OT: Shop concrete floor paint

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neanderman
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OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by neanderman »

Do y'all paint your shop floors? Any recommendations or tips? The concrete is about 4 years old and has no coating on it now. We put a plastic barrier down prior to the pour.

Something pretty durable and not too slick would be good.

TIA!
Ed

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Steggy
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by Steggy »

neanderman wrote:Do y'all paint your shop floors? Any recommendations or tips? The concrete is about 4 years old and has no coating on it now. We put a plastic barrier down prior to the pour.

Something pretty durable and not too slick would be good.

TIA!
I've had good luck with Rust-Oleum. I thinned it with 10 percent mineral spirits and then rolled it. Prior to paint, the concrete was thoroughly cleaned with diluted muriatic acid.
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Harold_V
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by Harold_V »

I've used epoxy for floors, but it's quite slippery when wet. You can include some fine sand in the paint as it's rolled on, which circumvents the problem. It also is a poor choice if you do anything with heat, as hot items will scorch the finish, leaving it rather unattractive.

I decided against painting the floor in my current shop. Instead, I requested a small amount of lamp black to be added to the mix, which yielded a nice, light gray color. It's a decision I'd make again.

Any paint you select will eventually need to be redone, assuming you use your shop much. Keep that in mind if you decide to paint. BDD commented on using dilute HCl (hydrochloric, or muriatic acid),to etch the concrete. It's highly recommended that you do, as it removes any efflorescence that may be present, plus prepares the concrete for better adhesion of the paint. It's easy to work with when dilute. Be advised that the fumes from this acid will rust ferrous items in the same location, so don't etch your floor without first removing all things. Covering with a tarp to prevent damage is not adequate .

H
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BadDog
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by BadDog »

Most "concrete etching" products are a solution of Phosphoric acid. In fact, I buy concrete etch for cleaning rusty steel. If you don't start with completely empty shop and clean/vent thoroughly you may find your tools rapidly rusting along with any other metal you can't remove (conduit?, door tracks? ???). Not sure how much trouble getting it out would be, but sure does rust steel when stored nearby, even with a good cap in place. I would feel a lot more comfortable using Phosphoric Acid for etching, though not sure if Hydrochloric would do a better job.?

I didn't paint mine, but I'll second Harold's comment on slick floors with epoxy. Previous owner had my shop's floors done, and it appears to be a very good job since it has held up for his use as a commercial CNC shop, and my use as a hobby shop. You really have to screw up to damage it. And it's not too far off the red oxide of structural "red steel" beams. I would never have selected it, opting more likely for a gray color, but it turns out to work/look just fine. But I wear good non-slip work shoes when coming in and out with rain (ect), or otherwise be VERY careful walking with wet shoes or spills.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by warmstrong1955 »

I used a concrete sealer, inside & outside the shop.
All you need to do is pressure wash the floor, and let it dry a couple days. Goes on with a weed sprayer. You need lots of ventilation when you do it!!
When it's dry, it looks like concrete, and no more slippery than it was before. And oil, won't soak in or stain it.

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WesHowe
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by WesHowe »

A guy named Ray Caniglia just built a new shop, and posted a video of his way of sealing the floor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa2J9XMuxYQ
Basically, it was a sealer (already suggested) and a wax like they use in hospitals. He says it isn't slippery, it's cheap and lasts.
curtis cutter
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by curtis cutter »

Once I finished pouring my 30 by 60 concrete slab for the shop I built a dam at the large bay door then filled the shop with water via a livestock water tank float that kept an inch of water on the slab. It sat that way for a little over a week. I did place a vapor barrier under the concrete as well.

After that first week I drained the water, saw cut some diagonals control joints, rinsed and dried the slab and gave it a coat of acrylic curing/sealer. I did not want the slab to dry out and stop the curing process so as to get the max strength.

Additionally, where my two post car lift bolts down to the floor I monopoured a 2'x2' block within the slab. I figured as it was an asymmetrical lift it would give it a bit more resistance to the possible unequal load. The directions for the lift said it could be bolted to a 4" slab but I figured I could do a bit better than that for a few dollars worth of concrete. The actual installation of the lift was a bit of a challenge because I followed the directions but that is another story. :)

The only drawback I found was the acrylic sealer was attacked by a host of chemicals. I figured there was no 100% damage resistant finish but it was the concrete strength I was really looking for.

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larry_g
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by larry_g »

You will find a whole subforum here https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/for ... y.php?f=20 That is all for shop/garage flooring. You got a lot of good information in the above posts, and you'll get more input on the link I provided. It's up to you to separate the wheat from the chaff.

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neanderman
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by neanderman »

Thanks, all!
Ed

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Downwindtracker2
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Re: OT: Shop concrete floor paint

Post by Downwindtracker2 »

They make sealants and hardeners for concrete floors . The floor in my two car garage shop is poor quality, tract house. The porch paint I used did better than the concrete under it.
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