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Concrete Cleaning Myths Debunked

By Concrete Cleaning, Concrete Sealing

When it comes to maintaining the appearance and integrity of concrete surfaces, many business owners and property managers hold misconceptions that can lead to poor decision-making. One of the most common misconceptions is that professional concrete cleaning is an unnecessary expense and that DIY methods can be just as effective.

Here, we debunk these myths and explain why professional deep cleaning is essential for the longevity and appearance of your concrete surfaces.

Misconception #1: Concrete cleaning is an unnecessary expense

Some business owners view concrete cleaning as an unnecessary cost, believing that it’s purely cosmetic and doesn’t provide any real benefits. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Regular professional concrete cleaning not only enhances the appearance of your property but also extends the life of your concrete surfaces. By removing dirt, grime, and contaminants that can cause damage over time, deep cleaning helps prevent premature deterioration and costly repairs.

The Importance of a Well-Maintained Property

Moreover, a well-maintained property with clean concrete surfaces creates a positive first impression for customers and clients. It demonstrates that you take pride in your business and care about providing a safe and inviting environment. In contrast, neglecting your concrete surfaces can lead to a dingy, unprofessional appearance that may deter potential customers.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Do’s and Don’ts of Professional Concrete Cleaning and Sealing

Misconception #2: DIY concrete cleaning is just as effective as professional cleaning

Another common misconception is that DIY concrete cleaning methods, such as using a garden hose or a store-bought pressure washer, can achieve the same results as professional deep cleaning. While these methods may remove some surface dirt, they often fall short in terms of effectiveness and can even cause damage to your concrete.

The Advantages of Professional Concrete Cleaning

Professional concrete cleaning companies, like Professional Surface Restoration, use specialized equipment and techniques to achieve a thorough, deep clean without harming the surface. For example, they may employ soft washing methods that use low-pressure water and biodegradable cleaning solutions to gently remove contaminants. This approach is particularly important for older or delicate concrete surfaces that could be damaged by high-pressure washing.

Addressing Specific Stains and Issues

In addition, professional cleaners have the knowledge and experience to identify and address specific stains or issues that require special attention. They can safely remove oil stains, rust, gum, and other stubborn contaminants that DIY methods may not be able to handle effectively.

RELATED ARTICLE: Transforming Your Concrete: A Guide to Cleaning and Sealing

Misconception #3: Concrete cleaning is a one-time task

Finally, some property owners believe that concrete cleaning is a one-time task that doesn’t need to be repeated regularly. In reality, concrete surfaces are constantly exposed to the elements, foot and vehicle traffic, and various contaminants that can accumulate over time. Without regular deep cleaning, these substances can penetrate the surface and cause long-term damage.

The Importance of Regular Deep Cleaning

To maintain the appearance and integrity of your concrete surfaces, it’s essential to schedule professional deep cleaning on a regular basis. The frequency of cleaning will depend on factors such as the amount of traffic your property receives, the local climate, and the type of contaminants your concrete is exposed to. A reputable concrete cleaning company can assess your specific needs and recommend an appropriate cleaning schedule.

Debunking Myths and Embracing the Benefits of Professional Concrete Cleaning

By investing in regular deep cleaning by a trusted company like Professional Surface Restoration, you can extend the life of your concrete surfaces, maintain a positive image for your business, and create a safe and inviting environment for your customers and employees.

Prioritize the long-term health and appearance of your property with professional deep cleaning services. Call (419) 705-8693 or contact us today.

concrete cleaning and sealing - professional surface restoration

The Do’s and Don’ts of Professional Concrete Cleaning and Sealing

By Concrete Cleaning, Concrete Sealing

Professional concrete cleaning makes your flooring look fresh and emphasizes its beauty. Concrete sealing also makes cleaning and maintenance easier. Together, they help extend concrete’s lifespan. To maximize these benefits, however, you’ll need to know the do’s and don’ts of concrete cleaning and sealing, which we’ll discuss below.

The Do’s of Professional Concrete Cleaning and Sealing

To ensure smooth and successful concrete cleaning and sealing, perform the following.

