Dusty and sandy surfaces are extremely common problems with cement floors. Loose cement powder forms on the surface, and when people walk or vehicles pass by, it stirs up large amounts of dust. This not only pollutes the environment but also affects indoor air quality, adversely affecting human health. This problem is particularly prominent in places with frequent human and vehicle traffic, such as factory workshops, warehouses, and underground garages. In severe cases, it can cause the floor to lose its original strength, impacting normal production operations.
- Causes of Surface Dust and Sand
- Material Quality: Substandard cement quality, such as insufficient strength grade or poor stability, or improper sand particle gradation or excessive mud content, can lead to insufficient strength of the cement floor and prone to sand and dust.
- Improper mix ratio: An imbalance in the cement-sand ratio (too little cement and too much sand) can reduce the floor’s density and strength, leading to sanding. Furthermore, an excessively high water-cement ratio can lead to excess moisture in the cement paste. This moisture evaporates during the hardening process, leaving behind numerous voids, reducing the floor’s strength and wear resistance, and causing sanding and dusting.
- Improper construction techniques: During construction, uneven mixing prevents the cement and sand from mixing properly, affecting the floor’s strength. Failure to vibrate the floor during paving creates voids within the floor, reducing its density and strength. Lack of timely or inadequate curing can lead to incomplete cement hydration, slowing the floor’s strength development and causing surface sanding.
- Environmental factors: Long-term exposure to humidity can cause moisture to penetrate the floor, disrupting the cement stone structure and reducing its strength. Frequent friction and impact that exceed the floor’s bearing capacity can also cause surface sanding and dusting.
- Solutions for surface sand and dust
Phase 1: Controlling the Material Proportion and Process Control During Concrete Construction
- Material Selection and Control: Select cement of qualified quality and strength grade that meets design requirements, with Portland cement or ordinary Portland cement being preferred. Select sand with a well-balanced particle size distribution and a mud content no greater than 3% to ensure that the sand quality meets construction requirements.
- Optimizing the Mix Ratio: Based on the surface requirements and construction conditions, determine the appropriate cement-sand mix ratio to ensure sufficient cement. Generally, a cement-to-sand ratio of 1:2.5 to 1:3 is recommended. Strictly control the water-cement ratio, generally no greater than 0.5, to ensure the strength and density of the cement paste.
- Improving Construction Techniques: Strengthen mixing management to ensure thorough and uniform mixing of cement and sand. During paving, use a vibrator for thorough vibration to improve surface density. After completion, perform prompt curing for at least 7 days. Watering, spraying, or curing agents can be used to ensure adequate cement hydration. The second phase, complemented by the use of BANDě
Polished Concrete Densifier, completely resolves the dust and sand issues of cement floors. The key is to fill the pores within the floor, enhance the bond between cement particles and aggregate, and improve the floor’s density and strength. This improves the strength and wear resistance of the cement floor, preventing further deterioration of dust and sand.
BANDě Polished Concrete Densifier is a functional material that penetrates deep into the cement floor, chemically altering its structure. Its main ingredient reacts with active substances in the cement floor, fundamentally improving its performance. This inorganic, water-based liquid material possesses excellent permeability. During application, the hardener is evenly applied to the cement floor surface. Through the capillary pores within the floor, it gradually penetrates 3-5 mm below the surface (the exact depth depends on the floor’s conditions). This process overcomes the limitation of traditional repair materials, which only act on the surface, providing a “deep channel” for subsequent chemical reactions and structural optimization, ensuring that the repair effect extends beyond the surface layer and penetrates deep into the floor’s matrix. The crystals formed by the reaction between the material and the active substances in the cement fill the pores within the ground, forming a hardened layer that is integrated with the ground matrix. This has two major functions: first, it further blocks the penetration of foreign matter such as moisture and dirt into the ground, preventing moisture-induced freeze-thaw damage or dirt-induced corrosion on the ground structure surface, thus delaying ground aging; second, it improves the wear resistance of the ground surface, reducing wear and tear from daily use, making the ground more wear-resistant and maintaining a smooth and flat state over the long term, thus eliminating the “inducement” for dust and sand at the source.
- Core Values of BANDě Polished Concrete Densifier
Compared to traditional floor remediation methods, BANDě Polished Concrete Densifier is the go-to solution for dusting and sanding due to its irreplaceable advantages:
First, long-lasting results: By chemically altering the floor’s internal structure rather than coating it, the result blends seamlessly with the base, preventing peeling or flaking, and boasting a service life far exceeding that of ordinary coatings.
Second, cost-effectiveness: Application requires no demolition of the existing floor; it can be applied directly over the existing cement floor, resulting in low labor and material costs. Frequent maintenance is also unnecessary, resulting in significant long-term economic benefits.
Third, it is environmentally friendly and practical: High-quality cement hardeners are mostly water-based, formaldehyde-free, and odorless. They can be quickly put into use after application, leaving the floor surface shiny and clean. Daily cleaning requires only mopping, making it ideal for high-frequency applications in industrial and commercial environments.
In short, BANDě Polished Concrete Densifier fundamentally addresses the core issues of dusting and sanding cement floors through its scientific mechanism of “penetration – reaction – crystallization – hardening.” It is both an effective solution for repairing damaged floors and a powerful tool for improving the performance of newly constructed cement floors. Whether it is the renovation of old ground or the reinforcement of new ground, it can provide long-lasting protection for the ground with its unique advantages, so that the cement floor can say goodbye to its “dusty” appearance and radiate lasting practical value.
