Inexpensive coating that will take abuse (welding)?

[JeepFreak21]

Hey guys,

I've been lurking here for a while and I've read a bunch of threads, but this floor coating thing has my head spinning!

The wife just bought me a new garage, it was built in 2003 and it's 1400 sq ft. The floor looks to be untreated concrete and it's got some oil stains that I have not tried to remove. What I'm looking for is something that will make cleaning up spills easier and if it was easier to sweep up dust and dirt that would be a bonus. It will definitely see abuse (welding, cutting, jack stands, dropped tools, etc) and I'm not looking for miracles, just the best option.

I'm really trying to keep this on the cheap since we just dropped a bucket of money on the garage (and house above it)... is a concrete sealer what I want? How is the "Seal-Krete Epoxy Seal" (which isn't really epoxy, right?) at my local home improvement store?

Finally, looks/style is far down the priority list here, but if I wanted to stain the concrete before sealing it, how will that effect things? Can I use iron sulfate on an older slab? Can I use commercially available concrete stain on an older slab? Will either hold up to welding (and by "hold up", I mean "not look worse than it would if the product wasn't there")?

Thanks a bunch!
Billy

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Billy. Nothing cheap is usually good especially with floors.
If I were you I would clean the stains, densify the floor and save the extra money for some more Jeep parts.

 

[Ultimate Floors by Rhino]

There isn't a coating out yet that will handle the 1000* welding splatter and not have burn marks.

 

[dcs Inc]

Sure there is..... It's called unobtainium. gene (daily chuckle)

 

[IDASHO]

Grind it.

Its really the only option for serious fab work. Cost some serious $$ though.

 

[Ultimate Floors by Rhino]

Sure there is..... It's called unobtainium. gene (daily chuckle)

thats true, it does have a melting point over 2000*C.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Kroger & other stores aren't putting vinyl tile down anymore they are polishing the concrete & some are staining it too. I think it looks good & it's easy to clean up & since it's so slick it's not as porous & I don't think it's as easy for the floors to be stained by stuff once it's been waxed or something. Just wipe or mop up your spills. & it's very easy to just run a dust mop over your floor v/s sweep with a broom.

 

[JeepFreak21]

Billy. Nothing cheap is usually good especially with floors.
If I were you I would clean the stains, densify the floor and save the extra money for some more Jeep parts.

Thanks for the reply and for the candor! That's a tough plan to argue with!
Billy

 

[JeepFreak21]

There isn't a coating out yet that will handle the 1000* welding splatter and not have burn marks.

I don't want something that will not show a mark, just something that won't look WORSE than bare concrete after welding. That might be what you meant too... just clarifying.
Thanks for the reply!
Billy

 

[taumac]

I have a expy floor its not water based but solvent based and its held up of. I can usually get most of burn marks off with that purple power you get at auto parts store. A contracter put it in so dont know exactly but said it was similiar to the stuff in Home depot just that theres is water based and mine is solvent from what I was told.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

I'll break it down a little further as I weld from time to time.
If you mig weld and keep it on a table, far from the ground you probably won't have much issue at all. Mig creates little splatter.

Tig, even less.

Stick: This is a splatter making machine and you should use a welding blanket or shield over a coated floor.

Oxy-Acetylene: Hot dripping slag will do a number on any coating, driveway, garage floor etc... Make sure you have protection when using a torch.