Remove Any Dirt

When you’re sealing concrete, don’t ignore dirt and stains. Vacuum or sweep the concrete floor to get rid of dust, dirt, and debris. Remove oil stains and grime from the concrete surface so that they won’t be sealed permanently once you apply the coating.

Put On Protective Clothing and Eyewear

When cleaning and sealing concrete, make sure to wear heavy-duty clothes, gloves, and protective eyewear. You might also want to wear a mask, so you won’t inhale the fumes. Wearing protective clothing keeps you safe from possible skin irritation and accidents. Once you’re done cleaning and sealing, change clothes right away.

Use the Right Cleaner and Sealer

To ensure safe and excellent results, use a cleaner that’s meant for concrete. This way, you won’t have a hard time removing dirt and stains or worry about damaging your concrete. Moreover, it’s important to use the right sealer. Consider factors like the look that you want and what the sealer has to repel. There are acrylic resin-based sealers, which are cheaper but of great quality. Penetrating sealers are also ideal for stain protection.

With a reliable company like Professional Surface Restoration, however, you can be confident that the best cleaner and sealer is used to keep your concrete in its best condition.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Remove Rust Stains from Concrete Floors

The Don’ts of Professional Concrete Cleaning and Sealing

Committing concrete cleaning and sealing mistakes can ruin your concrete instead of increasing its longevity. So, take note of the following don’ts of cleaning and sealing concrete.

Use Harsh Chemicals

Using harsh chemicals can cause damage to the floor and even remove the sealant. As a result, the surface becomes more prone to dirt and stains. You won’t have these kinds of problems when getting a professional to clean and seal your concrete floors.

Walk on Sealer While Wet

Walking on the sealer while it’s still wet will affect the way it dries. Also, the sealer is slippery when not yet dry, so it’s best to keep everyone safe by putting out some wet flooring signs.

Apply Sealer Unevenly

Make sure you carry out an even application of sealer regardless of if you roll it on or spray it. Moreover, make sure the application isn’t too thick so it won’t take long for the sealer to dry. You can always apply a second coat after applying the sealer too thin.

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Hire a Professional for Cleaning Your Concrete Floor

Concrete cleaning and sealing add beauty to your home and make your concrete last longer. To enjoy the benefits in the long run, make sure to consider the do’s like using the right cleaner and wearing protective clothing. At the same time, avoid mistakes like uneven application of sealer and applying harsh chemicals. To experience professional and top-quality concrete cleaning and sealing results, it’s always best to work with Professional Surface Restoration. Contact us for more details.

5 Shocking Things Hiding In Your Carpet - Professional Surface Restoration

5 Shocking Things Hiding In Your Carpet

By Carpet Cleaning, Concrete Cleaning

Carpets are a great investment since they improve the look and feel of your home. However, this type of flooring is frequently exposed to many factors that might degrade its color and fibers over time. Even if you’ve been diligent about vacuuming your carpet, it may still harbor harmful things in its fibers. You shouldn’t expect your vacuum to magically eradicate years’ worth of filth if it couldn’t handle the dirt you wanted to be removed in the first place.

So, despite your best attempts to eliminate dirt and debris with a vacuum, what might still be hiding in your carpet? Let’s take a closer look.

Allergens

Your carpet is a magnet for allergens and dust mites. When you keep your windows open during the warm months, grass pollen might settle on your carpets. You, your family, and your guests might experience allergy symptoms and other complications all year long as dander and fur from your pet become trapped in the fibers.

RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Fall Cleaning Tips for a Worry-Free Winter Season

Bugs

Rugs and carpets are a bug’s paradise. If you don’t inspect your carpet often, you might be surprised that it houses all sorts of unwanted pests, including fleas, dust mites, and even bed bugs. This will be bound to happen if you don’t clean your carpet frequently enough. If you routinely vacuum your carpets, you can keep the bugs at bay. At the very least, you should vacuum your carpet once a week to prevent unwanted pests.

