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Industrial Epoxy Flooring and Floor Hardeners: Choose by How the Floor Is Used

Industrial epoxy flooring is chosen by what the floor has to resist. For dry stores Armstrong makes ARMSTRONG LBF 350 and FL/SL 1000. For forklifts, HBF 400, with a ROOFCRETE EP screed where the slab needs one. For acids, ARC 450. For food, pharma and occupied buildings, FL SLW, LBF 350 or FL/SL 1000. For static control, FL/SL C/D. New concrete is hardened as it is cast with RAPIDSTRONG FM 90, NH 89, CFH 92 or LFH ADMIX 91. Every floor starts with a dry, sound, mechanically prepared slab.

By Armstrong Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. · ISO 9001:2015 certified · Protecting buildings, roofs and structures since 1982

Section 1 of 10: Start here
1
Check
How the floor is used
2
Route
Match the floor to the use
3
Prepare
Moisture, profile, repairs
4
Lay and cure
Primer, topping, joints
Step 1

Industrial epoxy flooring: start with how the floor is used

People search for industrial epoxy flooring, epoxy flooring for a warehouse, a floor hardener, ESD flooring or acid resistant flooring. These are five different floors. The right one depends on what runs on the floor, what spills on it, how it is cleaned and what the concrete under it is like. Thickness and colour come after that. Six checks tell you which floor you need.

A resin floor is chosen by operating condition. A thin coating that suits a dry store will not last under forklifts. A hard epoxy that suits forklifts is not the answer for an acid bund, a steam-cleaned kitchen or a static-sensitive assembly line. On new concrete, a floor hardener is often the better choice than any coating.
1234561 Wheel loads, impact and abrasion2 Acids, alkalis, oils and wash water3 Moisture rising through the slab4 Joints that open and close5 Wall and floor junction (cove)6 Static charge near electronicsConcrete slabSub-base
What an industrial floor has to resist: 1 wheel loads and abrasion, 2 chemicals and wash water, 3 moisture from below, 4 moving joints, 5 the wall junction, 6 static charge.
1

Is the concrete new or old?

If the slab is still to be cast, a floor hardener can be worked into it on the day. If it is already cast, the choice is between coatings, toppings and overlays.

2

What runs on it?

Foot traffic and trolleys, pallet trucks, forklifts or steel wheels. Heavier wheels and impact need a thicker floor or a hardened concrete surface.

3

What spills on it?

Water, oils, detergents, acids or alkalis. Note the chemical, its strength and its temperature. Acid areas need an acid resistant system.

4

How is it cleaned?

Dry sweeping, wet mopping, pressure washing or hot water and steam. Hot washdown and steam-cleaned zones are assessed case by case.

5

Is the slab dry?

Ground floor slabs without a damp-proof membrane can carry moisture upwards. Moisture under a resin floor causes blisters and peeling. Test before you choose.

6

Are there special needs?

Static control for electronics and server rooms, a hygienic surface for food and pharma, low odour in an occupied building, or line marking for traffic aisles.

Step 2

Find the right epoxy flooring or floor hardener

Match the floor to one route. Each route names the Armstrong products that suit it and takes you to the next step. Where more than one product fits, pick the one that fits the site. An Armstrong expert helps you choose.

Route A

New concrete floor, still to be cast

Harden the concrete itself. RAPIDSTRONG FM 90, RAPIDSTRONG NH 89 and RAPIDSTRONG CFH 92 are dry shake hardeners worked into the fresh slab. RAPIDSTRONG LFH ADMIX 91 is a liquid hardener added to the mix.
Route B

Dry warehouse, store, showroom or workshop

A coating or a self-levelling epoxy on sound concrete: ARMSTRONG LBF 350, ARMSTRONG FL/SL 1000 or ARMSTRONG FL SLW.
Route C

Forklifts, pallet trucks and impact

A high build floor: ARMSTRONG HBF 400 at 400 to 2,000 microns, or ARMSTRONG FL/SL 1000 at 2 to 3 mm, over a screed where the slab needs one.
Route D

Acids and chemicals

Battery rooms, plating shops, laboratories and chemical stores: ARMSTRONG ARC 450 on floors and walls, with chemical resistant joints.
Route E

Food, pharma, hospitals and occupied buildings

Route F

Static-sensitive areas

Electronics assembly, server rooms and operating theatres: ARMSTRONG FL/SL C/D in a conductive or dissipative grade.
Route G

Old floor peeling, dusting, cracked or potholed

Find out why it failed, repair the concrete, then recoat. Stripping and rebuilding is the last resort.
Route H

Uneven or damp slab

Test for moisture, prepare the surface and level it before any resin goes on.
Not sure

Let the finder suggest a floor

Answer three questions and see a starting recommendation.

Choose the floor by what it has to do, then prepare the slab properly. Most resin floor failures start under the coating, in the concrete, and have little to do with the product on top.

Get the right floor for your plant

Tell us what runs on the floor, what spills on it and how it is cleaned. An Armstrong applicator or distributor will recommend a system. Toll free 1800 103 2034. Armstrong manufactures epoxy flooring chemicals and floor hardeners in Bengaluru and supplies them all across India, with South India as its major hub.

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About this guide

Written by the technical team at Armstrong Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer of construction and waterproofing chemicals in Bengaluru, with more than 200 products. Armstrong has been protecting buildings, roofs and structures since 1982 and supplies all across India, with South India as its major hub.

The methods on this page are Armstrong's standard procedures. Doses, thicknesses and the number of coats are adjusted to the conditions on each site. Load-bearing repairs and strengthening are designed by a structural engineer.

Last updated · Questions on this method: toll free 1800 103 2034

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