Whether you are designing or building a new facility handling contaminated materials, toxic fluids, dilute detergent, or other dangerous liquids, or have a current property with corrosive chemicals on site, your security protocols are only as strong as your secondary containment system.
Secondary containment can be relied upon in the case that your primary containment is breached, and in many instances, is required to pass OSHA and EPA regulations when inspected. It should also be noted that few in the concrete and coatings industry have the expertise and the licensure to complete such industrial jobs so it’s important to seek out those with the proper credentials.
Pick the Right Concrete Contractor; Proceed with Confidence
At Black Bear Coatings & Concrete, we have a saying: “Coatings don’t fail; installers do. It’s sad but true. In an industry that is going through as much change as concrete is today, it’s just too easy to find a concrete contractor or vendor who isn’t right for your job.
So when it comes to choosing a concrete contractor for your next project, don’t settle for the first one you find in the phone book, or simply the one who gives you the lowest price. Instead, make sure you find a concrete contractor who offers the right blend of experience, technical know-how, artistry, and passion for the job.
Top Questions to Ask a Concrete Contractor:
Do they ask you questions about your vision for the project?
Are they up to date on the latest science and technology related to concrete? (There’s more to it than you think.)
How experienced are they in the latest artistic techniques, such as staining, coloring, texturing/finishing, and cutting? Do they have examples of their methods of placing concrete?
Did they ask what functional requirements you may have? (For example, steel wheels on forklifts can damage particular concrete finishes.)
Do they offer a full warranty on their work?
Are they passionate about your project?
Only one vendor can pass the test, and we believe we are the right concrete contractor for you.
With over 25 years of experience designing functional and attractive flooring for commercial and industrial clients, Black Bear is the trusted partner for epoxy, urethane, MMA, and polished concrete coatings. Black Bear serves New England – Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northern Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, as well as New York (north of New York City). Rest assured that we have the staff, equipment, and expertise needed to make your floor project a success. We spend time upfront to assess each client’s needs, identify the best flooring solution, engage in the right preparation, and then install the floor using industry best practices. Take a look at some of our completed projects, and contact us for a free on-site consultation. Learn how Black Bear can value engineer the right solution for your business.
Commercial kitchens have not only their own flooring requirements, but, they must also support safety and sanitation regulations administered by agencies like the USDA, FDA, OSHA, and others. When installing a new floor or replacing an existing floor, it is important to ensure the floor and base meet the following requirements:
High Durability.
Commercial kitchens expose floors to salts, alkaline compounds, and ingredients that contain acids that can eat away at flooring. Additionally, some food processing chemicals, harsh cleaners, and disinfectants contain industrial solvents. They also take physical punishment from heavily loaded, steel-wheeled carts, foot traffic and more. Ultimately, these floors must be capable of surviving some of the most extreme conditions.
Thermal Shock-Resistant.
Commercial kitchen floors are often subjected to extreme temperature ranges from ovens, freezers, and other appliances, as well as during cleaning. It’s essential to find a flooring solution that can withstand these changes and won’t delaminate under the stress.
Sanitary.
Wherever food is prepared and/or manufactured, cleanliness is a top priority. Commercial kitchen flooring must be easy to clean. That means finding flooring materials that can stand up to strong cleaners that might be acidic or alkaline. It’s also important to use a flooring design that doesn’t have seams or joints that could harbor bacteria. The FDA, for example, requires food establishments to have floor and wall junctures that are coved.
Slip-Resistant.
It’s not unusual for oils, grease, and other potentially slippery substances to end up on commercial kitchen floors. To prevent employee falls and injuries, it’s essential to find flooring options that are textured and slip-resistant. The appropriate degree of textures will be determined by the operating conditions, as well as cleaning and maintenance practices.
Quick Installation.
In most cases, it’s not practical to close commercial kitchens for long periods of time for renovations. Flooring options exist that can be installed quickly. If a commercial kitchen has quarry tile, it’s possible to install coatings over the existing surface.
Find out how Black Bear can work with you to value-engineer the right solution for your kitchen area. Contact us below to install your commercial kitchen flooring within federal and state regulations.
It’s easy for someone to become awed if they have the chance to tour the behind-the-scenes facilities at an airport. Between the amazing aircraft, the larger-than-life service equipment, the massive scale of construction, and all the other technological innovations, there’s plenty to gawk at. But one of the most crucial elements goes ignored because it’s literally under their feet: the hangar flooring.
