Many commercial and industrial spaces have concrete floors. In most cases, it is desirable to modify the concrete floor to make it more serviceable or more attractive. Instead of covering the floors with carpet, vinyl, laminate, etc., many times the better options are polishing and staining concrete floors. Specialty Coatings is one of Nashville’s premier concrete polishing and concrete staining contractors.
Polishing Concrete Floors
Polishing concrete floors creates a surface that is beautiful, stain-resistant, and low maintenance. At Specialty Coatings, we use heavy-duty, diamond grinding machines to polish concrete floors. By regulating the grinding process, we can achieve either a low sheen or a high sheen with a mirror-like finish. Additionally, we can add decorative dyes and stains to further enhance the natural beauty of the polished floor.
Acid Staining Concrete Floors
Acid staining is a particularly popular staining method for both unpolished or polished concrete floors. Part of its appeal is that it’s permanent and won’t fade, chip off, or peel away.
Most acid stains contain hydrochloric acid and acid-soluble metallic salts (for color). The acid in the stain penetrates the surface, chemically reacting with the calcium hydroxide in the concrete. This process lightly etches the surface, allowing the metallic salts to penetrate more easily.
Stained floors also need to be sealed. A sealer provides protection from wear, enhances the color, and determines the gloss level of the finish. Lower gloss levels tend to be easier to clean and don’t show wear as much as a high-gloss sealer.
Specialty Coatings Is Nashville’s Choice for Polishing and Staining Concrete Floors
Specialty Coatings has the products and services you need for new or existing concrete floors. Call us for epoxy coating, urethane coating, shot blasting, or concrete polishing and staining Nashville businesses have depended on since 1995.
One of the Best Shot Blasting Contractors in Tennessee Talks about Prepping Concrete Floors
Adding a coating or new overlay to your concrete floor is a good investment in your business. If you are considering it, you need to know that preparing the floor before hand is a critical step. Shot blasting contractors in Tennessee will tell you that proper floor prep results in a better outcome.
Diamond Grinding or Shot Blasting?
The purpose of prepping a concrete floor is to open the “pores” of the concrete. This allows the coating to adhere to the floor, creating a long-lasting bond.
Concrete floor professional use diamond grinding or shot blasting to prepare a floor, or in some cases, both. Specialty Coatings is one of the best diamond grinding and shot blasting contractors Nashville has to offer. You can count on our experience and expertise to use the best method for your job.
Diamond Grinding
Diamond grinding is a good method for scuffing or removing a coating prior to a new epoxy or urethane coating application. When used as an alternative to shot blasting, it results in a smooth finish without damaging the top layer of concrete.
Shot Blasting
Shot blasting is a clean, dust-free process that we can use in sensitive areas of factories, food prep areas, etc. It is the most widely accepted method for profiling concrete and for removing contaminants such as carpet glues, tile glues, mortar beds. However, it is best used to prepare for coatings that are at least 1/16″ thick or for a new overlay.
Specialty Coatings Stands Out from Other Shot Blasting Contractors in Tennessee
Here is what separates us from the competition:
Ability to hand over 400 floor projects a year
Highly specialized skills
Experience of over 25 years in business
Work completions on-time and on-budget
Give us a call today. We will be happy to give you an estimate for concrete floor prep or coatings.
Calculating Epoxy Flooring Cost
Are you searching the web for epoxy flooring cost to see if it’s an affordable option for commercial or industrial concrete floors? If so, you probably won’t find a good answer because most articles quote too wide a price range. This is because there are too many variables to consider to quote an average price.
The best thing to do is to get a quote from a professional floor coating company like Specialty Coatings. Use the handy “Request A Quote” button on this page if you are looking for a quote now. Our qualified team can provide detailed proposals based on your specific application and needs.
What Does the Epoxy Flooring Cost Include?
When calculating epoxy flooring cost, a professional company has to consider several factors in the price, including the following:
Number of square feet to cover
Floor prep (usually with a grinder or shot blaster; may also include patching)
Type of epoxy*
Number of coats
Number of installers needed to do the job
Equipment needed to do the job
*Solvent-based or water-based epoxies are less expensive than 100% epoxy because they only contain 40-60% epoxy. So if you are price shopping, be sure to ask about the epoxy.
Is Epoxy Floor Coating the Right Choice?
Epoxy coating is good for concrete floors in manufacturing, food, or beverage plants, warehouses, laboratories, airplane hangars, auto service centers. Some of the benefits of an epoxy coating include:
Durability and Strength
Low maintenance
Easy to clean
Attractive aesthetic
Slip resistance
Resistance to temperature fluctuations and chemicals
Ability to withstand high impacts
You Can Depend on Specialty Coatings, Inc.
