First I would like to compliment everyone on this board for the knowledge and assistance they bring to the table. I have spent quite a few hours over the last few weeks reading and seeing what others have done and am very impressed.
That said, I bought a house this summer and now am in the process of moving into my first garage. I already spent some time painting and putting up a new wall and would like get something on the floor before going into winter. The garage will be a working garage; I plan on restoring a couple of garden tractors and will do some occasional fabrication work (mostly MIG welding and possibly running a plasma cutter). If space, time and money permit I may eventually get a lathe as well.
I inherited a 45 year old slab (12.5x25) that is in varying condition. Half of the floor is pretty smooth and clean. The other half has some pitting (most likely from road salt), rust stains, and remnants from some old paint. The attached pictures show everything after powerwashing.
Ideally, I would like a surface that is easy to clean, reflects a little light and has some resistance to spills. I like the look of epoxy but it by no means is a must-have for me. In fact, I have my concerns that it would not hold up well when welding. I very much like the look of stained concrete, and have considered a water-based stain followed by a densifier. I was hoping that I would then have the option to seal it with urethane or just leave it as is. However, I'm concerned with what I have things would become an ugly mess once a stain and clear goes on.
That said, what is my best option? Can I make what I have look nice by staining and sealing or am I better off covering it entirely? Will certain stains or colors hide better than others? Will grinding help to even out the rough areas or will it take out all the character I'm looking to get by staining?
Thanks for the help. I attached an overview pic; the large dark area is the area that has the most pitting and even when the floor is dry is usually much darker. Also attached are pictures of the large rust stains and the old paint. The camera made things a little more brown than in real life as well.
That said, I bought a house this summer and now am in the process of moving into my first garage. I already spent some time painting and putting up a new wall and would like get something on the floor before going into winter. The garage will be a working garage; I plan on restoring a couple of garden tractors and will do some occasional fabrication work (mostly MIG welding and possibly running a plasma cutter). If space, time and money permit I may eventually get a lathe as well.
I inherited a 45 year old slab (12.5x25) that is in varying condition. Half of the floor is pretty smooth and clean. The other half has some pitting (most likely from road salt), rust stains, and remnants from some old paint. The attached pictures show everything after powerwashing.
Ideally, I would like a surface that is easy to clean, reflects a little light and has some resistance to spills. I like the look of epoxy but it by no means is a must-have for me. In fact, I have my concerns that it would not hold up well when welding. I very much like the look of stained concrete, and have considered a water-based stain followed by a densifier. I was hoping that I would then have the option to seal it with urethane or just leave it as is. However, I'm concerned with what I have things would become an ugly mess once a stain and clear goes on.
That said, what is my best option? Can I make what I have look nice by staining and sealing or am I better off covering it entirely? Will certain stains or colors hide better than others? Will grinding help to even out the rough areas or will it take out all the character I'm looking to get by staining?
Thanks for the help. I attached an overview pic; the large dark area is the area that has the most pitting and even when the floor is dry is usually much darker. Also attached are pictures of the large rust stains and the old paint. The camera made things a little more brown than in real life as well.
