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    a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2021-06-04";s:5:"title";s:48:"Citadel on Manufacturing Shop Floor | Rust-Oleum";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:101:"This manufacturing shop needed a quick return to service after having their floors sealed and coated.";s:5:"image";s:35:"/articles/images/20210604_after.jpg";s:3:"url";s:85:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/manufacturing-shop-floor-coated-in-48-hours.php";}
  • Citadel on Manufacturing Shop Floor | Rust-Oleum
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-05-29";s:5:"title";s:37:"How to Maintain Your Concrete Grinder";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:265:"As an installer, you want your concrete grinder to continue to efficiently and effectively perform at the highest level because your clients are depending on you. To keep your concrete grinder in tip-top shape, it's important to adopt a regular maintenance program.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190529.jpg";s:3:"url";s:79:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/how-to-maintain-your-concrete-grinder.php";}
  • How to Maintain Your Concrete Grinder
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-05-23";s:5:"title";s:65:"Keeping Your Business "In the Family?" 10 Key Factors to Consider";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:180:"You've worked hard to get where you are today. One day, you may want to pass your company on to your family members, so they can continue to grow the business and reap the rewards.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190524.jpg";s:3:"url";s:77:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/keeping-your-business-in-the-family.php";}
  • Keeping Your Business "In the Family?" 10 Key Factors to Consider
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-04-24";s:5:"title";s:56:"The Best Flooring for Saunas, Spas, Steam, and Wet Rooms";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:354:"Saunas, spas, steam rooms, and showers with floors flush to the bathroom floor (wet rooms) are gaining in popularity - in the US, the health and wellness spa industry alone has grown 2.6% and is projected to reach $16 billion in revenue this year. But the bacteria, mold, and other microorganisms that flourish in wet environments are also proliferating.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190424.jpg";s:3:"url";s:81:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/best-flooring-for-saunas-spas-wet-rooms.php";}
  • The Best Flooring for Saunas, Spas, Steam, and Wet Rooms
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-04-17";s:5:"title";s:44:"Gain Customers and Referrals in 4 Easy Steps";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:216:"As a concrete flooring contractor and installer, your marketing efforts are always aimed at that next client and project. Interesting marketing copy and referrals are a big part of a client's decision making process.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190417.jpg";s:3:"url";s:86:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/gain-customers-and-referrals-in-4-easy-steps.php";}
  • Gain Customers and Referrals in 4 Easy Steps
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-04-10";s:5:"title";s:47:"Don't Give Up on That Old Concrete Garage Floor";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:189:"In the garage floor coating business, you're not always going to get the new construction, brand new concrete to coat (which, as any seasoned pro knows, brings its own share of challenges).";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190410.jpg";s:3:"url";s:75:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/dont-give-up-on-that-garage-floor.php";}
  • Don't Give Up on That Old Concrete Garage Floor
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-04-05";s:5:"title";s:45:"Ready for the Summer Rush? 4 Ways to Prepare";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:173:"Warmer weather is almost here for most of the country, which means peak season for contractors. As appealing as the prospect of steady work is, are you ready for the influx?";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190405.jpg";s:3:"url";s:76:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/ready-for-summer-4-ways-to-prepare.php";}
  • Ready for the Summer Rush? 4 Ways to Prepare
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-03-13";s:5:"title";s:62:"Case Study: An Auto Showroom's Step-by-Step Floor Installation";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:268:"A North Dakota collectible car dealership approached one of our trained installers, in need of a floor to match the high-quality and glossy appeal of their inventory. The client wanted a stylized "road" cutting down the middle of the showroom to feature select models.";s:5:"image";s:63:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/newsletters/images/20140811_01.jpg";s:3:"url";s:66:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/case-study-auto-showroom.php";}
  • Case Study: An Auto Showroom's Step-by-Step Floor Installation
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-03-06";s:5:"title";s:41:"6 Cold Weather Safety Tips for Installers";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:216:"Even if your winter concrete coating projects keep your team primarily indoors, cold weather and dropping temperatures bring safety hazards that apply to all contractors, even simply getting to and from the job site.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190306.jpg";s:3:"url";s:83:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/6-cold-weather-safety-tips-for-installers.php";}
  • 6 Cold Weather Safety Tips for Installers
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-02-27";s:5:"title";s:39:"How to Remove Salt Stains from Concrete";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:220:"Salt and deicers create a chemical mix that, diluted with enough water, seeps into concrete. The brine re-freezes when temperatures drop, then evaporates when temperatures warm - leaving damaged concrete and salt stains.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190227.jpg";s:3:"url";s:74:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/how-to-remove-salt-from-concrete.php";}
  • How to Remove Salt Stains from Concrete
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-02-20";s:5:"title";s:71:"What Your Customers Need to Know About Winter's Effect on Garage Floors";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:178:"Winter is upon us, with a vengeance. In our Midwestern region of the US, temperatures are plunging well below zero and "Stay warm!" has replaced "Goodbye" as a standard greeting.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190220.jpg";s:3:"url";s:73:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/winters-effect-on-garage-floors.php";}
  • What Your Customers Need to Know About Winter's Effect on Garage Floors
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-30";s:5:"title";s:64:"Contractors: 5 Tips for Boosting your Coating Installation Sales";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:441:"As a contractor worth his salt, you don't want to bid solely on price. Although you want to be competitive, this is about offering the best quality results for the client versus the cheapest. You may use materials that cost more per square foot but offer better lifetime value. Or you may have a higher labor rate but save money for your clients overall by using coatings that cure quickly, slashing labor time to a fraction of competitors'.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190130.jpg";s:3:"url";s:89:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/contractors-boosting-coating-installation-sales.php";}
  • Contractors: 5 Tips for Boosting your Coating Installation Sales
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-23";s:5:"title";s:103:"The Butcher, the Baker... Recommended Concrete Coating Practices for Messy, Greasy Food Prep Facilities";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:297:"With the holidays just behind us, odds are that at least one of those celebratory meals featured a roast turkey, ham or other family favorite. If you or a loved one had anything to do with its making, you're familiar with the mess and grease that are part and parcel of preparing and cooking meat.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190123.jpg";s:3:"url";s:84:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/butcher-baker-coating-food-prep-facilities.php";}
  • The Butcher, the Baker... Recommended Concrete Coating Practices for Messy, Greasy Food Prep Facilities
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-21";s:5:"title";s:37:"Case Study: A Quick Return to Service";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:0:"";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190121.jpg";s:3:"url";s:63:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/case-study-2019-01-21.php";}
  • Case Study: A Quick Return to Service
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-16";s:5:"title";s:83:"Is it Worth Fixing? How to Know Whether Concrete Can be Coated or is Beyond Repair";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:266:"We've written extensively on how to repair and prepare concrete for coating. Concrete that can be fixed is cracked only at the surface or has very thin cracks where concrete on either side of the crack is level. But how do you know when is concrete is beyond repair?";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190116.jpg";s:3:"url";s:83:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/is-it-worth-fixing-concrete-beyond-repair.php";}
  • Is it Worth Fixing? How to Know Whether Concrete Can be Coated or is Beyond Repair
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-14";s:5:"title";s:40:"Case Study: First Flooring Job a Success";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:0:"";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190114.jpg";s:3:"url";s:63:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/case-study-2019-01-14.php";}
  • Case Study: First Flooring Job a Success
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-09";s:5:"title";s:42:"How to Improve Safety Talks with Your Team";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:265:"Safety is a critical issue for you and your team – not just from a compliance and potential liability standpoint, but from an integrity standpoint. You want your guys to stay safe and healthy. So, when you next have a "toolbox talk" with your team, make it "stick."";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190109.jpg";s:3:"url";s:74:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/how-to-improve-safety-talks-team.php";}
  • How to Improve Safety Talks with Your Team
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-07";s:5:"title";s:45:"Case Study: Facility In Need of Floor Coating";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:0:"";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190107.jpg";s:3:"url";s:63:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/case-study-2019-01-07.php";}
  • Case Study: Facility In Need of Floor Coating
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2019-01-02";s:5:"title";s:34:"New Year, Fresh Marketing Strategy";s:8:"subtitle";s:54:"Get Real About Your Ideal Client and Get More Business";s:4:"meta";s:339:"As we ring in the New Year, what are your resolutions for the coming year? It’s not uncommon as contractors and business owners to have resolutions in your professional as well as your personal life—especially around finally implementing that marketing tactic or plan… or finally creating a strategy in the first place to win more clients.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20190102.jpg";s:3:"url";s:75:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/new-year-fresh-marketing-strategy.php";}
  • New Year, Fresh Marketing Strategy
  • a:6:{s:4:"date";s:10:"2018-12-26";s:5:"title";s:57:"3 Ways to Save Time on Your Next Concrete Coating Install";s:8:"subtitle";s:0:"";s:4:"meta";s:197:"Time is money. Finding ways to save time on your next installation could make the difference between walking away with a profit… or not, as the cost of materials and labor increases with each hour.";s:5:"image";s:29:"/articles/images/20181226.jpg";s:3:"url";s:77:"http://www.citadelfloors.com/articles/3-ways-to-save-time-on-your-install.php";}
  • 3 Ways to Save Time on Your Next Concrete Coating Install
  • DIY & Rocksolid
  • Citadel introduces Revolutionary Deck Coating into Rocksolid Range