Specialty Coatings is one of the most experienced and most trusted floor coating companies in Nashville and the entire Southeast. Learn more about the best epoxy flooring Nashville has to offer or give us a call.
Benefits of Polished Concrete Floors
Concrete floors have been around in residential, commercial, and industrial building for a long time, but in recent years concrete floors have been elevated to “movie-star” status in many realms. Companies like Specialty Coating, Inc. that offer polished concrete flooring services are in high demand. Specialty Coating is one of the most respected commercial and industrial concrete floor coating contractors in the Southeast.
Using Concrete Floors as an Interior Design Element
Interior designers now embrace finished concrete floors for kitchen and restroom areas, high-traffic areas, showroom areas, dining areas, etc. With the right finish a polished concrete floor or stained concrete flooring option can be chic, sleek, and contemporary. The available concrete colors, stains, aggregates and finishing techniques can produce custom, unique results. For example, Specialty Coating does acid staining and polishing to achieve some fabulous results. Additionally, Specialty Coatings can apply coatings for concrete floors including epoxy flooring, troweled mortars, metal-flake, and quartz. So, as you can image, the combinations are myriad.
Going Green with Concrete Floors
Concrete floors also hold a high position of esteem in the “green realm.” In its manufacture, concrete floors do not deplete natural resources. And they require less energy than other floor types to produce.
Owners (and users) of concrete floors also reap eco-friendly returns. Concrete can improve indoor air quality because it inhibits mold, mildew, and odors. Additionally, it contains no potentially harmful VOCs itself and zero-VOC sealers are also in wide use.
The environment itself also wins because you can recycle concrete. Additionally, there is no discard waste, such as scraps of flooring and underlayment to fill up landfills.
The Financial Rewards of Concrete Floors
Concrete typically costs between $2 and $20 per square foot to install, making it a less expensive choice than many other flooring options. Concrete withstands wear so it has a longer life making it a good return on investment. Additionally, concrete floors are easy to clean and do not require expensive cleaning products or special tools.
We’ve Got Your Flooring Covered
When it comes to concrete flooring, Specialty Coatings, Inc., has “got you covered.” If it needs repair, we can do it. If it needs coating, polishing, or staining, we can do it. If it needs to have the current covering removed, we can do it. Because, in over two decades of business, we’ve seen it all and done it all.
We’re not saying this in a “bragging” way. We feel privileged to have gained this experience and expertise so that we can offer quality service to our customers throughout the Southeast.
Our Clients
Whether it’s a residential job or the Bridgestone Arena, we are not satisfied until our clients are fully satisfied. So, our clients can be confident that we can and will be able to meet demanding schedules for projects of any size.
Removal of VCT tile, carpet, sheet vinyl, ceramic tile, marble, terrazzo, hardwood, and epoxy coatings and membranes.
Shot Blasting or diamond grinding for removing contaminants such as carpet glues, tile glues, mortar beds and profiling the concrete so it can accept new coatings or other types of floor covering materials.
We offer a full range of services for concrete flooring, which include the following:
If you’re looking for a company that can handle a big project, then Specialty Coatings, Inc. is the company for you. We have performed a wide variety of large projects that were thousands of square feet. Some of these projects include:
Nissan Stadium – Over 170,000 sf
First Tennessee Park – Over 50,000 sf
Bridgestone Arena – Over 90,000 sf
Contact Us Today
Specialty Coatings is one of the leading concrete and epoxy flooring contractors in the Southeast. Our service area includes greater Nashville and surrounding cities like Bowling Green, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Cookeville, Huntsville, and the Southeastern U.S. We will be happy to discuss your project. Give us a call at 615-591-9491 or you can click below to request a quote.
Think of Your Concrete Floors as an Investment
As a business owner, you may make investments in many things: new equipment, marketing, training, and outsourcing. But did you ever think of your floor as an investment? Your floor can be an investment in:
safe working conditions for your employees and customers.
By adding non-skid surfaces to your floors, you are insuring that you have made the effort to prevent slip-and-fall accidents affecting your employees and customers. Whether it be a factory floor, food service environment, or wet and oily in any environment, a non-skid surface provides a safe surface to walk on.
better working conditions that result in more productivity.
The better light reflection that a new floor provides is significant. New floors can include safety lines to identify safe walking zones in facilities, and also provide organizational benefits in busy facilities.
the value of your facility.
If you are bringing important customers through your facility a first impression can be very important. A new floor is the perfect way to project the image of a modern, up to date facility.
the protection of your expensive concrete slab.
An epoxy or urethane mortar floor can and will protect concrete floors from damage and wear and tear caused by heavy fork truck traffic, harsh chemicals, battery acid, and thermal shock.
Need a New Concrete Floor?
