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We specialize in Veterinary Practices
and Restaurant Kitchens
We are Professional Partners of the Maine Veterinary Medical Association
We serve: Maine,
New Hampshire
Northern Mass
Almost 50 years in business, family owned and operated for three generations.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Q: What is a seamless (poured) floor?
A: A seamless floor is a floor that has no seams, cracks or joints, no matter how large the area. It can be coved up the walls, usually 4", and it stays seamless or monolithic, right to the top of the cove base. It is also known as a poured floor, since it is applied as a liquid and hardens into a solid surface.
Q: What are the advantages of seamless flooring?
A: Having no seams or joints makes this flooring watertight. There are no grout lines or seams to collect dirt and contaminants. No seams enhance the properties of anti-microbial protection, and inhibits mold and bacterial growth. No unsightly seams, common with linoleum, to split and curl, thus causing a tripping hazard.
Q: Is it slippery?
A: We can introduce non-skid properties into our top coat to enhance the non-skid effect. Poor cleaning techniques are usually the cause of slippery floors (see maintenance tips page).
Q: Is it hard to clean?
A: Any major spill or soil can be quickly picked up with a mop and bucket. A more thorough cleaning can be done in 2 ways. A bucket of warm-hot water with soap/disinfectant/cleaning agent can be applied with a mop and swished around. If there is a floor drain, the dirty water should be squeegied into it. Rinse with clean water, and squeegie into drain. If there is no floor drain, mop as above, squeegie the dirty water to one area, then pick up with a wet/dry vac. Rinse with clean water, then vac up again. It is crucial that the dirty water not be allowed to dry on the floor. This will result in a dull, dirty floor. The dirty water needs to be removed, not just moved from one place on the floor to another. Therefore, only using a mop and bucket will leave poor results.
Q: What is the cost compared to other flooring?
A: As with anything, that depends on several factors:
1).total area to be coated: the more square footage to be done at the same time, understandable will yield a cheaper price per square foot. This is generally a 4 day process (to allow for proper bonding and curing) regardless of the square footage.
2). how much preparation is needed to the sub-floor before the application of our system: much like painting a wall, the coat of paint will cover the old wall, but it will not hide the imperfections, such as cracks, holes, and unevenness. We have to address these issues before we install our floor system. Also to consider is whether we install new plywood as a sub-floor, whether moisture from inside the concrete slab is an issue, or whether cove base is applied. Generally, a ballpark figure is about $7.00 per square foot for the floor and per lineal feet for the cove.
3).life expectancy and durability of the floor: this floor system could last as long as the building! It takes a lot of abuse to damage it. It does not wear out or show wear. You will not need to replace this floor every 5-10 years as with other flooring.
4). where you want a sanitary floor, a seamless floor will not be a breeding ground for mold or bacteria, as with other flooring systems.
Q: Can the floor be damaged, and can it be patched?
A: Yes, damage can occur. The most common problem is settling or movement of the building itself. If the concrete slab cracks due to settling, a "stretch mark" can occur, and eventually a crack in our floor coating. Also, a gouge could occur if a heavy object is dropped from a great distance. Nailheads can also work their way upwards and compromise our coating. Thus, we recommend and require that the sub-floor be screwed down, rather than nailed. In most cases, we can patch the damaged areas. It may be slightly noticeable, but the integrity of the seamless floor will be maintained. We highly recommend that you notify us so that we can address the situation. We want to make sure that the floor remain watertight and that liquids and bacteria are prevented from damaging the sub-floor. To benefit from the advantages of a seamless floor, it must stay seamless.
Q: During installation, is there a noticeable odor?
A: Yes, there is a noticeable odor during installation, just as there is an odor to new paint, cleaning chemicals, bleach, hair dye, etc. We do not recommend that anyone breath in any of those fumes for days on end. But they are not hazardous to your health. The same holds true for epoxies, paint thinners, etc. We also recognize that some people are overly sensitive to it. For those people, we would recommend that they not be present during the installation. The smell is usually totally gone when the floor is done curing, usually within a day after the last coat. However, if we use a chemical resistant, urethane top coat, which is solvent based, the smell is much more noticeable, but again, the smell would be totally gone when the floor is done curing. In some circumstances, we may be able to create a fan venting system, which would pull most of the smell out of doors during installation. We have successfully installed floors in meat room, hospital operating rooms, active veterinary clinics, and hundreds of other places where people work.
Q: What are the color selection with seamless flooring?
A: With solid pigment, such as used in factories, aisle ways, or shop floors, there are several colors available. With Quartz sand floors, there are hundreds of combinations, even custom combinations. With vinyl chips, there are dozens of blends. Please request a color selection for each system.
Q: Can it be used for an exterior application?
A: Most definitely. We have used it for decks, porches, bath houses, shower areas, pool decks, base lodges in ski areas, ship decks over metal and exterior dog run areas.
Q: Do you also install your floors residentially?
A: Absolutely! We have installed our floors on pool decks, decks, showers, basements, laundry rooms, and garages.
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