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Shop floor coatings/treatments?

I've been placing factory industrial factory floors for near 20 years now. I have yet to see an epoxy system hold up with any kind of abuse and wear. Yes they look great and work well in kitchens, labs, pedestrian hallways, and stuff like that but, if you truly want the best floor available then there is a way to do it. First layer is always a quality vapor/moisture barrier (especially in the northern climates), at least 5" of quality concrete spec'd for your location, as it is being finished apply a "shake" which is basically a surface hardener and will strengthen the top inch or so of the concrete. After the final finishing (I prefer a smooth "burned" finish) let it cure "wet" for at least 3 days. The slower concrete cures, the better it will be in the long run. After that, you can decide to stain it (endless color options) and seal or just seal it as is. My personal favorite is Super Diamond Clear from the EUCO chemical company, it gives the floor a wet look and is extremely durable. I use it for everything from exterior stamped concrete to interior acid stained and it always holds up well. The difference between acid staining and sealing vs an epoxy is that the sealer will permeate the concrete and actually bond in it while an epoxy is basically a fancy paint that will only stick to the top of the concrete. Once there is any moisture introduced to the concrete, there comes a chance of delamination between the epoxy and concrete and that is when things start to peel and flake off.

Existing concrete can be acid washed, stained to your liking, and sealed as well with the same type of product. Wash and prep existing floor with muriatic acid and make sure to rinse thoroughly to neutralize, decide if an acid stain is what you like and apply per directions. Let it dry thoroughly, and apply a high solids sealer from a real concrete supply center (not the home depot type do it yourself centers) and enjoy your new floor!

These are my thoughts and recommendations from my professional experience.
 
I've seen the stained concrete and we were thinking of doing it for the floor of our modular. Man thats some neat looking combinations. Unfortunately we could not go that way because of the lbs per square foot an the cost. Maybe some day when we are in a house without a raised foundation we can go that route plus use in in the garage. Have areas of my non waterbase epoxy that are peeling up and not from damage.
 
northerndave said:
I'm interested in doing something with the new pour for my shop that will be going up this spring. I want a floor that will mop up nicely and help lighten the place up a bit. Not looking for a white floor but possibly a very light gray.

Epoxy or?

Please if you have any experiences good or bad or observations from concrete floor coatings/treatments at work or possibly a friend's shop... please share your thoughts.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
Epoxy is real nice for areas that u aren't going to beat to death but you can damage it easy .My floor is epoxy with a chemical resistant polyurethane clear coat. I installed the custom Mopar Decals after epoxy and before the clear coat ,looks awesome and cleans up easy with a rag ! My buddy makes the custom decals when I can get him too! But there not cheap let me know if u are interested

IMG_20170211_170437.jpg
 
When ever you do epoxy on concrete the surface has to be prepped and cleaned properly or you will get lifting or peeling ! It has to be free of oils and grease . sanding or shotpeening is recommended and use an industrial epoxy
 
No matter how well it gets cleaned, once moisture is introduced, it's only a matter of time when it lifts. If a quality vapor barrier is used under the concrete, it has much better chances of lasting
 
doublekrossd said:
I've been placing factory industrial factory floors for near 20 years now. I have yet to see an epoxy system hold up with any kind of abuse and wear. Yes they look great and work well in kitchens, labs, pedestrian hallways, and stuff like that but, if you truly want the best floor available then there is a way to do it. First layer is always a quality vapor/moisture barrier (especially in the northern climates), at least 5" of quality concrete spec'd for your location, as it is being finished apply a "shake" which is basically a surface hardener and will strengthen the top inch or so of the concrete. After the final finishing (I prefer a smooth "burned" finish) let it cure "wet" for at least 3 days. The slower concrete cures, the better it will be in the long run. After that, you can decide to stain it (endless color options) and seal or just seal it as is. My personal favorite is Super Diamond Clear from the EUCO chemical company, it gives the floor a wet look and is extremely durable. I use it for everything from exterior stamped concrete to interior acid stained and it always holds up well. The difference between acid staining and sealing vs an epoxy is that the sealer will permeate the concrete and actually bond in it while an epoxy is basically a fancy paint that will only stick to the top of the concrete. Once there is any moisture introduced to the concrete, there comes a chance of delamination between the epoxy and concrete and that is when things start to peel and flake off.

