Basement floor advice

[tjeick]

Hi all,

The wife and I are looking into epoxying the basement. Motivation is that the cats have missed the litter box when we have missed a cleaning, as well as aesthetics. Hoping to seal the stink so it doesn’t come back when the heat and humidity come in summertime.

Priority is not necessarily durability (just a basement) but longevity. We are planning to sell the house in 5-7 years so I want prospective buyers to come in and say “wow this floor looks really nice and also doesn’t smell like cat pee.”

Grinding or acid etch? I know this question has been beat to death in many threads. Is it safe if no one is home while the acid etch is happening? How can we dispose of the acid afterwords? Or is grinding totally necessary for a long lasting finish?

The house is 50 years old and I think the basement floor may be sealed to some extent. I poured a little water on it and it didn’t seem to soak in. It formed a bead and stayed there for several minutes as I walked around and took pictures. One part of the basement seems to have had carpet glued down as well. There are some long, thin cracks and a couple small-ish craters.

I’m also stuck between a 100% solids epoxy or a polyurea. Do I really need primer? I understand it becomes more necessary if I grind to soak into the more exposed pores. I don’t think I will do a top coat since it won’t see very much abuse or UV.

Thanks for any and all thoughts.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Etching is ok, look at products like Eco-Etch, much less vapors than muriatic.
Our own HD357 Etch, is a similar chemistry, less vapors but still effective.

No primer? Read this: http://blog.legacyindustrial.net/2020/03/polyurea-garage-kit-and-do-i-really.html

In a basement, consider LOW VOC Options. The solvent based products will travel into your living space and the occupants will be unhappy.

From our stable...
SD-Epoxy, SD-Clearview Epoxy, Metallic Epoxy Kit, SEC Sealer, Standard Epoxy Primer/Coating....

There are other options out there too, so do some searches.

Good luck!

 

[Shea]

Regarding the odor you are trying to get rid of, I suggest you read this article here: https://allgaragefloors.com/remove-pet-urine-odors-from-concrete/

The steps outlined have proven to work very well in most cases and is recommended before you seal with a coating. It also includes sealing the odor with a coating as you are wanting to do.

 

[tjeick]

Thanks for your input guys!

Shea I’ve been all over your site but I hadn’t seen that post yet. We will have to do that before we seal, but another chief concern for me is that the any coating we choose will be able to stand up to the cat pee. I’m assuming that a good polyurea or epoxy will seal the concrete from absorbing any more of the smell and allow for easier clean-up in case of more accidents?

 

[NORDFORD]

If you are ok with cats peeing in your house, you’ll always have a problem. Get rid of the offending cat(s). The smell goes away for you because you’re used to it. Anybody new will smell it right away. Second, does the basement floor ever sweat? In the spring during humid times, etc? If yes, it will pop the epoxy off. The best floors for epoxy have a vapor barrier under them.

 

[tjeick]

We are working on the problem cat. Moving litter boxes, trying an automated scooper, etc. Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind to throw him outside, but I am too soft. I still ponder it sometimes, we'll see if he can get it together or if he will out-pee my patience.

When it is very humid, the concrete remains dry. No sweat that I've ever noticed. I am down there barefoot frequently enough that I would probably notice.

 

[WeAreGarageGuys]

Something simple to consider....

I know grinding is more costly and labor intensive, but think about the potential outcomes. If you acid etch, sure you may have saved yourself time and money, but what if 2 years before you go to sell the house, the flooring is peeling up? Now your in a worse place than where you started. The only thing worse looking than bare concrete, is peeling epoxy.

I say grind it, do it right, have the peace of mind. Get fancy with it too, you may as well try and add some value if your intentions are to sell in the future. It may not add actual cash value to your house, but it sure could add perceived value to certain types of buyers!

 

[kngelv]

We are working on the problem cat. Moving litter boxes, trying an automated scooper, etc. Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind to throw him outside, but I am too soft. I still ponder it sometimes, we'll see if he can get it together or if he will out-pee my patience.

When it is very humid, the concrete remains dry. No sweat that I've ever noticed. I am down there barefoot frequently enough that I would probably notice.

My ex had a foster cat that ruined my finished basement floor. Finally found a litter that ended his issues. It's called Cat Attract. Never peed in the house again.

James

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Here is a recent floor done by our customer in VA. No prior experience with coatings at all.




Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[WeAreGarageGuys]

Wow nice job for first time!