Getting ready to coat your concrete floor?

Do this first: Prepare your concrete floor for a maintenance-free coating that lasts





05-31-2017

Article 1 of 5 in a series

An ill-prepared concrete surface is the reason behind most floor coating failures, costing upwards of a billion dollars in damages each year. The key to long-lasting, low-maintenance flooring is getting the concrete surface thoroughly ready to coat.

Any untended crack, excess moisture or missed grease has the potential to create safety and health hazards down the line, and shorten the life of your concrete floor coating, requiring costly maintenance and replacement. The more attention to detail you pay at the outset of your flooring project, the less time and money you'll pay in the long run; it's that simple.

This series will cover the 4 critical steps required to prepare your concrete floor for a maintenance-free coating that lasts. Today's article is an overview of those steps, and subsequent articles will cover each topic at greater depth.

1) Test the concrete's moisture content.

Article 2 describes 3 different methods available to measure concrete's moisture: calcium chloride, hand held, and rapid relative humidity (RH) tests – and recommends the best one for the life of your floor.

2) Carefully clean and repair any cracks or holes.

Article 3 of the series reviews the most common types of repairs – cracks, holes, spalling, expansion joints and more – and guide what to do and how to select the right material for the job.

3) Check for oil, grease, and other chemicals, and thoroughly clean the surface.

Article 4 covers how to remove heavy dirt buildup, tire marks, oil, grease, and other difficult-to-remove contaminants.

4) Profile the concrete surface to better grip the coating.

For the coating to bond effectively with the floor, the concrete's pores need to be opened. Article 5 will discuss when to grind versus acid etch, and suggest a safer alternative to industry-standard (and highly hazardous) muriatic acid.

The best preparation for your concrete floor coating project is a well-laid plan. Let our flooring experts walk you step-by-step through a custom strategy to meet your project's needs. Click here to schedule your complimentary consultation.

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