Ever wondered why concrete dusts with age? How to prevent it - and what to do once it has started?
The causes
In a fresh pour, dusting comes from excessive segregation of the mix: heavy particles settle while fines stay in suspension, leaving a surface layer that is extremely weak and quick to wear. It is common where the water-cement ratio is high. In an old floor, dusting comes from dehydration of the pour: the water-cement bond is lost and the surface wears easily.
Dusting worsens with age, so act early - for the sake of both the concrete and people's health. This is one of the most dangerous forms of deterioration: the released dust settles in the airways and can cause serious long-term disease. Health authorities have issued specific rules on anti-dust treatments for floors used in food handling.
The fix
Starting from the principle that an anti-dust treatment must last for the life of the floor - not just its first years - Ecobeton developed a certified, permanent liquid-glass product to prevent or stop dusting: Evercrete Pavishield. It penetrates deep into the cement matrix and becomes a permanent part of it, on fresh or mature concrete, curing, hardening and consolidating in one.
Application
Spray with a low-pressure pump in two crossed coats (first north-south, second east-west) on a degreased, clean surface. After 24 hours, wash to remove any excess left on the surface. Pavishield is eco-compatible and certified for floors in food environments.
With this treatment, dusting concrete is a distant memory - see Evercrete Pavishield.