When it’s time to consider a new floor, we hope that you will consider Specialty Coatings, Inc. We provide service throughout the state of Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and surrounding states. Our references include several major automotive manufacturers and suppliers, car dealers, food service companies of all types, retail, and pharmaceutical companies. We would be happy to provide you with contact info for references.
Call for an Evaluation
Please don’t hesitate to call for an evaluation of your flooring needs. We would be happy to provide you with an estimate. Thank you for considering Specialty Coatings, Inc.
What’s the Difference between Concrete Floor Treatments?
After a period of use, concrete floors often need a treatment to make them visually appealing again. Or they need a treatment to protect them from damage.
Concrete floor treatments include concrete polishing and concrete staining, epoxy floor coating and urethane coating, and quartz and troweled mortar. We will examine the differences.
Concrete Polishing and Staining
This process both strengthens and beautifies the floor. A densifier actually adds strength to the cap of the concrete. While dyes and stains enhance the natural beauty of the floor.
Using the latest polishing equipment and diamond technology, Specialty Coatings can deliver a low or a high sheen.
Epoxy Coating Concrete
The purpose of an epoxy coating is to protect the surface of the concrete from things like chemicals, hot water, forklifts, and steel wheels.
The type of preparation necessary depends on the floor’s condition. For example, it might need shot blasting. A professional concrete coating installer, such as Specialty Coatings, can recommend the proper preparation method that is needed for the epoxy coating to adhere to the concrete.
Urethane Top-coating for Epoxy
Urethane is ideal as a topcoat over an epoxy coating because it won’t yellow over time. Additionally, urethane has up to three times better abrasion resistance than epoxy.
Quartz
Quartz floors use epoxies, urethanes and quartz sand to protect the concrete floor and also enhance appearance. Floor preparation is similar to that of epoxy coating.
Troweled Mortars
This treatment uses a mix of epoxy or urethane-based sand mortar. Troweled systems can be used as a protective overlay on new floors, or to restore and repair older worn surfaces. Preparation for this coating is similar to that of epoxy coating.
Request More Information
If you’re not sure which concrete treatment solution is best for your business, give us a call at 615.591.9491 or click here to request a quote.
Is Your Concrete Floor Coating Ready for the Inspector?
If you own or operate a food or beverage plant, you know that sooner or later, the government inspector is coming. And when the inspector comes, he or she will be looking at your concrete floors.
Concrete floors in food processing plants are susceptible to bacteria growth so they require constant cleaning. The frequent high pressure, high temperature wash downs can cause the floors to fail.
So, it’s a good idea to get ahead of any problems by inspecting your floors yourself before the government inspector comes.
Here’s What to Look For
Your floor needs to be:
non-porous
easily cleanable
free of cracks and joints
level and free of ponding water
free of harborage areas
sealed from floor to wall joints
Additionally, it is recommended that the floor have a cove base at the wall junction.
Specialty Coatings Can Restore Your Floors
At Specialty Coatings, we combine the proper floor preparation with the proper concrete floor coatings to ensure a seamless, long-lasting system. Therefore, our system can withstand the harshest and wettest environments. Our resinous floor coatings also are available with thermal-shock resistance, which provides protection from deterioration caused by repeated high-temperature wash downs.
Most of our resinous floor coatings are anti-microbial. All of our resinous coatings that we apply for food preparation sites:
meet USDA requirements for food production and preparation safety.
are moisture tolerant
have exceptional resistance to acid, alkali, oils, and chemicals
Take Action Now
So don’t wait for the inspector to show up. Call us today at 615-591-9491 or click here to get a quote.
Tearing Up the Floor
No, we’re not talking about John Travolta tearing up the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever. Or the song called Tearing Up the Floor released by the heavy metal band Patient Zero in 2011. Or even the YouTube video that went viral of the 5-year-old dancing. We are talking, quite literally, about tearing up the floor.
This is a service that we offer to commercial or industrial clients who want to replace the existing covering on a concrete floor. No matter what the original floor covering is, we can remove it. Next we can prepare the surface of the floor for a new covering.
Bring It On!
No job is too big for us to handle. With our own fleet of shot blasters, grinders and floor covering removal equipment, we can prep tens of thousands of square feet of concrete per day.
One of our most versatile machines is the Blastrac BMS-270. It removes VCT tile, carpet, sheet vinyl, ceramic tile, marble, terrazzo, hardwood, epoxy coatings and membranes. The BMS-270 can remove several thousand square feet of floor coverings a day.
After removing the floor covering, we then use our shot blasting equipment to remove the residue. This could carpet glue, tile glue, or mortar that is left on the concrete floor. Finally, we use our blasting equipment to prepare the concrete to accept new coatings or other types of floor covering materials.
Our Work Speaks for Itself
During our many years of experience, we have removed flooring of all kinds because we have the right equipment for all kinds of jogs.