Epoxy for Aircraft Hangar Floor

[mmesa005]

Hello All,

I live on an airpark and want to epoxy paint my hangar / garage floors. I am looking for those who have come before me and painted their aircraft hangar floors. What products did you use / recommend?

I did speak to Christine at Epoxy-Coat and the product she represents sounds like it will do the job. I would like to get some first hand experience before ordering any product.

Thanks in advance!

mmesa005

 

[Edger]

There are a few other suppliers on this forum too if you want to ask any others, a hanger would be no different to a garage floor, as long as you do a good job with the preparation. You should look at other hangers and check the anti slip nature of the floors when they are wet by asking for actual experiences by the owners when their planes are towed inside.

 

[mmesa005]

Edger,

Thank you for the quick reply! I have used epoxy before on garage floors but not hangar floors. I do know the need to be careful when they are wet as they get slippery! I am thinking of using a light covering of chips to add to traction control.

I know products have evolved since my last floor coating (@ 7 years) so I want to see what else is out there and what others are experiencing.

Thanks!

 

[thegarageguy]

I do know the need to be careful when they are wet as they get slippery! I am thinking of using a light covering of chips to add to traction control.

[/QUOTE /n]


Don't use chips for non slip, try mixing Sherwin Williams Shark grip into your polyurethane top coat. The texture is perfect, no sharp edges, cleans very well. Will not work in epoxy, too fine.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

We always recommend a urethane top-coat in a hangar, as Garage Guy mentioned.
Our HD-356VOC works well with most epoxy coatings and we have an alternative to "shark grip" called Soft-Skid, similar technology.

Link:
http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/hd356voc-urethane-sealer-1-gal-p-179.html

Good luck.

 

[mmesa005]

Thanks to Garage Guy and Scotty - I did read that Sherwin Williams has their own product but I did not know about Shark Grip.

What do you recommend for floor preparation - cleaning, handling oil spots, etc? Do you etch the floor or diamond grind?

Thanks!

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Thanks to Garage Guy and Scotty - I did read that Sherwin Williams has their own product but I did not know about Shark Grip.

What do you recommend for floor preparation - cleaning, handling oil spots, etc? Do you etch the floor or diamond grind?

Thanks!

If the floor is unsealed the acid etch will cost you the least in labor.
However, if it is, you will have to grind. There are a ton of cleaners on the market for oil spots. It may take a few passes to get them out.

Some of the GJ members have some nifty oil remedies. You can do a search or perhaps someone will share what they like to use.

 

[mmesa005]

Thanks again for the tips. I will do some searching in the archives regarding oil spot cleanup and coverage.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Of course make sure that the coating has good resistance to the various fluids you might find in hangers, hydraulic fluids, Avgas, Jet-A!, Jet-B etc.

We had another DIY hanger that took a few photos, I'll see if I can find 'em.

 

[thegarageguy]

For proper penetration of high solids epoxy you must diamond grind. Depending on how oil saturated your slab is, you can spot treat some areas with laquer thinner or my favorite poultice. For large spaces, use a good degreaser cleaner with an auto scrubber. Use some water and check for absorption and make sure you get no water beading. as Fred says, make sure the polyurethane is rated for high chemical resistance. Good luck

 

[mmesa005]

Thank you again for the great and much appreciated advice!

 

[u230148]

I also live on an airpark, and I painted my hangar floor a couple of months ago with Wolverine.

Here's a link to the thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103273

In the past two months I've drug floor jacks and engine stands across it, dumped used oil on it, spilled gasoline on it, and even hammered out some u-joints on the floor, and so far I have not found anything that will even scratch it. The floor is not slippery at all, I believe because of the fairly heavy chip broadcast which provides a lot of texture.

 

[mmesa005]

U230148,

Your floor looks great! I have about 2400 square feet so close in size for my project. From what I have read grinding the floor provides the best preparation vs. etching it. I need to investigate renting a floor grinder. Did you use / rent a large grinder and how much would you say use used in materials to complete the grinding portion of the job?

Thanks again!

mmesa005

 

[AlphaGarage]

I also live on an airpark, and I painted my hangar floor a couple of months ago with Wolverine.

Here's a link to the thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103273

In the past two months I've drug floor jacks and engine stands across it, dumped used oil on it, spilled gasoline on it, and even hammered out some u-joints on the floor, and so far I have not found anything that will even scratch it. The floor is not slippery at all, I believe because of the fairly heavy chip broadcast which provides a lot of texture.

Thanks for the endorsement! I should mention that u230148 is the official recipient of our "Single Seater Solo DIY Pilot" award - he coated that entire hanger floor by himself!

BTW his materials were BondTite 1101 (6.75 gallons), LiquaTile 1184 (15 gallons), both 100% solids epoxies, and a clear coat of EnduraShield 2254 (6 gallons) - a polyurethane. The final cured thickness of the coating system is around 23.3 mils (not factoring in waste or DecoFlakes).

U230148,

Your floor looks great! I have about 2400 square feet so close in size for my project. From what I have read grinding the floor provides the best preparation vs. etching it. I need to investigate renting a floor grinder. Did you use / rent a large grinder and how much would you say use used in materials to complete the grinding portion of the job?

Thanks again!

mmesa005

Walk behind grinders come in various sizes from around 12 to 28 inches, there are both single and dual head ones, propane, gas, electric etc. A common rental model is the Edco Dual head at 22". Besides machine specs prices also vary greatly, the 22" goes anywhere from around $140 to $240 /day or so.

Call local tool rent yards and let them know what you need to do, whether or not you need to remove any existing coatings, etc., they should be able to steer you to the right equip. Mention that you'd like the final floor to have the texture of 120 grit sandpaper or close to that.

 

[mmesa005]

How may I obain a quote for your products? My hangar, garage, workshop total 2400 Sq'?

I am located in Northern California, 95682.

Thanks!

mmesa005

 

[AlphaGarage]

Check you mailbox - you got a PM.

 

[flybefree]

I didn't know there were so many hangar/garages out there on the forum.

I will say that I am not 100% certain on which floor covering I will go with...I have epoxy in my garage (500 sqft) and I really like it, but man it was a lot of work getting the slab ready and in the end there was a noticable difference in the "glossiness" of the two areas where I used different cans. I did use the cheap-o quikrete version which if I had known better I would NOT have done...would of tried one of the systems I read about here instead.

 

[tncatadjuster]

http://www.acepoxy.com/acepoxy.com/Aircraft_Floors.html

I like the smooth clean look.

 

[mmesa005]

You will notice a difference in sheen if you don't have the proper mixing equipment when you combine parts A and B of the epoxy. I am certain others will chime in here but you may have noticed painters and other tradespeople using powerful drills with mixing attachments. You need something like that in order to ensure you get a good epoxy mix.

At least that was my experience.

 

[flybefree]

Yeah...I pretty much shanked it the first time out...I take full responsibility for how it came out. I agree, that glossy look is just so darn ****....

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Too much speed can trap air in 100% solids epoxy. If this air is not released properly it can cause bubbles in the coating. The sheen you get is a direct result of the type of product you use and how thick it is applied.