Concrete Seals?

[Matt S.]

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?p=243439306#post243439306

This thread hit home as far as stains and how big a PIA they are. Moving into a brand spakin new home next month and I have been told that the garage floor needs to be painted or sealed. Something to keep stains from sinking in. Making clean up easy. Is there any that will hold up to hot sparks from welding and hot metal sitting on it? Color is good. A light blue or orange is good. Any recomendations?

Thanks!

 

[dirtybird]

I just did this to my garage you really wanna do it b4 you stain man what a pia we used Quickrete think thats how its spelled anyway guy said it was really good i would do 2 coats on it and buy a can extra than you think you need we ran out a 3rd of the way through and now the color in that section is off

 

[Rev Den]

Pratt and Lambertt 2 part epoxy.

Rev

 

[5-90]

Second the epoxy paint - and, if you mix a little sand into the paint (I'm not sure of the ratio, it's got to be around somewhere tho...) you'll get excellent traction and still maintain cleanability.

Epoxy is chemically inert - meaning you won't have trouble with solvents - and it's "thermoplastic," meaning it won't care about heat. It's a coating of choice for quite a few shops, I've noticed.

If you're going to lay it inside a garage or something, you can probably forego the sand and just use the epoxy neat. A residential garage doesn't need as much skid protection as, say, a commercial shop or a parking garage (when the Adobe tower went up downtown, they didn't put sand in the epoxy floor covering - it rained the first week it was opened, and I counted something like thirty-five fenderbenders by Wednesday lunch - from losing traction on the floor. They had to do a rolling cordon through the parking garage for the next fortnight while they re-coated the floor...)

 

[bcsavage]

Second the epoxy paint - and, if you mix a little sand into the paint (I'm not sure of the ratio, it's got to be around somewhere tho...) you'll get excellent traction and still maintain cleanability.

Epoxy is chemically inert - meaning you won't have trouble with solvents - and it's "thermoplastic," meaning it won't care about heat. It's a coating of choice for quite a few shops, I've noticed.

If you're going to lay it inside a garage or something, you can probably forego the sand and just use the epoxy neat. A residential garage doesn't need as much skid protection as, say, a commercial shop or a parking garage (when the Adobe tower went up downtown, they didn't put sand in the epoxy floor covering - it rained the first week it was opened, and I counted something like thirty-five fenderbenders by Wednesday lunch - from losing traction on the floor. They had to do a rolling cordon through the parking garage for the next fortnight while they re-coated the floor...)

good story... AND FOAMY ROCKS!!!

 

[75SV1]

I used the Rustoleum two part epoxy floor pait they sell at local hardware stores. I'm not sure how it would hold up to welding spatter etc. It seems to do OK with vehicle traffic and general work. This product gets a bad wrap for not stick to the floor. I think it is that if the floor has been sealed before, it won't stick. It sounds like you plan to do a lot of welding. I'd probably be thinking of one of the more comercial 2-part epoxy floor coverings. A light blue is suppose to be easier on the eyes. Epoxy coated floors seem to need less lighting. We had some river stone type concrete at work. They coated it clear. It was inconsistant in color. Then the coated it with a gray color. It looked a lot brighter in that area. I have seen them add the sand. Once the coated the floor. Then spread the sand, then recoated.
Tom

 

[RichP]

I'd be more prone to investigate a floor covering myself. I'd put down 3 or 5 coatings of concrete sealer, the clear stinky stuff you apply with either a hand sprayer or squeege. Then a sheet material, something you could replace every 5 years or so. Something like racedeck, http://www.bltllc.com/, http://www.gladiatorgw.com/list.asp?catID=4, http://www.americangaragefloor.com/

No matter what I have never been able to get a rolled out liquid epoxy type stuff to last more than a couple of years even with etching the floor before application and letting it dry for 2 weeks before application and 2 weeks after application.

 

[silver_ax]

epoxy coatings are the best way to go. just make sure your pre coating clean is good. i recommend muriatic acid (ratio 1/3 gallon muriatic to 5 gallon bucket of water) and putting sand in the epoxy is very effective (silica sand is best) put sand in epoxy while mixing. you can also use crushed glass (almost particulate) but its a little harder to come by. Alex

 

[RichP]

One more thing, if they have not poured the floor yet you might want to consider putting embedded lights in the floor. Maybe 4 per side. They do make lights for this too. I walk over several dozen that measure 2"x4' every morning on the way to work in a park around the corner.