Hardscaoes Inc. Calgary Concrete Floors

Oil or Transmission Fluid Stain?

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Ever wonder what stains your driveway more, oil or transmission fluid?

Stained DrivewayQuite honestly it doesn’t really matter. Either one will leave a nasty stain. If you leave it too long or you have a chronic problem with you vehicle it may be imbedded in the cement permanently.

These two fluids left un-attended can also lead to pitting in the concrete. Small divots that will let water sit and will eventually crack the surface.

If your drive way sounds like the one above you might consider re-surfacing. Hardscapes Inc. has a surface solution for every driveway situation. Fast and professional, get your driveway looking brand new in no time.

Concrete Floors

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This gorgeous floor was created by engraving the pattern with our Mongoose concrete engraver. Next, We stained the concrete with Elite Crete’s Antique Brown Chem stone stain. The lines were  highlighted with Antique black by one of our master installers with a steady hand to create the soft rustic edges to the pattern. The floor is coated with Elite Crete PT-1 Epoxy for beauty and durability.

This is a great way to change the look of your floors.

Check out our gallery at www.concretecanada.com  for more beautiful floors!

Concrete Discoloration

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Even though concrete is a substance that can be easily mixed, you can really run into problems if it is not worked properly. These issues include scaling, discoloring and shrinkage to name a few.

Discoloration or discoloring is one of the most common.

If you are using the same materials, mix and batch your concrete should have a consistent color. Changes in concrete color can occur just by using two different cements or if a chemical from a job site gets added to the mix, even different water sources can change the color of the concrete.

Solving discoloration problems:

  1. Discuss your tolerances with the supplier
  2. Water must be completely evaporated before concrete can be finished
  3. Make sure the entire surface is uniformly cured
  4. Use a consistent form release agent

Hardscapes Inc. uses these methods and many more to create perfect concrete structure every time.

Thank you Calgary!

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thanksHardscapes Inc. has just closed off our 17th year of providing quality concrete coatings and seamless flooring solutions in Calgary.

We have seen many changes in the industry over the years and have worked hard to stay current with the latest in coating technology.

We pride ourselves on our attention to detail which is why we have maintained relationships with many of Calgary’s finest home builders, designers and general contractors.

Concrete flooring has stood the test of time and is still increasing in popularity as more and more people seek a custom “one of a kind” floor.

We’d like to thank all of our valued clients for their continued support over the years and look forward to continued growth and new relationships.

Thank you Calgary!

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Concrete and Water

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Even though things are starting to get back to normal after the flooding in Calgary some home owners are still struggling with the aftermath and the damage left by water in their basements. Many basement floors were completely destroyed.

After grinding the floor to remove all the old glue and any other contaminants left behind by the backed up water we patched up all the cracks and deficiencies. A base colour coat was first applied and allowed to dry. Then the reflector coat was applied and allowed to dry and finally a clear polyurethane was applied for optimal wear and durability.

The Hardscapes Inc. crew left this happy client with a beautiful new resilient floor that would resist the water damage in the event of another flood.

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Ever Repaired Cracks in your Concrete Porch?

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Cracked PorchAging concrete can go from bad to worse fairly quickly if not attended too.

These days’ most front porches are made with concrete and what starts out as a small crack can quickly become a larger crack if water gets in and freezes.

Depending on how deep the crack is it may have to be filled in with vinyl patching and then capped with a concrete patching material. You might even have to use a metal brush or some other method like stapling or chiseling away some of the edges to make a smoother repair.

The results can vary, from ok to ugly.

This is not really a DIY situation. Why not let an expert take the struggle out of this kind of home repair.

Hardscapes Inc. has all the tools and the know how to quickly assess any situation and find the immediate answer to your worn concrete issues.

Fall Garage Cleanup

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Are you getting ready for winter? Are you cleaning out the garage of all the summer toys, yard equipment etc.?

While you’re cleaned out, why not get that ugly floor cleaned up and coated?! A polyaspartic coating will do wonders for your garage. It will be brighter, cleaner, easier to clean, and best of all, protected from all that salt we spoke of last week.

Hardscapes Inc. offers solutions for any budget. Gorgeous flake floors and even mica metallic flakes for those that like to eat, sleep and play in their garage, as well as solid color for those with more of a utilitarian need. These coatings are 100% UV stable, extremely abrasion resistant, and highly chemical resistant.

Many garage floors can be done start to finish in just ONE DAY!

Contact us today for your free estimate!

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Salty

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Concrete is incredibly more porous than you would think. Though it seems rock hard it is actually full of millions of tiny cracks and pours.

Concrete can get damaged in any number of ways but the most common damage occurs from the de-icing salts used by city snow plowing services and freeze/thaw cycles which occur quite often in Calgary during spring warming and fall freeze up.

Salt can sneak into small pours and tiny cracks in your concrete. Here there is an acid-like reaction that eventually creates larger and larger pockets that hold greater and greater amounts of water. It is the water that eventually causes all the damage.

Water expands up to 9X when frozen. The pressure from this expansion grows with each freeze and thaw until eventually it pops the surface of the concrete creating the pitting you so often see in sidewalks and driveways.

Hardscapes Inc. has a number of solutions to this problem. Email us for a free quote or contact us for more information.