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Garage floor protection

6K views 24 replies 18 participants last post by  Hellbound 
#1 ·
1st I did search.

However it still seems as if we haven't found anything to protect the floor from people welding.

my 24x32x10 pole barn is sitting in my driveway and will be built on this Friday. Looking for suggestions to protect the floor from oil, welding, etc.

Thanks
 
#2 ·
U-coat-it is supposed to hold up to weld splatter, but its still water based so I have my doubts. Rustoleum has an industrial strength epoxy that is not water based that might work. garagejunkies.net has some good info on the subject. Some people there might recommend the Sherwin Williams product was well. Have you thought about maybe just using a sheet of thin gauge steel underneath where you are welding on top of whatever coating you go with? (Just in case)
 
#3 ·
Jerseywheeler said:
1st I did search.

However it still seems as if we haven't found anything to protect the floor from people welding.

my 24x32x10 pole barn is sitting in my driveway and will be built on this Friday. Looking for suggestions to protect the floor from oil, welding, etc.

Thanks
From reading the previous discussions it sounds like there is nothing that truely holds up to welding. Have the floor polished during finishing. You'll never need to paint it, it holds up to anything, and it doesnt absorb oil very well, as long as you clean up major spills asap.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Jersey,

I've done a bunch of homework myself and I'm leaning toward a 100% solids, 2-part epoxy coating, NOT water based. The industrial stuff has withstood the test of time, so I'll have to go to a state where they still sell it. The Communist Republic of California doesn't allow the really good stuff to be sold. I'm leaning toward epoxy-coat.com, but they are pricy. The U-coat-it.com stuff is the best for a water based product (according to others). The Sherwin Williams 1000 HS stuff sounds very heavy duty (but not available in So Cal.)

As for weld splatter. I have the cheap $20 HF welding blanket I will throw on the floor when necessary. Problem solved.

later,

REFLEXX :D

PS: everyone agrees that PREP is the #1 concern. it must be done right and done several times!
 
#5 ·
PekingMan said:
Rustoleum has an industrial strength epoxy that is not water based that might work.
Thats what I have. It holds up pretty well, but if you drop a bit glowing nugget on it, it will burn though. Most of the time I don't worry about it, if I'm doing a lot of overhead or anticipate dropping a bunch of junk on it, I toss an old piece of sheet metal under it.

Pete
 
#6 ·
I am confused. What damage from welding are you specificing that would damage a concrete slab? I can understand direct contact with plasma blow by (discolors and transfers some metal to the pores) but what's the big deal with slag/sparks? I use a basic floor wax/sealer to ease clean ups of wet stuff.

Am I missing something?
 
#7 ·
Epoxy paint definitely shows weld splatter/plasma blowby. My floor looks like it has acne. I don't think there is any coating that will hold up to such things. Check this out - yesitsconcrete.com - they acid stain and polish the concrete directly. No coating. Not sure about pricing and they are located in Florida, so no idea about getting it done elsewhere. But they do say that it is slip resistant - which can be another problem with the epoxy. First light snow after I epoxied my floor and the ex-wife nearly wrecked her Jeep with street tires pulling into the garage. My truck with ATs had no problems and I told her she shouldn't be going hell-for-leather into the garage anyway... :)
 
#8 ·
PAToyota said:
Epoxy paint definitely shows weld splatter/plasma blowby. My floor looks like it has acne. I don't think there is any coating that will hold up to such things. Check this out - yesitsconcrete.com - they acid stain and polish the concrete directly. No coating. Not sure about pricing and they are located in Florida, so no idea about getting it done elsewhere. But they do say that it is slip resistant - which can be another problem with the epoxy. First light snow after I epoxied my floor and the ex-wife nearly wrecked her Jeep with street tires pulling into the garage. My truck with ATs had no problems and I told her she shouldn't be going hell-for-leather into the garage anyway... :)
again, what's wrong with bare concrete and sealer/stain?
 
#9 ·
all the searching i have done.. and i have come up with this... leave it as concrete... and have it polished... then seal it.. that concrete sealer.. its clear.. that is what i am going to do... will repell oil... and hold up to welding.. and still look good..
if you have an old floor.. you can still do this.. it just costs alittle more.. around 8 bucks a foot.. where new is around 4... that is what i have found on the internet... when i get home.. ill look this up locally.. and see what is going on..
 