Food Crumbs

If you have spilled food on the carpet and not had it thoroughly cleaned, it likely contains countless rotting bits of food too small to be seen with the naked eye. Many unsavory critters would love to call your carpet home because of the abundance of decomposing food debris that provides nourishment for them. These pollutants in your carpet threaten you and your loved ones’ health. That’s why you need the help of a professional for a much deeper carpet cleaning.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Benefits of Epoxy Floors for Your Home

Mold

Mold thrives in carpets because it has easy access to the four things it needs to grow: water, food, air, and a surface. Airborne mold spores settle on carpets, which can spread, especially in humid rooms with wall-to-wall carpeting. Because mold can trigger or worsen respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies, maintaining the cleanliness of your carpets is crucial.

RELATED ARTICLE: Carpet Steam Cleaning Vs. Carpet Shampooing: Which Is Best for Your Carpet?

Dead Skin

You read that right, aside from dirt and debris, your dead skin gets stuck in the carpet. Unfortunately, this is a favorite food of the annoying dust mites that plague our homes. Whether or not you realize it, you are unwittingly adding contaminants to your carpet with every scratch of an itch and every stray hair that falls to the floor. Considering that each person sheds about 1.5 million skin flakes daily, it’s clear why maintaining a clean carpet is so important.

There are all sorts of unsavory things lurking on your carpet, so it’s important to know how to keep them at bay. Fortunately, a wide range of solutions is available to address these issues. Maintain your precious carpets by having them professionally cleaned every few months.

Hiring a professional carpet cleaning service like Professional Surface Restoration will ensure the cleanliness and health of your home and family. Contact us at (419) 705-8693 to book a carpet cleaning service today!

How to Remove Rust-Stains-on-Concrete - Professional Surface Restoration

How to Remove Rust Stains From Concrete Floors

By Concrete Cleaning

When you leave an item of metal furniture on a concrete floor for a long time, you might begin to notice patches of orange stains. These rust stains are not only unsightly but also challenging to remove. Luckily, we have a solution to your problem.

If you’re wondering how to eliminate rust stains on concrete floors, we’ve compiled some of the best tips in this blog post. We’ll cover the factors of why rust stains build up on your concrete floor and what you can do to remove them quickly.

Why Does Rust Form on Your Concrete Floor?

Rust stains appear when iron or steel comes into contact with moisture and oxygen. The resulting reaction creates hydrated iron oxide, which we know as rust. This is common in patios, driveways, and garage floors since these are the places mainly affected when it rains.

You can prevent rust stain buildup on your concrete floor through maintenance cleaning. Moreover, you can also remove any metal-based furniture in places prone to moisture and humidity.

Unfortunately, if there’s already rust on your floor, you’ll need to take more significant measures. Mild rusting can easily be removed by thorough brushing, while more extensive rusting would require the use of chemicals.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tips for Cleaning Your Granite Countertop

DIY Rust Removal Procedure

  1. First and foremost, you need to get a metal brush and lightly scrub any loose rust on your floor. Make sure to wear gloves and a face mask for safety. In most minor rusting cases, you can get by with soap, water, and a metal scrub.
  2. For more extensive rusting, you’ll need to look for a rust removal solution on the market. You can either use an acid-based cleaner or muriatic acid to remove severe rusting on your floor. Be sure to abide by the instructions on the packaging carefully to avoid damaging your floor and always wear protective gear when dealing with acid.
  3. Once you’re done scrubbing, you can rinse the area with water and let it dry. After that, you can proceed to seal the floor with oil or wax. Doing this will protect against future rusting.
  4. Extra Tip: If you’re noticing a large number of rust stains on your floor, sanding the concrete before applying oil or wax can help.

By now, you should have a spotless concrete floor. Applying sealant more than once every few years can help maintain its superb condition.

RELATED ARTICLE: Common Cleaning Mistakes You May Be Making

Contact a Professional for Tough Stains

Unfortunately, not all rust stains are workable with DIY solutions. In this case, it’s best to consider hiring a professional to care for the problem for you. Our experts at Professional Surface Restoration have the knowledge and extensive experience needed to eliminate any degree of rust staining on your concrete floor.

