For durable, high-performance concrete floors, Sika offers a comprehensive range of curing agents and dry shake hardeners. Curing agents help control moisture loss, ensuring proper hydration and optimal strength in new concrete. Dry shake hardeners, such as our Sikafloor® powders, are broadcast onto fresh concrete before powerfloating to create a hard-wearing, abrasion-resistant surface that withstands the rigors of heavy use.
Whether you’re building a warehouse, industrial facility, or logistics center, Sika's solutions provide the durability, dustproofing, and finish quality needed for demanding environments. Explore our range of products below to find the right fit for your project.
What are Dry Shake Hardeners?
Dry shakes are factory blended materials containing a cementitious binder, aggregates, admixtures and other additives. They may incorporate inorganic pigments or be naturally colored. The ability of a dry shake material to provide a hard, abrasion-resistant wearing surface depends on the presence of enough free water at the fresh concrete surface to enable the finish to be fully wetted and worked monolithically into the base concrete. The hydration process of the cementitious material into dry shake consumes free water from concrete mix and eliminates higher water-to-cement (w/c) ration of the near-surface concrete.
Benefits of Dry Shakes 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:
Improved traction safety
Aesthetic options
Overall economy
Installation time saving
Enhanced durability
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 colour 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.
Resistance Table of Different Sika Dry Shakes vs. Concrete
Perfect for Warehousing and Logistics Facilities
In warehouse and logistics environments, concrete flooring is essential to support high loads, manage cracks, treat joints, and meet strict performance tolerances. Our dry shake solutions offer a robust, fit-for-purpose surface that stands up to demanding, continuous traffic, ensuring operational efficiency and economy.
For more information or to discuss your specific needs, contact us to learn how our team can support you in achieving the best floor for your application.
Sika Curing Agents and Dry Shake Flooring Products
FAQs
Ensure proper timing, spreading, and floating when applying products. Protect floors from early traffic until strength develops. Maintain surfaces by regular cleaning and removing contaminants. Use experienced contractors for optimal application. For sealed floors, follow product-specific guidelines for resealing or upkeep to maintain durability, performance, and appearance over the long term.
Choose based on traffic, wear, and floor function. Dry shakes suit heavy-duty areas requiring abrasion resistance, impact protection, and aesthetics. Curing agents are sufficient when moisture retention or surface sealing is the main goal. Consider concrete mix, bleed water, finishing method, and desired colour or texture to select the optimal product.
Apply dry shake hardeners to fresh, workable concrete after placement. Broadcast the powder evenly, then power-float or trowel it in until fully integrated with bleed water. The surface develops strength within hours, allowing light traffic in 24 hours and full service in a few days. Correct timing ensures a tough, monolithic finish.
Sikafloor®-1 MetalTop – metallic aggregates, highest wear resistance, non-corroding, ideal for heavy-duty and prestige environments. Sikafloor®-2 SynTop – non-metallic aggregates, very high wear resistance and impact resistance, colored options, great for warehouses, airports, malls. Sikafloor®-3 QuartzTop – quartz mineral aggregates, medium wear resistance, cost-effective, dustproof, simple cleaning - suitable for public and light-industrial area. Sikafloor® ProSeal-12 – solvent-based curing and sealing compound for fresh or hardened concrete, enhances abrasion resistance and moisture retention
Durability & abrasion resistance - ideal for high-traffic industrial floors. Dust-proofing & low permeability - reducing maintenance and damage from oils or chemicals. Cost-effectiveness - efficient price-performance, faster installation and long lifecycle Sika UKsika.com. Improved safety and aesthetics - slip resistance, color options, even brightness enhancement
Contractors and clients often ask what dry shake hardeners are and how they work. Defined by Sika as factory-blended mixes of cementitious binders, aggregates, admixtures, and pigments, they are broadcast onto fresh concrete. Activated by surface water, the cement hydrates, consuming moisture and densifying the finish. This creates a monolithic, hard, abrasion-resistant topping that enhances durability and performance.
