Concrete Sealing

Preventative Maintenance With Concrete Sealing

properly sealed concrete

In an obscure court case over an alleged breach of lease in St. Louis, the judge ruled, “to the extent defendants based their breach of lease claim on central parking’s alleged obligation to repair deterioration…to the garage’s concrete surface before the end of the lease term, the court finds in favor of defendants”. 

Further down the page, discussing a different example of deterioration, one engineer said, “It’s a classic case of garage neglect, where the operator has failed to protect the decks with a sealer or coating and has allowed water to infiltrate the deck, rusting the rebar mats and (probably) the post-tensioned cables. The rust on the bottom mat steel has resulted in spalling concrete and general degradation, resulting in loss of deck strength and homogeneity.”

If you own a parking garage, preventative maintenance can save a small fortune. 

One form of preventative maintenance is concrete sealing and it’s one of the best returns on investment you’ll find. Last month on this blog we wrote about chloride contamination in concrete and this month we’ll address preventing that contamination and deterioration with concrete sealing.

To prevent degradation in your concrete, you need to prevent water, salt, and waterborne chemicals from penetrating its surface. A high-quality, professional sealant blocks the pores of the concrete, preventing these damage-causing elements from working their way under the surface and attacking the rebar. 

Our silane sealer is 100% solids, compared to the sealers you can buy in most home improvement stores which are about 40% solids. It’s been tested by time, having been in use now for 40 years. The small molecular size of the product enables silane to penetrate deeply into the pores of substrates but does not change the appearance or vapor permeability of treated surfaces. 

In addition to parking structures, this silane sealer can be used to protect buildings, roads, balconies, plazas, and vertical surfaces. It’s approved by the USDOT for sealing bridge decks. It is quite simply, the best product you can use to protect your property. Our sealer forms a permanent chemical bond, stops freeze-thaw damage and spalling, is not susceptible to ultraviolet or chemical degradation, and is cost-effective.

Don’t neglect the preventative maintenance of your garage. A comparatively small investment now could save tens of thousands of dollars or more down the road. Our concrete sealing service also comes with a 5-year warranty, giving you confidence in the wisdom of your investment.

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Commercial Floor Sealing

sealing concrete floors
The use of hard surface floors is on the rise in commercial establishments. Concrete has always been a popular choice for warehouses and garages. In addition, it is becoming trendy for lofts, office buildings, and shared workspaces. There are a lot of reasons for this, including economics and aesthetics. The concrete is already there so there is no additional expense from covering it with wood, carpet, or another material. Furthermore, when properly sealed, the natural, rustic beauty of the concrete is enhanced. 
 
Concrete is porous and so it needs to be sealed to prevent stains and increase its lifespan. There is a lot to know about properly sealing an interior concrete floor, which is why we believe it’s wise to hire a professional. It is demoralizing to spend all that time, energy, and money only to have bubbles, blotches, and dull spots. Because of the rough nature of the surface of concrete, sealer that is not applied properly won’t look good.
 
Before sealing your concrete floor, it must be prepared properly. If the concrete is rough, grinding, densifying, and polishing needs to be done. Next, all dust, dirt, and debris must be removed. Any spills, stains, or wax must be thoroughly cleaned with a product designed for concrete so that the sealant will adhere. During this phase, we can also dye the concrete to enhance the decor and design. Then the floor must be rinsed and allowed to dry completely. Incomplete drying will trap moisture under the sealant. 
 
After repairing cracks, the floor is ready to be sealed. It’s important to select the correct sealant. This varies based on whether or not the floor has been painted or stained or has had design textures applied during installation. The product must also be formulated for interior use. A different sealant is used for concrete warehouse floors than is used for concrete office floors. The interior space needs to be well ventilated during this part of the process and the floor needs to be allowed to dry completely before it’s ready for foot or vehicle traffic. 
 
Another thing to keep in mind is the age of the concrete floor. A relatively new floor requires a different type of preparation than an older one.

Floor Sealing Questions

When you contact us to have your concrete floor finished and sealed, we’ll have some questions for you.
  1. Where is the floor located (warehouse, office building, etc.)?
  2. How old is the floor?
  3. Is it painted or intentionally stained?
  4. Was the concrete finished with any type of design.
  5. Are there accidental stains which need to be removed?
  6. Has the floor been sealed before? If so, how long has it been since the previous application?
  7. How much traffic does the floor have to bear?
At Wahlen Works, we know which type of sealer and process you’ll need for your particular floor sealing project in order to increase it’s life and enhance it appearance. A properly finished and sealed concrete floor can last for years before it needs to be treated again. Contact us for an estimate today. https://www.wahlenworks.com/estimate/
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Parking Lot Maintenance Checklist For Winter

parking lot maintenance
Wisconsin has nearly perfect weather in early fall. Daytime temps in the 70s mean that just about every activity is comfortable. Temperatures in the 50s at night make for great sleeping weather. These gorgeous conditions can almost convince us that it will last forever. But we know it won’t.  Whether or not there’s another polar vortex in our future this winter, we know it will get cold. There will be snow and ice. There will be salt and sand. It will be messy. It’s time to think about parking lot maintenance.
 
As difficult as it is to think about, now is the time to prepare for winter. To make it easier for you, we’ve developed this handy checklist of everything you need to address to protect your parking facility before Wisconsin does what Wisconsin does. 