Airplane hangar floors have to deal with the worst of all worlds: the high traffic of a warehouse, the massive loads of a truck depot, the potential for hazardous chemical spills, and more. Any mistake in hangar flooring could endanger the many support crew required to keep a plane or jet in the air, and potentially even endanger the aircraft – along with their passengers.
Black Bear Coatings & Concrete has the experience and the expertise necessary to ensure every hangar flooring system we lay is able to meet these stringent requirements. As one of New England’s top choices for high-use industrial flooring, we know how vitally important airport hangar floors are and ensure every job is done to perfection.
Creating The Perfect Hangar Flooring
At Black Bear, we don’t embrace a one-size-fits-all philosophy. Every hangar flooring job starts with a full survey of the area and the existing facilities, if any, along with extensive consultation with the supervisors heading the construction project.
From there, we have a wide range of options in flooring materials and choose the best hangar floor coating to create a floor which will be able to stand up to the rigors of airplane storage for years or decades, with minimal maintenance. Epoxy-based coatings and polyurethane can be highly effective at achieving the needs of hangars, including:
High grip: Both airplanes and workers need a surface which is resistant to slipping. They must be able to move with confidence.
Non-porous: There are a number of caustic or toxic chemicals involved in the maintenance and upkeep of aircraft. Non-treated surfaces, such as naked concrete, can easily trap these chemicals and create long-lasting health hazards.
Simple cleanup: When spills do occur, it’s vital that the flooring material easily allows spills to be cleaned up or washed away with a minimum of workforce disruption.
Exceptional durability: With larger aircraft easily reaching weights in the dozens or even hundreds of tons, hangar flooring has to withstand stresses far beyond most industrial floor coating types.
Seamless design: Materials such as polyurethane allow for extremely large floors with no seams in their construction, further minimizing the risk of damage, tripping, or trapped noxious chemicals.
From small municipal airfields to the largest International airports, Black Bear Coatings & Concrete has the capability to complete each job on time, within the budget, and in adherence to all local and Federal construction regulations. Our long list of satisfied clients in a wide variety of fields fully demonstrates our excellence in aircraft hangar floor covering solutions. Call Black Bear at 978-405-0017, to learn how the right engineered floor system will last longer in your private plane or municipal airline hangars.
With over 25 years of experience, our crews have the skills required to create a production floor that meets each client’s unique maintenance and aesthetic needs. Call Black Bear to learn how we provide longer-lasting, more effective solutions for manufacturing and production buildings.
Black Bear is a leading concrete and coatings flooring company that serves New England – Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northern Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, as well as New York (north of New York City). Rest assured that we have the staff, equipment, and expertise needed to make your floor project a success. We spend time upfront to assess each client’s needs, identify the best flooring solution, engage in the right preparation, and then install the floor using industry best practices. We’d love to help your company.
Polished concrete has emerged as a popular choice for many cost-conscious companies. Formulas are being engineered to provide added safety and an appealing look and feel to enhance almost any space it’s installed.
At Black Bear, we have witnessed the rise of polished concrete surfaces as a preferred design element and viable flooring solution. Our team is frequently called upon to experiment with emerging techniques and we remain on the cutting edge of concrete technology. Black Bear doesn’t shy away from applications that have never been tried. We pride ourselves on setting precedence by trying new methods of installation and engineering formulas to provide the best concrete solutions to our commercial and industrial clients.
When most people consider renovation and repair of hospital and medical facilities flooring, the first thought is usually ORs, clean rooms, and laboratories. Often overlooked, yet equally as important however, are the supplemental areas such as lavatories and locker rooms, commercial kitchens, storage, and utility closets.
As we inch closer to January, we can’t help but reflect on the projects and the people that have made 2016 a banner year for Black Bear Coatings & Concrete. Over the past twelve months, we’ve evolved as both a company and service provider, to become more than just an invaluable resource to businesses across the Northeast. Black Bear has had the privilege to branch out and partner with companies throughout the U.S.
The success of our business is attributed to our dedicated staff, affectionately called “the Black Bear family,” as well as our clients who place their trust in our experts every day. We strive to go above and beyond for each individual partner, and provide customized solutions that span tried and true methods, to engineering innovation and experimenting with new techniques and applications.