Our fully licensed and insured team uses the best equipment to give your floor the treatment it deserves. We also offer an extensive range of cleaning services, from residential cleaning needs to commercial floor maintenance.

For more information about our rust removal services, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (419) 705-8693. You can also visit our website and use our online contact form to reach our professional team.

professional concrete cleaning - professional surface restoration

Why Hire a Professional for Cleaning Your Concrete Floor or Surface?

By Concrete Cleaning

Concrete has been a preferred building material for years, but recently, it has become one of the trendiest flooring options. Thanks to being near indestructible, concrete is a favorite flooring option for driveways, garages, and other outdoor living areas. As durable as concrete may be, it doesn’t mean it never gets dirty. Make sure your concrete driveway or flooring always looks good as new with the help of a professional concrete floor cleaner like Professional Surface Restoration.

DIY Process Doesn’t Completely Work

Simple spills and stains aren’t an issue to clean — the problem lies in long-lasting stains, chemical spills, and deep-seated grime. Do-it-yourself cleaning hacks and off-the-shelf cleaning solutions do not always work on these types of problems.

Concrete is a strong and almost un-damageable surface, but it is still a porous material. As such, liquid spills and stains can slowly seep into concrete floors, especially unsealed ones. Unfortunately, DIY cleaning processes generally only work for fresh spills and stains.

Using the wrong cleaning agent may damage or discolor your concrete floor. The same goes for using the right cleaner but at a much higher strength of concentration than required.

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Is It Important To Hire a Deep Cleaning Service for Your Restaurant?

Need Specific Tools to Achieve Maximum Results

If you truly want your concrete flooring and surfaces to retain their original luster and beauty, your best bet is to call a professional deep surface cleaner. You can rest assured they have the right tools necessary to achieve optimal results.

The most effective way to remove deep-seated grime and stains is to use a pressure or power washer. Afterward, you need a powerful floor machine cleaner or floor scrubber to loosen up all the dirt and debris. You also need a piece of powerful suction machinery to vacuum all the dirt, grime, and water.

Need Training and Experience

Aside from having all the right tools for the job, a professional concrete floor cleaning crew has the training and experience to deal with any type of concrete stain.

Different types of stains require different methods of removal and cleaning. For example, oil stains are best cleaned with bleach, grease stains are easily removed with dry cement or kitty litter, and tire marks are effectively cleaned with a degreaser.

Expert cleaners know all that and more. They also know how to best protect your concrete floor after a deep cleaning session. Professional concrete cleaners know how to polish and seal concrete so that they remain strong and stain-resistant.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Ultimate Post-Construction Clean-Up Checklist

Why Hire Professional Surface Restoration?

Most of all, hiring a professional cleaning crew helps you save time and energy. You need to use a fair amount of elbow grease and allot a large chunk of time in your day to thoroughly clean concrete floors yourself.

Entrusting your concrete floors and surfaces to the expert team at Professional Surface Restoration means you can use your time and energy on work, to rest, or with your family.

We guarantee that your concrete floors will remain in good hands — our company is licensed, bonded, and insured. We also use safe and non-toxic cleaning materials to ensure the quality and durability of your concrete flooring, as well as the health of you and your household.

Contact us today at 419-705-8693 or visit our website to request a free estimate.

clean and seal concrete - professional surface restoration

How to Clean and Seal Concrete Surfaces

By Concrete Cleaning, Concrete Sealing

While concrete is considered low maintenance, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean and keep it in the best condition. Cleaning your driveways and patios periodically will improve not only the overall aesthetics of your home but also their longevity.

So, how do you clean and seal concrete driveways? Find out some useful tips below!

Get Rid of Debris and Oil Spots

First, remove dirt and debris with a broom. Get rid of the weeds from the cracks and apply a weed killer. For oil and grease stains, use a spill absorber, and then spray a degreaser. Let it soak for up to five minutes. Then get a brush to scrub the stains.

