Cleaning up a dirty concrete slab floor?

Hello,

I'm posting for some advice on this concrete floor - it's a bit of a mess. The slab itself isn't TOO bad in terms of cracking, spalling, settling etc..., but it's obviously stained from 20 years of hard use.

I've been reading the forum for a few weeks to learn about various options and it seems like most folks opt for some kind of epoxy coating, racedeck type tiles or porcelain tiles - all nice options with pluses and minuses.

For me personally, I really like the look of concrete, especially when ground down so the aggregate shows a little... So my question is this: if I have someone grind the surface of this floor, can it be brought back to life? I'm assuming we'd put some kind of sealer over it afterwards. I don't need perfection - this is a shop, not a showroom, but I do want it to look nice.

I've also read a bit about topping slabs, but everything that is pre-existing in my brain says that a 1/4"-1" topping layer will do nothing but crack and chip. Are there some great topping slab products out there that'd do the trick too?

Thanks for the help,

Tom

TDabney said:

... So my question is this: if I have someone grind the surface of this floor, can it be brought back to life?

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I would start with a good old fashion cleaning ! Wet it down an area, sprinkle some dry laundry soap on it, scrub with a push broom and rinse.

Let dry at least 1 day (fans may be required) until it is fully dry, and then hit the bad spots with some full strength Greased Lightening or Drive Up. Scrub lightly but do NOT rinse. Let sit overnight. Rinse. Extremely stained spots may require a second treatment.


I think the "exposed aggregate" look requires additional aggregate to be added during the curing process.

Agreed a nice cleaning is a good start. I had a very similar mess on my garage floor and I pulled out the power washer but some of the stains were just too deep in the concrete. That is what a coat of epoxy is for. Definitely worth every penny and I'm even thinking about doing the same inside when I start on the basement remodeling.

Thanks for the advice, I will start with a good cleaning - something I can do this weekend. Is there a specific product that's the shiznit for cleaning that I can pick up at my local hardware store? Dried laundry detergent I can handle!

When people talk about epoxy coatings in garages, I've always assumed they are referring to a solid colored coating, or something solid with flakes in it. This is not the look I'm after - I like something more natural and mottled looking. Am I correct in that you can do a clear epoxy coating instead of one with color pigment? Or is there a better alternative to epoxy if you're after the clear look? Does a clear epoxy coating need something else on top of it?

My needs are probably similar to everyone else's - very durable, easy to clean, low maintenance, will stand up to weld splatter and heavy stuff on casters, nice looking etc...

I stole the attached photo from the website mentioned in the post above by Sam3251010 - as an example of the look I'm after. I like that it's not super shiny... more satin looking.

Thanks for the help!

Tom

TDabney said:

Am I correct in that you can do a clear epoxy coating instead of one with color pigment? Or is there a better alternative to epoxy if you're after the clear look?

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Clear epoxy is definitely an option, but the experts will tell you that none of the epoxies are truly "clear"... they have a slight amber/yellow tint to them that can eventually become more pronounced with long term exposure to UV rays. There are a number of options for durable clear coats, such as urethanes and polyaspartics, that might be more suitable for your purpose and possibly less prone to discoloration.

From your description of needs, it also sounds like you might be trying to achieve the look of highly polished concrete, which achieves its glossy/satin properties through a process of mechanically grinding with finer and finer grits of diamonds. The consensus here seems to be that achieving this result (which you might see in a big box store or other warehouse-style retail establishment) is fairly expensive and might require regular maintenance beyond what you are willing to do; they are stellar floors but aren't practical for small scale operations. I can't really comment intelligently on this option any further, but you can search the forum for more info as it has definitely been discussed.

My needs are probably similar to everyone else's - very durable, easy to clean, low maintenance, will stand up to weld splatter and heavy stuff on casters, nice looking etc...

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It's this requirement that you state -- the part about resisting weld spatter -- that I bet is going to cause you the most trouble when looking at thin film topical coatings. I'm sure some of the experts here can comment further, but you might want to elaborate on what you are expecting and whether you are willing to use additional protection (blankets, etc.) on the specific areas of your floor that would be exposed to welding debris.

After the first cleaning and drying, use "Grease Lightening" or "DriveUp" straight, not diluted on the bad spots. Spray/pour it on, scrub in a little and let sit overnight. Rinse. Let dry. Repeat.

This process gets out deep oil stains.