 2 primers as standard – no extra purchase necessary.

Finishes to Concrete:

There are several different finishes to concrete surfaces:

Brushed - where a broom is used to finish the top of the concrete giving a light texture to the surface and a minimal lined appearance.

Tamped – where a batten is used to create more noticeable peaks and troughs in the surface.

Floated or Hand Trowelled – usually quite smooth but still looks similar to most concrete.

Powerfloated – smooth, hard & often polished concrete

 

These are simply the most common types, though there may be lots more.

 

All our repair and resurfacing products can be used on the types of surface above and most other surfaces too. It is worth bearing in mind the desired finish and that repairs are unlikely to completely match the original surface surrounding it. They are likely to be a different shade or may not follow the same texture as the original concrete. If you need to match or coat the surface afterwards, all our repair products can be painted with our Epoxy Floor Paint.

Potholes, Patches & general Repairs to Concrete:

If you are looking to patch repair a pothole or deficit in a concrete floor, we would recommend our Pourable Concrete Filler for most instances. Easy to use, extremely hard wearing and fast setting makes this product our bestselling repair product. This is supplied as a dry powder in a large bucket, you simply mix in the required amount of water and pour it in. It really is that simple. It should not be used to a feather edge but can be applied between 5mm-100mm in a single application. For deeper applications, apply in 100mm layers and leave at least 24 hours in between layers to allow it cure correctly.

For smaller patches or if you are repairing to top of a wall or similar, our Mouldable Concrete Filler would be a better option. This product uses the same formula as our Pourable Concrete Filler but with a reduced water mix to make a putty which can be moulded to match its surroundings.

When mixing these products please be sure you are ready to use them immediately. They are cement based and fast reacting, they will begin to set quickly and should be used straight away.

Cracks and Hairline Joints:

Tremco SP540 Floor Joint Sealant is a quick and easy to use product. Applied using a skeleton gun, like a mastic or household caulk. It is effective and easy to use.

Ramps, Gradients & Shallow Repairs:

Our Epoxy Repair Mortar is super strong and cures up to 8 times harder than some standard concrete mix products. It uses a sand additive and a liquid epoxy resin activator; these are mixed and form a mortar which can be used to build or resurface ramps. Many of our customers find this to be quite a dry mix but this is intentional. If mixed correctly it will form a good strong mortar. We find it is best to mix this by hand, wearing gloves, make a well in the middle of the sand and pour in the resin. Use your fingers to mix it together, working it to disperse the fluid throughout the sand – like a bread dough or like making pastry, for best results.

It is strong enough to stand under its own weight meaning no form work is required. It can be used to repair concrete or old stone windowsills or steps and walls. Though it is too heavy to use vertically the tops and corners can easily be repaired and shaped with a float or trowel to make like new.

This product would also be used for repairs where you require a feather edge. This will be stronger than other mortars even when only a couple of millimetres thick.

Resurfacing:

If you are looking to create a consistent finish over a larger area you may need to consider resurfacing rather than repairs. This is common for tamped concrete to smooth out all the ridges or for badly damaged concrete which has broken up in multiple areas over time.

Self-Levelling Compound is very popular and readily available. Though if you require something for vehicle traffic or to be a wearing surface then you may need to look in to this a little further. Many compounds or latex floors, as they are often known, can be quite weak or known as ‘underlayment’s’ meaning they are only intended for use under other floor surfaces, such as tiles or vinyl’s etc. The vast majority can also not be painted.

Floorsaver Pourable Concrete Leveller is a fibre reinforced levelling compound. This means it can be laid thinner than many, at 3mm-10mm in a single application and still be left as the finished surface. Even at just 3mm it can take heavy vehicle traffic and be painted with our Epoxy Floor Paint.

As mentioned earlier, this product is supplied with two primers. The first is a simple sealer, used for bare concrete floors. Simply apply directly to the surface with a paint roller or broom and leave to soak in and dry for 24 hours. This works to pre seal the surface and reduce the amount of air that can rise from the surface, causing bubbles and weak spots in the leveller. If your floor is previously sealed or painted – do not use Primer 1. (top tip, if you don’t need Primer 1, keep it anyway and use it to seal a brick or blockwork wall and reduce dust)

When you are ready to apply the leveller and primer 1 is dry (if used), now use primer 2. This is a bonding adhesive, a milky white liquid that should be spread thinly by paint roller and brush to the area you are resurfacing. Use just enough to cover the area before mixing and pouring the leveller on top.

Mix the 3rd bottle of liquid, labelled ‘activator’ with the sand additive in the bucket. Work reasonably quickly and mix thoroughly using a drill and mixing blade. When mixed pour out over the surface and roll over with a spiked roller to pop any bubbles in the mix. Continue mixing and pouring to ensure the whole area is covered. The mix will self-level but may require a little encouragement to get to all corners and cover evenly, though using the spike roller will help here too.

Realistically this type of job is best to do when you have some help, at least one to pour and one to roller straight away. The bigger the area the more people you might need to help to get the best finish. For your average garage space two is enough but for anything larger 3 or 4 people is better.

If you are new to DIY or have not used levelling compound before, it may be good to do a small trial area or consult a builder/contractor to help.

Summary:

These are typical uses for most of our Repair products, we can help with any tools you require and believe that overall, someone with a bit of DIY knowledge can use them all. We are happy to help and offer guidance where we can, to ensure you get the best results.

There will also be many other used for the products above, if we can help in any way, please get in touch.

Please note the above is intended as a guide only and if you have any concerns with the above or anything to do with repairing or resurfacing your space we are here to help. Give us a call on 0345 450 9888 or email info@floorsaver.co.uk