Best floor coating for a metal shop?

[Lu-Max]

I am about to close on what will most likely be my 'retirement home' (I'm 50+), which includes both an attached 2-car garage and a detached 2 1/2-car shop that will be my metal fabrication shop, it even has an office and toilet in it! The bare concrete floor is in excellent condition; no oil stains, cracks, or evidence of spills or other damage. As I mentioned this will primarily be my metal fab shop with lots of welding (MIG & TIG), plasma cutting, grinding (ya I make mistakes sometimes), and some milling going on. It won't ever have an expensive sports car or motorcycle parked inside of it, it will be a working (hobby) shop.

Although some of the floor images and tiles I've seen in this forum are really incredible, beautiful actually, I think the spatter from my welders, grinders, torch, and plasma cutter wouldn't treat them very well.

I own a very nice respirator & goggles so I am not concerned about dealing with fumes from any coatings. Also this shop already has a powered vent system in the roof which will quickly dissipate any potential build-up of fumes.

1. I plan to keep reading lots of threads on this forum, great info here, but I was curious as to what floor coating you would recommend for a metal fab shop?

I would prefer to use a lighter color to keep the shop bright inside, & I will most likely use the same floor coating for the other garage (there won't be any fancy cars or toys in that one either probably).

2. Years ago my ex-brother-in-law had a very fancy garage floor which seemed kinda thick and had a really nice speckled beige finish to it, he said that it was applied as a "slurry". I haven't found anything like it mentioned here yet, but I remember him mentioning how tuff it was. The road salt/gravel from the MN winters wiped right off of it according to him. Any idea what the product might be?

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[xtremek]

If and when I win the lotto, I'd like to coat my floors and I have similar usage. If you don't mind, I'm going to follow along.

 

[Lu-Max]

Welcome. Oh, and I promise to post photos of the process so everyone else can benefit from what I learn and the help that is offered also.

 

[xtremek]

Anybody going to help us out? Is anyone out there?

 

[tncatadjuster]

Use the search button, welding and coatings do not mix. I weld a lot and have epoxy flooring due to the fact I own a flooring company. I have never had much of an issue, but most say not to do it.

Good luck many threads bring up this topic, so you should find plenty to read.

 

[gt1guy]

Lu-Max,
What did you end up doing? I'm about to have 4000sq/ft of the same problem. I've just started searching and reading here.

Kevin

 

[Lu-Max]

Nothing yet, but on the floor of my welding shop I will be installing wall-to-wall full-body porcelain tile. I have too many projects ahead of this one, so you will have to wait until I have time to remodel my shop. FYI: Might be a few months or longer.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Densifier or porcelain tile would get my vote .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Garage Flooring]

I am about to close on what will most likely be my 'retirement home' (I'm 50+), which includes both an attached 2-car garage and a detached 2 1/2-car shop that will be my metal fabrication shop, it even has an office and toilet in it! The bare concrete floor is in excellent condition; no oil stains, cracks, or evidence of spills or other damage. As I mentioned this will primarily be my metal fab shop with lots of welding (MIG & TIG), plasma cutting, grinding (ya I make mistakes sometimes), and some milling going on. It won't ever have an expensive sports car or motorcycle parked inside of it, it will be a working (hobby) shop.

Although some of the floor images and tiles I've seen in this forum are really incredible, beautiful actually, I think the spatter from my welders, grinders, torch, and plasma cutter wouldn't treat them very well.

I own a very nice respirator & goggles so I am not concerned about dealing with fumes from any coatings. Also this shop already has a powered vent system in the roof which will quickly dissipate any potential build-up of fumes.

1. I plan to keep reading lots of threads on this forum, great info here, but I was curious as to what floor coating you would recommend for a metal fab shop?

I would prefer to use a lighter color to keep the shop bright inside, & I will most likely use the same floor coating for the other garage (there won't be any fancy cars or toys in that one either probably).

2. Years ago my ex-brother-in-law had a very fancy garage floor which seemed kinda thick and had a really nice speckled beige finish to it, he said that it was applied as a "slurry". I haven't found anything like it mentioned here yet, but I remember him mentioning how tuff it was. The road salt/gravel from the MN winters wiped right off of it according to him. Any idea what the product might be?

Thanks everyone for your help.

I apologize for the late reply, I took a few days off for the holiday

I agree with some of the suggestions here. I would either do a porcelain tile floor, or I would do a densifier followed by a good concrete conditioner such as TL40 (currently on back order) or another (more expensive option) would be a good densifer (TL37) followed by two coats of Siloxa-Tek 8505. They now offer a 100 year manufacturers warranty on that product.

 

[astroracer]

My question is... What will a floor covering do that the bare concrete won't? Peel and chip and break when you drop a 45lb weldment on it?
I'll be the devil's advocate here and say leave it bare and don't worry about it. I have said before, are you going to work in your shop or just stand around hoping the coating doesn't peel? Save the money, time AND aggravation after the fact...
Mark

 

[Garage Flooring]

My question is... What will a floor covering do that the bare concrete won't? Peel and chip and break when you drop a 45lb weldment on it?
I'll be the devil's advocate here and say leave it bare and don't worry about it. I have said before, are you going to work in your shop or just stand around hoping the coating doesn't peel? Save the money, time AND aggravation after the fact...
Mark

For all intensive purposes, a densifier and conditioner is leaving it as bare concrete. The densifier will chemically harden the concrete, make it more abrasion resistant and reduce dusting while the conditioner repels water, oil and chemicals that can stain the floor.

In an application like this where welding is a concern, its a great way to protect the concrete without coating it.

 

[Lu-Max]

And porcelain is tougher than concrete. If I somehow manage to break or crack a piece, I can chip it out and replace it. This is also my home shop, not a business, so as part of my home I want it to look good also.