Sika’s liquid-applied hardeners and dry shake hardeners help improve the performance, durability and finish of concrete floors. Liquid-applied hardeners are applied to existing concrete floors hardening and densifying concrete surfaces where a hard surface with light to moderate abrasion resistance is required, while dry shake hardeners are applied to the surface of fresh concrete to create a harder, moreabrasion-resistant wearing surface.
These solutions are suitable for a range of industrial, commercial, warehouse and logistics flooring applications where concrete floors need to withstand regular traffic, abrasion and demanding use.
Explore our Dry Shake & Liquid-Applied Floor Hardeners
What are Dry Shake Hardeners?
Dry shake hardeners are cementitious materials containing carefully selected aggregates, binders and additives. They are applied to the surface of fresh concrete and worked into the concrete during the finishing process to form a harder, moredurable wearing surface.
Dry shake hardeners can improve the surface resistance of concrete floors to abrasion and mechanical wear, making them suitable for areas exposed to regular foot traffic, wheeled traffic and other demanding conditions.
The performance of a dry shake floor depends on factors including the concrete mix, application method, surface preparation and correct timing of the dry shake application and finishing process.
Benefits of Dry Shake Hardeners
All commercial, manufacturing, and warehouse floors require a high quality work surface providing long-term durability, high abrasion resistance, dustproofing, low permeability and safety. In most industrial applications dry shake floors have the best price/performance ratio when compared with alternative concrete treatments or finishes. The main characteristics and benefits provided by dry shake hardeners include: installation time saving, enhanced durability, improved traction safety, aesthetic options, and overall economy.
While dry shake is applied onto fresh concrete, the surface is finished in one step during the concreting works. The floor surface is finished together with a construction concrete slab within 8 to 12 hours after placement of concrete. The surface is walkable after 24 hours and light operation is possible after three to seven days.
Dry shake floors are economical flooring solutions showing very efficient price/ performance ratio. The initial material cost and reduced labor cost during construction are relatively low. Reduced maintenance cost and the long life cycle minimize plant shutdowns and lost operations costs. In total, dry shake hardeners deliver both short-term and long term cost savings.
The durability of a floor is the primary requirement of a quality industrial floor. In regard of dry shake hardener, the durability is determined by the abrasion resistance of the topping and its adhesion to the base concrete. The dry shake floor surface provides a tough durable cap to the concrete which is not damaged by other construction operations. The application and proper finishing of dry shake reduces the concrete porosity decreasing oil, grease and other chemical substances absorption and potential damage.
High durability concrete floors minimize maintenance and repair, operations shutdown, and overall facility costs. Due to the long life and economy of installation, concrete floors with dry shake topping deliver high performance qualifications in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculations.
The typical color of a dry shake floor is grey. For many years the aesthetics was considered a minority importance in industrial buildings, however aesthetics are gaining more importance due to their contribution to worker morale and corporate image. Dry shake hardeners not only deliver improved performance properties but can also contribute to the facility aesthetic design.
Dry shake hardeners are available with inorganic pigments for a variety of colors, even very light color shades such as yellow and white. Light reflective floors can brighten a workspace, improve work efficiency, and reduce lighting costs. The aesthetic value of dry shake hardeners has increased trends of use in public buildings and private homes.
The floor surface must contribute to a safe working environment in all types of operations, including wet, dry, and contaminant rich conditions. Slips and falls most frequently result from contaminants on the floor. A slip resistant floor depends upon the combination of providing a safe traction surface and an efficient maintenance routine.
Dry shake applications are safe and environment friendly to install. The content of volatile organic substances (VOC) is low contributing to fire and health safety. Additionally, floor maintenance of dry shake surfaces is easy, ordinary cleaning machines can be used. Sealers can also provide additional surface dustproofing protection making the environment hygienic and user friendly.
Application Fields for Dry Shake & Liquid Hardeners
Liquid-applied hardeners and dry shake hardeners are used where concrete floors need improved surface performance and durability. Explore our flooring solutions for:
FAQ's
Dry shake hardener is applied to the surface of fresh concrete and worked into the concrete during the finishing process. Correct timing, application rate and finishing techniques are important to achieve the required surface performance.
The best concrete floor hardener depends on the requirements of the application, including traffic, abrasion, surface performance and the condition of the concrete. Sika offers different curing and hardening solutions for concrete floors, including dry shake hardeners and surface applied curing and hardening treatments. The appropriate product should be selected according to the specific flooring requirements.
Dry shake hardeners are commonly used in industrial facilities, warehouses, logistics centres, workshops and other areas where concrete floors are exposed to regular pedestrian or wheeled traffic and mechanical wear.
Liquid-applied hardeners and dry shake hardeners provide solutions for improving the wear resistance of concrete flooring. The Liquid-applied is applied to existing floors or freshly finished floors as a floor surface improver and the dry shake is applied during the placement of a new floor to create a monolithic hard-wearing surface.
Liquid-applied are applied by hand to concrete floors to help increase the wear resistance or reduce dusting of existing concrete floors. This cost effectively helps improve the wear resistance of poorly finished industrial concrete floors or a newly laid concrete floor.
Dry shake hardeners are applied to fresh concrete and mechanically worked into the surface to create a harder wearing layer. They are primarily used where increased surface durability and abrasion resistance are required
Dry shake hardeners can improve the surface hardness and abrasion resistance of concrete floors, helping them withstand regular traffic and mechanical wear. They can also provide a more durable and consistent finished surface.
Yes. Dry shake hardeners are commonly used for warehouse and logistics floors where the concrete surface needs to withstand regular traffic, abrasion and mechanical wear. The appropriate product should be selected according to the floor design and operating conditions.
A dry shake floor hardener is a cementitious material applied to fresh concrete and worked into the surface to create a harder and more abrasion-resistant wearing layer. Dry shake hardeners are commonly used in industrial, warehouse and commercial flooring applications.
One part, clear, sodium silicate or Lithium based liquid, used to harden and densify fresh or hardened concrete.
The appropriate Sika product depends on the required floor performance, concrete substrate, traffic conditions and intended use of the area. Sika offers different solutions for hardening concrete floors, Sikafloor® -2 Syntop, Sikafloor® Chapdur Extra, and Sikafloor®-3 QuartzTop. The relevant product data sheet should be consulted when selecting a product.