Can a warehouse floor in Kanata be done in phases?

Phased floor coating work in a warehouse is possible, but whether it suits your facility depends on the product chosen, the slab condition, and how the contractor plans the sequence. The schedule the contractor proposes must be checked against the data sheet for each product, because the data sheet sets the return-to-service times, not the contractor's estimate.

A few things shape whether phasing works for this building:

• Slab condition and prep: each phase needs its own surface preparation to the profile the data sheet asks for. If the slab has cracks, joint damage or old coatings, those areas need to be addressed before any coating goes down in that zone.
• Return-to-service times: one manufacturer's data sheet for a 100%-solids epoxy lists foot traffic at 24 hours and light vehicles at 72 hours; heavy traffic is listed at 7 days. A polyaspartic data sheet lists light traffic at 24 hours and vehicles at 7 days. Racking, forklifts and loaded pallet jacks need to clear the coated zone for the full period the data sheet requires before operations return to it.
• Moisture: ASTM F2170 notes that test results reflect the slab's condition only at the time and location tested. If the slab moisture varies across the warehouse, each phase may produce a different result, and a moisture-tolerant primer may be needed in some zones but not others.
• Product continuity: ask the contractor how they will handle the seam where a completed phase meets the next one, and whether the data sheet permits coating over a cured edge.
• After-hours or weekend work: if operations cannot stop during the day, phased work may shift to nights or weekends. The data sheet figures are the minimum times; the contractor must confirm the schedule fits them.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, floor coating work in an occupied building is likely treated as construction at a project. Before work begins, obtain a WSIB clearance certificate for the contractor and keep it on file while work is underway; WSIB policy 14-02-19 requires this, and the householder exemption does not apply to a business. Also, under OHSA s.30(1), you as the owner must determine whether any designated substances are present at the site and give the contractor a list before a binding contract is signed. If the warehouse has old vinyl tile or black mastic anywhere on the slab, have it tested before any grinding begins, as it may contain asbestos.

R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851 (Industrial Establishments), s.11 requires that a floor used by workers shall not have any finish that is likely to make the surface slippery. Ask the contractor how the chosen system addresses that requirement in a warehouse where forklifts and foot traffic share the floor.

Local contractors listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory can be reached through the request form on this page.

One line item worth checking in any quote for a phased warehouse job is what the contractor has included for prep and grinding in each phase, since that cost can vary significantly depending on what they find under the surface.