Business Owners: Cracked Concrete is Not a Good Look

• Concrete with cracks or breaks around your building’s exterior or even on the interior can be a major red flag for potential customers or employees.
• Investing in your property is good for business all around––not only does it remove those unsightly eyesores through concrete repair, but it also keeps everyone safe from tripping hazards.
• Business or commercial concrete flooring and surfaces can even become a beautiful part of your interior design. Did you know you can stain them to match your brand or office?

Consider the structure that holds your business as one giant business card. You could be selling exactly what a consumer is looking for, but if the outside of your business is running high on the shabby spectrum, they’re not going to make it through your front doors to find out.

As a business or commercial property owner, your building’s curb appeal means a whole lot. If the space isn’t welcoming and well-kept, potential customers, employees or business partners may take their interest elsewhere. It doesn’t stop at the front door either––when someone walks through your doors, they should feel just as positive about what’s on the interior as they do the exterior. The physical structure that houses your company needs to appear trustworthy. It’s both good business, and good for business.

Making sure that the concrete surfaces in your business get a little TLC can show people you care about and invest in your business, and that they should too. It’s probably rare that someone would walk by and think to themselves, “wow, look at this incredible concrete work.” That has probably never happened, but people do notice when something is off. Cracked and dirty concrete surfaces send up some major red flags as a patron. Don’t give people the wrong impression right from the start. Make them want to do business with you. Fill in those cracks and have your business or commercial concrete cracks repaired.

Cracked concrete in the exterior or interior can be complicated to repair making it better left to the professionals. Busy entrepreneurs should delegate these projects to the pros like those at CertaPro Painters®.

It’s not the most foolproof material to work with, but when done right, concrete surfaces can be repaired to avoid the time and money it would take to dig out and replace the original concrete. A surface treatment can make it look as good as new. The team at CertaPro Painters® offers business and commercial services including concrete floor repair, concrete cleaning, and concrete sealing to get your interior or exterior surfaces looking clean and feeling protected.

“When you repair concrete surfaces, you are extending the life of your business,”  says Aaron Lewis, owner of CertaPro Painters® of Northwest Arkansas. “Addressing any issues of your concrete surfaces before they worsen and need complete replacement can reduce costly repairs down the road, and it will also keep your business looking safe and sound for customers.”

Why It Happens

There are a lot of reasons why concrete cracks can appear. Normal wear and tear in high-trafficked outdoor areas can cause cracks and breaks. But more often, it’s usually the first sign of distress in concrete. Even freshly poured concrete can crack if the job wasn’t done properly, often because too much water is added to the mix. Just another reason to bring in the experts to handle your concrete crack repair!

Cracking after the concrete has hardened is most commonly due to drying shrinkage. This is often called a check crack or shrinkage crack. Concrete swells when it is exposed to moisture and shrinks when it is exposed to air with relatively low humidity. The cracking is a combination of factors due to the change in volume of concrete and the amount of stress on it. All concrete shrinks a bit during the initial hydration period. These are usually very small hairline cracks.

A more serious type of crack in concrete is a structural crack. This type of damage is a result of shifting soil or a poor calculations job of the original project. This type of crack will typically require structural epoxy to be injected into it.

We could go on, but it’s not really your job to understand the ins and outs of concrete. That’s not your business, but your business may need someone who does understand all-things-concrete. Let the team at CertaPro Painters® assess your concrete’s condition so you can better understand what scale of work needs to be done. Each job gets started by cleaning the concrete floor or surface thoroughly to remove dirt and dust so the team can properly see what’s going on.

Concrete Can Improve Appearance

When most people are thinking about concrete, the mental images usually aren’t a surface you’d point out in your business as a thing of beauty. Concrete repair can change that, plus it can add a solid structural necessity for large buildings. CertaPro Painters® are able to repair concrete in large commercial structures like parking garages and buildings.

A crack in concrete pillars that can cause pieces pieces to fall to the floor is an unprofessional look. Improve those crumbling garage columns by getting gaps or cracks filled in and finished off with a fresh coat of paint.

Concrete cracks can also occur in condominiums and apartment building. These types of concrete repairs are time sensitive and crucial to a business property. It’s not just an aesthetic update, but one to ensure the building is safe. Those who live in these complexes are looking for a space that is well maintained and equally safe. The repair of concrete will improve the building’s look. While a new coat of paint on the restored concrete will add a visually-appealing final touch.

It’s a Safety Concern

Speaking of safety, there’s a much greater concern when it comes to cracked concrete beyond aesthetics. Safety should always be top-of-mind as a business owner. That goes for keeping both your customers and any staff that you have working on-site safe from hazards. Employers have a duty of care to provide and maintain a safe workplace and to eliminate or reduce any risks that come up.

Uneven flooring can cause a trip or fall at the workplace, resulting in serious injury of a customer or employee that can open your business up to liability. Take care of your employees by taking care of any flooring issues due to cracked concrete. An issue with concrete neglected over a period of time will continue to get worse. Acting now will not only save you money in the long run, but more importantly, will keep everyone safe from structural or safety issues relating to it.

The team at CertaPro Painters® would be happy to lend their expertise to take care of your concrete issues! Get in touch with today at 1-800-689-7271 or schedule online to get a free estimate and learn more about our business and commercial services that are available.