Existing concrete can be acid washed, stained to your liking, and sealed as well with the same type of product. Wash and prep existing floor with muriatic acid and make sure to rinse thoroughly to neutralize, decide if an acid stain is what you like and apply per directions. Let it dry thoroughly, and apply a high solids sealer from a real concrete supply center (not the home depot type do it yourself centers) and enjoy your new floor!

These are my thoughts and recommendations from my professional experience.
Click to expand...
doublekrossd said:
I've been placing factory industrial factory floors for near 20 years now. I have yet to see an epoxy system hold up with any kind of abuse and wear. Yes they look great and work well in kitchens, labs, pedestrian hallways, and stuff like that but, if you truly want the best floor available then there is a way to do it. First layer is always a quality vapor/moisture barrier (especially in the northern climates), at least 5" of quality concrete spec'd for your location, as it is being finished apply a "shake" which is basically a surface hardener and will strengthen the top inch or so of the concrete. After the final finishing (I prefer a smooth "burned" finish) let it cure "wet" for at least 3 days. The slower concrete cures, the better it will be in the long run. After that, you can decide to stain it (endless color options) and seal or just seal it as is. My personal favorite is Super Diamond Clear from the EUCO chemical company, it gives the floor a wet look and is extremely durable. I use it for everything from exterior stamped concrete to interior acid stained and it always holds up well. The difference between acid staining and sealing vs an epoxy is that the sealer will permeate the concrete and actually bond in it while an epoxy is basically a fancy paint that will only stick to the top of the concrete. Once there is any moisture introduced to the concrete, there comes a chance of delamination between the epoxy and concrete and that is when things start to peel and flake off.

Existing concrete can be acid washed, stained to your liking, and sealed as well with the same type of product. Wash and prep existing floor with muriatic acid and make sure to rinse thoroughly to neutralize, decide if an acid stain is what you like and apply per directions. Let it dry thoroughly, and apply a high solids sealer from a real concrete supply center (not the home depot type do it yourself centers) and enjoy your new floor!

These are my thoughts and recommendations from my professional experience.
Click to expand...
Great thread!!!
Building a new garage right now and being tired of nasty looking floors was going to ask this very question. I like your recommendation, the guy that did my floor really polished it up nice then I sprayed it down for a week so I think I'm on the right track. After talking to our local concrete supply store I think I'm going to stain the concrete and seal it. He's recommending Traz 25A as a sealer?

To many what it's with the epoxy for me.
Screenshot_20170321-112843.png
Screenshot_20170321-113657.png
 
Last edited:
Personally I've never used the Traz25. Reading the product description I think it'll be a good product. Sure sounds like your on the right track to me. Good luck! Post some pics when your done
 
You are on the right track ! Always talk to the guys who do it for a living or have vast experience with said product Good luck with your project !
 
doublekrossd; Thank you for taking the time to write up that very informative post. Much appreciated.
 
Hey no problem! Just trying to offer advice like so many others have given me countless times on here
 
Im not sure if someone mentioned this but I will NEVER mess with coatings again, just have it polished and if you want a color stain it. It will be there forever. Every floor I have had done we polished and stained, acid washed, and they held up great.

The only down fall to polishing is, it can be slippery, BUT the positives far outweigh that, if I spill outl I mop it up, anti freeze, coffee just mop it all up, I never use speedy dry, its a thing of the past.


 
Yep, polished floors are amazing although out of most peoples budget. That's why I prefer the hard trawled 'burned' finish. Kinda a poor mans polished effect.
 
Hard to tell from this picture since it's a small area and isn't sealed yet but this is a piece of my floor that I experimented with stain on. It will be getting tiled (bathroom) but makes it a good testing spot. I like the look so far.

20170402_154441.jpg
 
Hell yeah, that looks pretty cool. If you mess around with it, you can always do a texture as well. Put one even coat of stain on, let it dry, then put a second coat on with say a push broom and make arched patterns. When you wash and neutralize everything you'll end up with a subtle design. Good luck!
 
doublekrossd said:
Hell yeah, that looks pretty cool. If you mess around with it, you can always do a texture as well. Put one even coat of stain on, let it dry, then put a second coat on with say a push broom and make arched patterns. When you wash and neutralize everything you'll end up with a subtle design. Good luck!
Click to expand...
I'm going for a natural almost stone look, I'm using 2 colors in 2 different sprayers applying both at once so they flow into each other creating a more natural look.... or at least trying.

So if I'm not completely happy I can go back afterwards and hit it again with more stain?
 
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