RELATED ARTICLE: 3 Quick Tips to Shiny Epoxy Flooring

If there’s spilled paint on the concrete, use a paint stripper and remover, then scrub with a brush. Read the instructions carefully. You’ll likely need to soak the cleanser into the concrete for a few hours. For rust stains use a high-quality rust remover. Rust removers that contain oxalic acid remove the rust effectively.

Eliminate Mold and Mildew

In addition to taking care of the stains and rust, you’ll remove mold and mildew using water. If water alone is not enough, mix bleach and water well, spray the stained part, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Wear a mask to avoid inhaling the bleach and gloves to protect your skin.

Fix Cracks

If you see some cracks, make sure to repair them first. Use a crack sealant and wait for about four hours. Drought or too much water can cause larger cracks and create more problems. In this case, it’s best to contact a trusted company offering quality concrete repair.

RELATED ARTICLE: 3 DIY Hacks for Getting Rid of Carpet Stains

Use a Pressure Washer

Use a pressure washer to clean the whole surface thoroughly. Wear goggles and gloves, long pants, long sleeves, and closed shoes as a precautionary measure while pressure washing. Let the area dry for 24 hours first before proceeding to the next step.

Seal the Surface

Once your concrete driveway or patio is dry, you can now add a sealant to avoid future damage. Note that other concrete includes a sealer, so test it out first by sprinkling drops of water on the surface. If the water is absorbed, then you can apply the sealant.

Add a Second Coat

Concrete sealers can have a glossy, semi-glossy, or matte finish. If you want to ensure a shiny finish, you can apply a second coat two hours after the first one. Then let the sealer sit for 24 hours.

Hire a Cleaning Professional

If you want to keep your concrete driveways and patios clean, protected, and beautiful for years to come, hire cleaning and sealing experts like Professional Surface Restoration. Our certified technicians conduct a careful and thorough assessment of your concrete surfaces and use cutting-edge tools and equipment so you can be confident that your concrete floors remain spotless.

Cleaning and sealing your driveways and patios will help protect one of your biggest investments. Give us a call at (419) 705-8693 or contact us to schedule an appointment.

Visit https://prosurfacerestore.com to find more ways to keep your concrete surfaces and your home lovely and well-maintained.

 

Concrete Densifier Explained

By Concrete Cleaning, Concrete Densifier, Concrete Sealing

Concrete DensifierConcrete densifier is often promoted as one of the top advancements in concrete technology today. However, the nature of the product can be confusing to those without a deep knowledge of the concrete industry. What is densifier? How does it work? How might it affect the life of your flooring?

Here is a brief FAQ regarding these questions and more.

What Is Concrete Densifier?

Concrete densifier is a chemical product applied to the surface of a concrete floor to provide more density to the concrete. Once applied, the densifier fills in the pores near the surface of the concrete, providing a denser product and a harder surface. Building owners utilize concrete densifiers to produce a finish that is more resistant to wear and staining.

What Is Concrete Densifier Made Of?

Although chemical components may differ slightly across brands, most concrete densifiers are similarly composed. Typically, densifiers are water-based and made up of chemicals that react with the concrete to fill its pores. Most often, these chemicals include sodium, potassium, or lithium silicates.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Winterize Your Concrete Floor 

How Does It Work?

As concrete cures, it produces calcium carbonate as a byproduct – also known as free lime or concrete dust. After concrete densifier is applied, its chemicals react with this concrete dust to form a calcium silicate hydrate gel. The gel fills the pores near the surface of the concrete, eventually crystallizing and tightening the pores to provide more density and hardness to the concrete.

When Is It Applied?

Concrete densifier can be applied to multiple types of newly placed concrete floors, including high traffic areas like loading docks and warehouses, as well as large, flat areas for commercial spaces that will eventually receive polish. In fact, polished floors should always receive a densifier treatment during the refinement process to increase resistance to staining, abrasion, and dusting. The stage in the refinement process at which the densifier is applied can vary based on the nature of the concrete used and may occur after the initial metal grinding or as a final step.