#10 ·
Concrete teatment.

I was on the BTF BB a while back and a bunch of guys recommended a product by Speco. I think it is www.speco.com maybe 2 c's. It was called salt someting or other. Supposedly it was amazing. It seals the concrete from adsorbing anything. ! guy said his wife spilled a quart of oil and it was left for a week or so and it wioped up like water. You put it on when the crete is still wet. If you can't find it let me know or PM me and I'll do some research. Good luck, Kurt
 
#11 ·
Ok it is www.specco.com and they offer all kinds of treatment, seals, and epoxies. Good luck
 
#12 ·
#13 ·
A friend of mine has used a Benjiman Moore epoxy paint on his garage. It is specifically listed to hold up to brake fluid and weld spatter. He has had it for about two and a half years and it has held up great. He does not do too much welding on it though, as he only makes small things for his street bikes. If I recall it is available in pretty much any color.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I posted this on another thread but haven't poured my slab yet just my grade beam foundation so I haven't used it yet. It looks like they changed the name to "Water Bond" and trademarked it.:

OK may have found something I am willing to try: http://www.epoxyproducts.com/aquarock.html
Their website is extremely tough to read but I think I found a good product for show and when fabricating I will not be as worried about welding splatter knowing my main goal of sealing the new slab is done.

Cost is about $40/150 square feet so it's not going to break the bank but since it will bond into a newly poured slab it should prevent oil stains/etc while still giving me a finished look. I am going to ask about pricing with colored sand or chips added to maybe hide any burn marks better.
 
#17 ·
#18 ·
Just an FYI: I talked with a Specco rep and unfortunately he couldn't recommend any of his coatings to someone who would be welding, for someone just wrenching or maybe occasioanlly welding they might work but I hate to have burn marks all over the shop floor.

randii said:
Search again for Saltshield -- that's one of Specco's products, and there are several threads. Here's one:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=300401&highlight=saltshield

Randii
 
#19 ·
I understand that it might not be 'recommended for welding" but the Saltshield application I have seen seemed like it would be resistant to it. The difference, IMHO, is that epoxy sits on top of and bonds to the top of the floor. Saltshield soaks into the pores of the floor and seals it without really providing much of a top layer.

The sealing effect is more of what I am after (easy cleanup)... I don't necessarily NEED a color for appearance. Epoxy probably helps keep down dust much better, tho.

Randii
 
#20 ·
i know this is going to be a little strange but black magic tire foam might be a real cheap option. last year i did the tires on my wifes car in the drive way with a reall heavy coat now i sill have 4 marks in my drive way that the water beads up on. when it's dry you can't see it, when it's wet it looks like there are 4 white spots in the drive way and the water beads up like it's just been waxed. if it hadn't been there for so long now i wouldn't even be mentioning it, but sence it has i have been thinking of doing an entire floor with the stuff just to what happens. maybe i need to do an oil spot test over the white spots.
 
#21 ·
Randii your probably right, I am sure he just did not want to recommend it since I asked that specific question. The "Water Bond" seems like the same type of product, soaks into the concrete to seal it instead of sitting on top. Adding a little bit of color would be nice so it looks like you actually painted it but not necessary, I want a sealed functioning floor..not a showroom.
 
#22 ·
bare concrete

ironpig70 said:
guess i'm off my rocker to think its a garage and not an operating room. its concrete and who really cares about weld splatter imho it doesn't really hurt the floor. oil yeah it makes a mess so i'd keep some kitty litter on hand.
My feelings exactly. My last shop was nothing but bare concrete that had been given a pretty smooth finish after pouring (is this considered polishing?). Throw absorbent on large spills before they sit too long.

I've never understood the desire to keep it looking good for aesthetic purposes, it's a FLOOR in a FAB SHOP. A few light stains after using the absorbent is no concern. I frequently use the concrete floor as a heat sink, setting freshly welded parts there to cool. Until someone comes out with a product that stands up to slag, sparks, glowing metal, oil, gas, diesel and won't lift, chip or gouge when you're dragging an axle across it or drop a still-running grinder on it, I vote for bare concrete.
 
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