Winter Preparation Checklist

The Autumn list for parking lot maintenance includes:
  1. Clean your parking lot. Leaves are not as innocent as they seem. Their chemical composition can  damage the surface of your concrete or asphalt. In addition, fall leaves that have been compacted and frozen by an early snowfall are a pain to remove. A professional sweeping will clear leaves and debris from places where water needs to flow freely. Then, pressure wash the entire facility for clean, odorless property.
  2. Inspect thoroughly for damage. Perform repairs on potholes or cracks. If you defer these repairs until the spring thaw, the damage will be greater and more expensive to fix. 
  3. Check your drainage so water doesn’t pool in the lot or run back to the foundation.
  4. Seal your concrete. Concrete sealing creates a barrier between winter chemicals and salt and your parking surface. By the end of October, seal coating season is just about over, so don’t delay.
  5. Walk around all your snow plowing routes to ensure that they are unobstructed.
  6. Evaluate whether or not your pavement markings and signs are clear and easy to see. If not, consider new parking lot striping. A freshly painted lot  increases the odds that people will drive and park safely. When large sections of your parking lot are used to store unmelted snow, you need to make sure that the rest of your parking lot can be used properly and efficiently.
  7. Review all customer and employee access points into your building. wash to make sure that people don’t slip and fall. check for irregularities in the walkway that can cause people to trip.
If you fail to winterize, your costs could easily shift from preventative (which is less expensive) to reparative (which is more expensive).
 
Start today! The average first frost in southeastern Wisconsin happens in October. That’s now and it means you want to schedule your service within the next few weeks. Before we perform any job for our Milwaukee clientele we map out a detailed plan to ensure that the work is done efficiently and expertly. Call us today at (414) 774-0884 to schedule your winterizing services.
 
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The Three Most Important Reasons To Seal Your Concrete

seal your concrete
Anyone who has ever tried to maneuver through a parking structure which is in the middle of extensive repairs knows that it’s bad for business. Drivers going opposite directions need to share the same lane when they can’t see around the corner. Dust, debris, and muddy water coat their clean cars. The noise is deafening. And they still have to pay to be there.
 
As bad as it is on visitors, imagine how much worse it must be for the property owner who has to shoulder the burden of the expense and apologize to customers. We’re not saying that sealing your concrete means you never have to make repairs. But we are saying that you can greatly lengthen the period of time in between repairs when you seal your concrete.
 

In this blog post we will look at the three most important reasons to seal your concrete.

 
First, as mentioned above, sealed concrete lasts longer. The sealant keeps chemicals and water from penetrating the concrete. At Wahlen Works, we use a top of the line silane sealer [https://www.wahlenworks.com/sealing/] which improves resistance to deicing salts, reduces dirt penetration, and will not degrade when exposed to the sun’s UV rays. This in turn reduces the risk that the rebar within the concrete will corrode. “Silane is the smallest molecular compound of commonly available penetrating sealers. Chemically, Silane forms a covalent bond within porous masonry that clots surface pores. Silane…will only wear away if the concrete surface itself wears away. Noted for very low viscosity, silane is frequently used for sealing dense concrete, such as parking decks, concrete facades, and dense brick…It can be used on parking surfaces, bridges, roadways, runways, curbs, and other concrete surfaces.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_sealer]
 
Second, a sealed concrete surface is much nicer looking, which speaks well of your business. And sealed concrete retains its professional appearance longer than unsealed concrete. If you’ve ever tried to park in a location where the pavement striping is almost completely faded away or there are holes in the parking surface, you know what we mean. As a property owner who cares about the impression you make to your visitors and the community, you want to ensure that your concrete is sealed on a regular basis. 
 
Third, sealed concrete resists staining. In the summer stains can come from ice cream, soda pop, and melted candy. In the winter stains come from salt, sand, and melted ice. Oil, grease, and chewing gum are problems year-round. Without proper sealing, these stains can permanently mar the surface of your concrete, making it look old before it’s time. As an added bonus, sealed concrete is much easier to clean than a non-sealed surface, saving you time and money.
 
If your concrete surfaces haven’t been given their proper attention in awhile, start with a thorough sweep and pressure wash. After pressure washing, preserve your facilities by sealing your concrete. In addition to the long-term savings, we will ensure that you enjoy short-term savings as well by creating a package deal that meets your needs on your schedule. Give us a call today at (414) 771-0884 or request a quote online [https://www.wahlenworks.com/estimate/]. You’ll be glad you did.
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How Businesses Can Make a Great First Impression

clean parking structure

When a customer approaches your business, their first stop is often your parking lot or garage and the outside structure of your building. Like it or not, appearances matter. When public and private spaces aren’t clean, visitors can get the impression that a place is neglected. Seeing that the outside of a business is neglected may give visitors the impression that the owner neglects other aspects of their business as well. A neglected space can even be interpreted as an unsafe space, and this isn’t a completely baseless assumption by visitors. A recent study done in England found that poor levels of cleanliness are often associated with increases in other low-level crime and social disorder. As a business owner, you don’t want these subconscious thoughts to run through the minds of your customers. At Wahlen Works, we specialize in helping businesses give the best first impression to their customers.

Pavement Marking

From the moment that a customer drives into your parking lot or structure, they should be able to easily determine where to park. Keeping up on your pavement marking and parking lot striping can help reduce the tiny amount of stress drivers may feel when looking for a parking spot.

Pressure Washing

When customers step out of their car, you want to ensure that they’re not stepping on dirty or stained pavement. Again uncleanliness can be associated with neglect in the consumer’s mind. So you want to show that you take care of your business, like you’ll take care of whatever need they may have. Regularly pressure washing your parking facility is one small way to show that you care.

Concrete Sealing

Lastly, maintenance is everything. If you have a concrete structure or concrete pavement, concrete sealing is one way to help ensure the pavement lasts and your pressure washing jobs last longer, as a quality sealant can help prevent staining. When you own a business, it’s important to think about think about the customer’s experience from the moment they pull up to the moment they leave. If you need help making sure that first impression is a great one, contact us today!

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