 

[Garage Flooring]

Hi all,

The wife and I are looking into epoxying the basement. Motivation is that the cats have missed the litter box when we have missed a cleaning, as well as aesthetics. Hoping to seal the stink so it doesn’t come back when the heat and humidity come in summertime.

Priority is not necessarily durability (just a basement) but longevity. We are planning to sell the house in 5-7 years so I want prospective buyers to come in and say “wow this floor looks really nice and also doesn’t smell like cat pee.”

Grinding or acid etch? I know this question has been beat to death in many threads. Is it safe if no one is home while the acid etch is happening? How can we dispose of the acid afterwords? Or is grinding totally necessary for a long lasting finish?

The house is 50 years old and I think the basement floor may be sealed to some extent. I poured a little water on it and it didn’t seem to soak in. It formed a bead and stayed there for several minutes as I walked around and took pictures. One part of the basement seems to have had carpet glued down as well. There are some long, thin cracks and a couple small-ish craters.

I’m also stuck between a 100% solids epoxy or a polyurea. Do I really need a primer? I understand it becomes more necessary if I grind to soak into the more exposed pores. I don’t think I will do a top coat since it won’t see very much abuse or UV.

Thanks for any and all thoughts.

Polyura also has a very strong odor. I strongly encourage people to keep that in mind before doing the basement floors.

Several years ago, my then-girlfriend, now wife, had renters in her garage and they allowed their cats to pee all over it. Of all things, Kilz covered it up and sealed it in.

Scotty, as always raises good points on prep, if you decide to go epoxy or poly.

 

[u2slow]

Few homes are built with such good drainage that zero moisture wicks up through the concrete. Epoxy will lift if this happens. It usually goes on thick, and you get hard, sharp, broken edges when it fails.

The house I grew up in, my Dad just used a concrete-compatible deck/floor paint. Redo the high-traffic or hard-use areas as needed.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Few homes are built with such good drainage that zero moisture wicks up through the concrete. Epoxy will lift if this happens. It usually goes on thick, and you get hard, sharp, broken edges when it fails.

The house I grew up in, my Dad just used a concrete-compatible deck/floor paint. Redo the high-traffic or hard-use areas as needed.

It's true that hydrostatic pressure is a key reason that coatings can fail and it's also true that it is more likely to be an issue sub-grade. We would always suggest testing before coating.

 

[tjeick]

Few homes are built with such good drainage that zero moisture wicks up through the concrete. Epoxy will lift if this happens. It usually goes on thick, and you get hard, sharp, broken edges when it fails.

The house I grew up in, my Dad just used a concrete-compatible deck/floor paint. Redo the high-traffic or hard-use areas as needed.

Thanks for the input! I started with a plastic sheet taped down to my floor yesterday afternoon.

My wife and I are reconsidering going balls-out on this project. She brought up a deck typed option as well. It seems much lower stakes to think the worst that could happen is the paint will wear out in some places, instead of chipping up.

What does the prep work look like for that kind of coating? similar?

Someone highe rup also mentioned using KILZ to get rid of the cat pee smell. Can you elaborate on what kind specifically?

 

[tjeick]

We decided to go with an acid etch because of the pandemic. We have a 10-month old baby so grinding with just the two of us would be impossible. No help from in-laws means we had to compromise to get it done before my wife starts residency in June.

Because we only acid etched, I felt it would be safer to use a water-based that would have an easier time soaking into the concrete. We went with the rustoleum basement stuff and I was able to convince my wife to do 2 coats (it is her project so I have to make input carefully lol).

About a third is done right now. We are going in stages to make it more manageable and avoid moving all the storage out of the basement. Will update with pictures when my wife sends them over. She is down there right now cleaning up areas that are already painted before we continue with the rest.

 

[TXBDan]

Looks good. How's it been holding up? Im considering the same product.

 

[tjeick]

It’s working out ok. While moving stuff around to finish, the fully cured epoxy scuffed quite easily. Doesn’t seem too durable to me. But it isn’t doing anything undesirable otherwise! I think the real test will be if it holds up in 5 years.

The grip it provides is a bit better than the bare concrete, and it certainly is much better aesthetically.

 

[TXBDan]

Interesting. Good to know. Did it scratch through the epoxy or just scuff the sort of glossy finish? I'll have big metal shelving down there, typical wood working tools. Not super high use or heavy duty, but it'd **** to have to consciously be careful all the time.

Is Rustoleum's similar Garage Floor product heavier duty? I'd guess so.