It’s frequent that no matter how much care is taken in the cleaning and maintenance of an industrial installation or warehouse, the concrete floor remains sandy and dusty.
No matter how much the facility is cleaned, a small and thin, white layer of dust is always visible on your fingertips when touched.
If so, you’re likely to have dust problems with your concrete floor, as this isn’t good, there are measures to stop this dust formation.
What is concrete dust and what causes it?
Concrete dust consists of lime formation on the surface. The main cause is the slow deterioration of a weak concrete top layer.
There are many reasons for the weakening of the concrete layer. This may occur because of a poor concrete mixture, excess of clay or silt in the mixture, an old floor or if not cured properly.
The most common reason, however, is the excess water on the surface during the levelling process.
If there’s too much water in the concrete mixture, the water will rise to the surface during the levelling process. This excess of water can transport finer particles and cement to the upper part of the slab, causing a weak concrete layer. It’s commonly referred to as slurry and this emerges on the surface with the troweling process.
This surface slurry is actually a porous layer of soft concrete that decomposes slowly, creating a dusty white surface. In some cases, the surface may be so soft that it can be easily scratched with a screwdriver or sharp nail.
The same situation can also be caused when water is added to the surface during the finishing process in a last attempt to create a smooth surface with a power trowel.
Sweeping the concrete will never clean it completely, as the surface is in a state of constant disintegration.
If left untreated, this fine concrete dust can become extremely annoying when it reaches the surface of cars, workbenches, washing machines and any other stored material.
BECOSAN® treatment as a solution to dust problems
Thanks to the polishing of existing concrete floors in combination with the application of hardener and sealer (solutions patented by BECOSAN®). A multifunctional and 100% anti-dust polished concrete finish is achieved, with a 10-year guarantee.
Learn more about the BECOSAN® Industrial floor treatement.
It can also be supported by the use of forklift wheel cleaning mats with scraper effect, which remove dirt carried by forklift wheels or shoe soles, among others.