RELATED ARTICLE: Concrete Floor Maintenance Tips

Why Should You Use Densifier?

Densifier does not replace sealers or epoxy coatings, both of which provide a truly sealed surface that repels stains. In addition, epoxy provides an additional layer of protection, which absorbs some of the wear and tear normally experienced by the concrete. However, for natural or polished concrete floors, densifiers provide oil and chemical resistance, minimal dusting, and increased durability against abrasion and other forms of wear.

Contact Professional Surface Restoration for more information about concrete densifiers and how to incorporate our commercial concrete cleaning services. Our in-depth knowledge of concrete surfaces ensures your floor will receive the best cleaning, sealant and aftercare in the business. We guarantee the work we do for all our clients, tailored to the exact specifications of your floor.

If you’re not sure how much difference professional cleaning and sealing might make for your concrete surfaces, why not see an expert demonstration? Professional Surface Restoration offers free estimates with no obligation. Contact us to set up an appointment.

Flooring Red Flags a Potential Buyer Will Notice

By Carpet Cleaning, Concrete Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, Natural Stone Cleaning, Tile and Grout, Wood Floor Cleaning

flooring red flagsOne of the first things potential home buyers notice when going through a house is the condition of the floors. Since the floor is such a large area that will draw the attention of any buyer, if it has cracks, mold, mildew, or other flaws it may cost the realtor a sale. Identify these flooring red flags before a home buyer does.

Seek professional help from a professional hard surface and floor cleaning company to be certain that the floors don’t keep you from making the sale.

  1. Dirt and Filth

Perhaps the most obvious sign of a neglected floor that will turn off any potential buyer is the general filth, grime, and dirt stuck to a floor’s surface. These range from larger and noticeable stains to small pieces of debris stuck in corners or hidden by rugs, or other items. This red flag is particularly noticeable in tile and grout floors, which may require pressure water cleaning to get them in much better shape.

  1. Water Damaged Floors

Another noticeable red flag of poor floor maintenance is water damage. This type of damage manifests in numerous ways, from saggy or marked floors, to the presence of mold, mildew, and even some cracks and damage. Mold and mildew present a health hazard to any potential home buyer. Also, water damage is usually an indication of a larger problem, such as defective plumbing or possible flooding. Once you resolve the plumbing issue in the house, you will need to call a professional floor cleaning service to get rid of these unsightly features and restore the floor to a better condition.

  1. Smelly Carpets

The final significant floor issue that can drive away potential buyers is the odor that comes from soiled carpets. This smell is usually a red flag that the carpet is old and needs to be deep cleaned or, at worst case, replaced. If the carpet is relatively new, it might need a professional cleaning treatment that includes steaming and a special cleaning formula. Even if it doesn’t smell, deep clean clean the carpet anyway, since it can hold on to allergens and other harmful agents that a cleansing can remove.

Prepare the house you are working on for a successful sale by making sure the floors are in pristine condition. The skilled crew at Professional Surface Restoration has the right equipment and years of experience to handle any type of floor situation.

No matter what type of floors are in your home, Professional Surface Restoration has a deep cleaning solution designed to increase the market value of your home without the need for replacement flooring.

Contact us online or call us at (419) 705-8693 to get started with a no-cost demonstration.

How a Home’s Flooring Affects Market Value

By Carpet Cleaning, Concrete Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, Natural Stone Cleaning, Tile and Grout, Upholstery Cleaning, Wood Floor Cleaning

how home's flooring affect market valueIf you’re preparing to sell a home, chances are you’ve already identified several problem areas you’d like to tackle in order to increase the resale value. Drywall, paint, cabinet hardware, and flooring are all common areas for improvement. Flooring, in particular, is an area many realtors suggest deep cleaning or changing before sale to improve the overall market value of the home.

It can be tempting to rip out older carpet and invest in the hardwood that is so popular with today’s home buyers. Often, sellers elect to install cheap, new flooring instead of restoring their existing flooring – and they may do so at a cost they won’t recoup when it’s time to sell the home.

In many cases, it’s more cost effective to deep clean rather than replace.

