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Thread: Need Recommendations for Shop Floor

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Williamsburg, Virginia
    Posts
    112

    Need Recommendations for Shop Floor

    We are nearing complete a major basement project which includes a 33’x 18’ air conditioned shop. The turn key contract with the contractor calls for an epoxy painted floor. The painter came by this morning to look over the scope of his painting and told me he couldn’t do an epoxy floor as there isn’t a drain in the floor that he needs after acid cleaning the floor for prep. Also he said the base molding is touching the floor and he doesn’t want to get the molding wet. He is going to discuss options with the builder but he’s leaning towards recommending an enamel floor paint.
    I was going to select a light gray epoxy paint and I’m not too happy with using enamel so I’m thinking perhaps just cleaning the floor or possibly sanding the floor to clean up the wallboard mud. The floor is smooth and has a few expansion joints but I think my mobile equipment will move around just fine. The adjacent rooms will have 1/2” engineered flooring separated from the shop with a door and transition strip. I have also given some thought to some possibly have the contractor install some “inexpensive “ engineered flooring (close out or overrun). I have a source for some flooring that is less than $2/sq ft.
    I’m looking for suggestions - clean the concrete and pocket a credit from the epoxy painting or apply the credit towards some engineered or other flooring material. FYI - I have a lot of the interlocking foam squares that I’ll place around all work stations. I’ll try to attach some photos. Suggestions are welcomed!

    9FC48B67-6B74-4851-9F61-C81120FDB89B.jpeg A5E5BDF8-E794-437B-B53B-9B29A54B2D06.jpeg F25618E3-E89E-48E0-8C01-890993B76E52.jpeg
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]If you first don't succeed, TRY, TRY AGAIN...

  2. #2
    I would clean the floor and leave concrete.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    olmsted falls,ohio
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    485
    I agree with Bryan .paint will chip.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    NE OH
    Posts
    2,615
    I would at least seal it with something. Unsealed concrete will always be dusty, and sealing it also makes it easier to sweep "stuff" up. When one of the engineering companies I worked for moved into a new space, they sealed the concrete floors in the manufacturing area with common oil based poly and it worked great for the 10 years or so I was there. But I think there are more cost effective sealers for concrete that work just as well.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Mesa, Arizona
    Posts
    1,798
    Don -- Consider acid staining the floor. You've probably seen acid stained concrete floors in restaurants and high-end retail spaces. The acid in the stain reacts with minerals in the concrete, producing a variety of colors -- generally tans, browns, and reds, depending on what's in the concrete and the kind of tint (if any) in the stain. Properly done, it looks like natural stone. It also has a mottled appearance that helps hide dirt, dings, and scratches. Once stained, the concrete is usually sealed. It's a durable finish, but it can be chipped. When that happens, you can ignore it or you can simply color the gray concrete with a couple of colors of magic marker.

    You'd probably want to remove the baseboards. But, you can apply the stain yourself. It's not difficult nor is it expensive. I'm NOT saying its cheap, but it's less than epoxy.
    David Walser
    Mesa, Arizona

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,688
    Clean it up and see if you like it as-is. You'll be needing anti-fatigue mats for a concrete floor anyway. For greater comfort, you could install the lock together sub-floor panels and leave them "clear" or put inexpensive strip flooring on top. That would be much more comfortable than the concrete.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Okotoks AB
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    If I can't have a wood floor (I can't), then my preference is for bare concrete without too smooth a finish (which I have). Anything that's too smooth gets super slick with a light layer of sawdust on it. Any kind of floor covering will also be an ongoing maintenance thing.

    I don't bother with any kind of mats for comfort. That's what good shoes are for.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    N CA
    Posts
    1,279
    I used a product called Rustbullet. I sourced it from Justin Krause at Garage Flooring in CO. I did the job myself and it came out great. Yes it will chip if I drop something heavy, but it is a shop floor and I do not baby it. I'm still please with it 5 yrs on.
    If you still want the epoxy why not speak with your contractor and have him core drill a 3" or so hole. Us it as the drain for the epoxy application and then epoxy the core back in afterwards.
    I would at least seal the concrete. It will keep dust down and makes it easier to sweep/vacuum.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Fairbanks, Alaska
    Posts
    158
    Don-you don’t have to get the floor wet to use epoxy. Go to Home Depot and rent a floor buffer with their floor coating prep diamond grinder disk. Sand the areas you cannot reach with a palm sander and 60-80 grit. Then vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. (Be sure to wear a respirator when grinding/sanding.). I did this for my garage and shop floors 3 years ago. Then used epoxy in the garage and polycuramine in the shop. Both adhered perfectly.
    Cheers
    Sean

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
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    271
    Don, check out the flooring forum on garage journal. There are a bunch of vendors and manufacturers there that can give you a better idea on what can or cannot be done. Good luck

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
    Posts
    3,655
    Buy your painter a wet/dry vac so he doesn't need a floor drain. What a lame excuse! Sure a drain would be nice, but most newer construction won't have them (against code in our neck of the woods). When I did mine I got in there with a hose, the carbide scraper on a floor polisher to take off old paint, then scrub brush, with the waste all sucked up in a 15 gal wet/dry vac. Worked fine, a bit more work, of course, that you'll probably have to pay for.

    Take the baseboards off to avoid damaging them.

    That said, it's hard to beat a wood floor for a shop.

  12. #12
    Acid etch used to be the standard surface prep for floor coatings. It is not recommended anymore.

    Here is one company’s recommendation.
    https://www.florock.net/wp-content/u...on_9-12-17.pdf
    Same company’s argument against acid etch
    https://www.florock.net/2018/02/acid...e-prep-method/

    I have solid oak flooring on the shop floor. My heaviest tools which are on wheels leave tracks in the wood. I have concrete in the basement. I want epoxy there to eliminate concrete dust, but I am holding off on most contractors for awhile.

  13. #13
    I did white epoxy coated floors for my first shop. They yellowed slightly over time. They will inevitably chip over time, either by dropping heavy clamps, sliding machinery, etc. They still eventually got stained too.

    In my new shop I rented a concrete polisher, and polished them very similar to what you find in Home Depot, Lowes, etc. and then sealed them. I think I went up to 1200 grit with the diamond pads they included. They look great, sweep super easily, no dust. Only problem is they do react to acid (i.e. vinegar) so be careful, but other than that it's much easier than epoxy and much more durable over time.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
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    Dricore subfloor? Warmer, and if you drop your chisel or plane, less likely to do major damage...

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    The old pueblo in el norte.
    Posts
    1,846
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike King View Post
    Dricore subfloor? Warmer, and if you drop your chisel or plane, less likely to do major damage...
    I've been giving this serious consideration for the section of my shop that my bench is in. Actually, I think it's a done deal. I just need to figure out how to transition it nicely.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

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