Concrete for areas that are washed every day

Water runs across the floor to the drain

During washing, water runs off the vehicle onto the floor and down the fall to the channel drain. Meanwhile, untreated concrete soaks it up. Where water runs every day, the surface stays dark and damp long after washing.

Illustration: A wash bay with a van. A pressure washer lance cleans the side of the vehicle, water runs across the floor to the channel drain, and the concrete next to the water is darker and damp. A detail is marked at the slab edge by the drain.

In section: water goes in, dirt stays

Water moves through capillaries into the surface layer, carrying dirt that gets trapped in the open pores. The soft top layer gives way under the jet and crumbles. Once the floor dries, the surface dusts.

Illustration: Section through the slab by the channel drain. The jet from the lance hits the tyre and the floor, and a film of water runs over the surface into the drain. Beneath it the concrete is darker, water soaks down through the capillaries, there is dirt in the pores and grains crumble off the surface.

Grinding, HARD, then DENS or SEAL 3.0

First we grind the surface back to sound concrete. HARD penetrates the surface layer and reacts there with the free lime, making the layer harder and denser. This is followed by DENS, which densifies the surface further, or SEAL 3.0, which seals it. There is no film on top for water to undermine.

SEAL is not for wet areas: it is intended for dry indoor floors only. We choose between DENS and SEAL 3.0 based on the condition of the concrete and how the floor is cleaned.

Illustration: Section after treatment: a ground surface, the surface layer where HARD has reacted in the concrete marked in violet, and fewer open pores at the surface after DENS or SEAL 3.0. A dimension line marks the treated layer.

Water runs off, the floor washes clean more easily

With the same washing, less water soaks in and most of it runs off into the channel drain. Less water and dirt get into the concrete, so the floor dries faster. Regular wet machine cleaning removes dirt from the surface as it builds up.

Treated concrete is not waterproof. It absorbs less, which makes it easier to clean.

Illustration: The wash bay after treatment: the lance is washing the van again, water runs in a narrow strip into the channel drain, the floor beside it dries faster, and a cleaning machine with a diamond pad cleans the strip along the edge of the bay.