Carpets

If existing carpet is still serviceable, it is likely better to keep and deep clean it than replace it with other carpeting. Prospective owners like hardwoods, but are often primarily looking for cleanliness and may even be calculating the amount of time left before they’ll need to replace your existing flooring with their own. It can be difficult to recoup the cost of new carpet in a home sale; it is often better to clean the carpet and offer a small allowance if the buyer asks.

Tile

Tile is the preferred flooring in bathrooms and kitchens. It can be expensive and time consuming to remove, particularly if it was installed correctly. After its removal, you also risk installing a flooring prospective buyers plan on tearing out anyway, and you may not recoup the costs of the new flooring.

To make the most of your current tile floor and increase the resale value, make sure it is clean. Invest in a service to deep clean the tile and the surrounding grout, as well as apply a sealant to ensure new stains don’t linger, and you’ll recoup the costs in the sale of your home.

Wood

Hardwood is the preferred choice of most home buyers in today’s market, but the wood needs to be in good condition. Otherwise, buyers will likely see nothing but mounting costs and time in order to refinish it. Instead of undertaking this time-consuming work yourself – or, worse, covering your wood floors with new carpeting – consider hiring a professional wood floor restoration service.

Your existing flooring will be buffed, cleaned, and resealed, and any discolorations or penetrating stains treated. Your floor will now have the look of a new wood floor, increasing the market value of your home without the cost of new flooring.

No matter what type of floors are in your home, Professional Surface Restoration has a deep cleaning solution designed to increase the market value of your home without the need for replacement flooring.

Call (419) 705-8693 to request a consultation and demo.

 

How to Winterize Your Concrete Floor

By Concrete Cleaning, Concrete Sealing

how to winterize your concreteConcrete is a porous material, and despite its strength and durability, this means it’s vulnerable to certain weather conditions. Winter weather – especially snow – can wear down concrete surfaces by seeping into the material. Much like roads and sidewalks, concrete patio floors and driveways can experience destructive freeze/thaw cycles during the winter. As a homeowner, it’s important to understand why the winter poses such a big threat to concrete surfaces and how you can act to protect your concrete during the coldest months of the year.

Concrete’s porosity gives it the ability to absorb water. When the weather is warm, moisture in the air, such as rain or dew, can evaporate after it’s absorbed by concrete. But as temperatures go below 32 degrees, the moisture in the air freezes and expands after it is absorbed by the concrete. This not only causes cracks to develop on the concrete’s exterior surface, but it places extreme pressure on its internal foundation as well.

Once the concrete is cracked, it’s at a higher risk of damage because water can easily get into the openings and apply pressure as it solidifies and expands. This weakens the overall stability of the concrete surface and creates a potentially hazardous walking surface.

Thankfully, you have ample time to avoid the consequences of damaged concrete surfaces before the winter begins. Consider the following winterization steps to protect your home’s concrete exteriors from deterioration as the temperatures drop.

Check Your Concrete for Signs of Damage 

The first step in winterizing your concrete surface is to evaluate its current condition. If the surface is showing signs of damage, such as cracks, unevenness, or spalling, the best solution is to have these issues repaired as soon as possible. Making a point to get the damage repaired now will help prevent it from metastasizing as the temperatures drop.

If your concrete slab has cracks but is still even, you can repair the fissures with a durable sealant. However, concrete surfaces that are uneven or with cracks bigger than a quarter inch might need to be professionally repaired or resurfaced.

Seal All Concrete Surfaces 

Sealing is the optimal way to preserve your concrete and doing so before the temperatures start to decrease will help shield it from damage that occurs a when moisture from snow and ice seeps into the concrete’s surface. If your concrete is free of cracks or has just been repaired, you can protect it with an acrylic sealant to keep it safe from moisture during the winter.

If you’re not sure how much difference professional cleaning and sealing might make for your concrete surfaces, why not see an expert demonstration? Professional Surface Restoration offers free estimates with no obligation.

For additional information, visit our concrete cleaning and sealing web page, or contact us to set up an appointment.