Yes, concrete is solid. It’s hard and unyielding when you stand on it. However, concrete is also extremely porous, and it’s relatively easy for liquids and vapors to seep through the material.
It’s not uncommon for concrete to be treated or have additional layers added to prevent moisture from compromising the concrete or the flooring topcoat placed above it. Known as vapor mitigation systems, or moisture mitigation, there are several techniques which can be employed – but all have the same purpose – sealing off the concrete to prevent wetness from permeating the surface and compromising the integrity of the substance.
Epoxy, St. Bernard’s Athletic Center, Fitchburg, MA
Show your school spirit from the ground up.
Once used solely as outdoor pavers and for utilitarian spaces such as storage and cafeterias, educational facilities are now turning to concrete solutions to enhance the overall look and feel of a school.
Concrete has long been touted for its durability. Virtually indestructible, this surface is ideal for the constant foot traffic found in hallways and classrooms on a regular basis. In addition, it’s easier to maintain and more cost effective than other flooring systems.
Learn about industrial concrete problems relating to moisture and stained floors. Black Bear Coatings & Concrete works with large facilities to ensure the right flooring is used for the individual business’ needs.
1 Inconsistent Acid Staining
Not every concrete floor in a facility is a good candidate for stain. Applying too little or too much stain can produce blotchy results, which can be exacerbated by the use of mops, rollers, or squeegees during the application process. After the stain is applied correctly, maintenance efforts are often required to ensure an even appearance for the long term.
2 Efflorescence
Water in concrete, whether in liquid or vapor form, picks up excess salt and carries it to the surface. This is known as efflorescence. The pressure from the moisture vapor and salts either doesn’t let the dye penetrate to start with or actually forces it out of the concrete over time. This can be cleaned form the surface using a dilution of 1 part distilled vinegar to 5 parts water (increase concentrations for problem areas in larger facilities).
3 Humidity
If the relative humidity in the concrete slab is different than the relative humidity of the air above the slab, then moisture is going to try to move in or out of the slab. Without a vapor barrier, the relative humidity in the slab just below the surface can often be 100%. Since the air in a facility is seldom that humid, moisture is going to move from the slab into the air and as the surface dries a bit it will draw moisture up from the bottom.
4 Moisture Vapor Emission
Water is required to turn cement, sand, and aggregate into a concrete slab. Moisture Vapor Emission occurs when moisture that is not part of the concrete mix moves out of the concrete, or can be a result of ground water, plumbing, or other water sources. Symptoms of this type of failure include bubbles, blisters, and delamination.
5 Osmosis
Osmosis is one of the main factors that can cause a facility floor to fail. Osmosis occurs when actual moisture vapor emission through the concrete slab tries to equalize the soluble ions at the surface of concrete slab. This creates a pressure that can be greater than the adhesion strength of the coating.
Black Bear Concrete contractors have the experience and first-hand knowledge to help your facility avoid these issues – before they come up and ruin your project. We can even help you repair any existing concrete problems you may have.
Black Bear will work directly with you or your general contractor to develop a longer-lasting product that saves money and withstands the environmental elements in the Northeast. Whether it’s new construction to enhance the look and feel of your property, or a restoration project that ensures the safety of your patrons, trust the professionals at Black Bear Coatings & Concrete to make sure you get the exact concrete foundation and restoration services that you want and need.
With over 25 years of experience, our crews have the skills required to create a production floor that meets each client’s unique maintenance and aesthetic needs. Call Black Bear to learn how we provide longer-lasting, more effective solutions for manufacturing and production buildings.
Black Bear is a leading concrete and coatings flooring company that serves New England – Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northern Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, as well as New York (north of New York City). Rest assured that we have the staff, equipment, and expertise needed to make your floor project a success. We spend time upfront to assess each client’s needs, identify the best flooring solution, engage in the right preparation, and then install the floor using industry best practices. We’d love to help your company.
Whether you are designing or building a new facility handling contaminated materials, toxic fluids, dilute detergent, or other dangerous liquids, or have a current property with corrosive chemicals on site, your security protocols are only as strong as your secondary containment system.
It’s easy for someone to become awed if they have the chance to tour the behind-the-scenes facilities at an airport. Between the amazing aircraft, the larger-than-life service equipment, the massive scale of construction, and all the other technological innovations, there’s plenty to gawk at. But one of the most crucial elements goes ignored because it’s literally under their feet: the hangar flooring.
