Cleaning epoxy flooring

[B&H]

I own an auto repair shop. 4 bays have epoxy-coated flooring. 2 of those 4 bays were coated 15 years ago with an unknown brand (I can't remember), and the other 2 bays in an addition were coated 10 years ago with Stonhard.

We are looking to have the 15-year old epoxy redone with Stongard. The problem we have is cleaning them. Because of the pores or texture for traction, getting all or most of the dirt and oil residue out is impossible. We tried and used products such as Purple Power and Super Clean, and are currently using a locally-made similar product but they just don't clean as well as I would like. We've used muriatic acid once a year with a floor buffing machine, and that does well except for it's taken the "sheen" off of the coating on both types of epoxy, and it causes subsequent cleaning to be more difficult as well as the dirt to stick faster.

The Stonhard rep didn't have any different ideas. I suppose I can ask if they can back-off the texture a bit.

Does anyone have any ideas? A different product, or a clear coat, or???

 

[HoustonGarageFloors]

I assume you're concerned about adhesion to the epoxy. If this is the case then have you thought about just grinding through it, and then patching it to make it level before you do your system on top?

 

[B&H]

Maybe I wasn't clear. Moving forward after getting the floor re-done, I am wondering what the best way to keep it clean is.

 

[Notgrownup]

A good cleaner degreaser is key. Talk to a local floor cleaning place to see if they sell a cleaner degreaser like Spartan Chemical SC200 but check with the manufacturer of the product they sell like ZEP, Buckey, Diversey ,Spartan Etc. if you can swing a small walk behind auto scrubber would help you With a mild abrasive scrub brush on it.

 

[B&H]

A good cleaner degreaser is key. Talk to a local floor cleaning place to see if they sell a cleaner degreaser like Spartan Chemical SC200 but check with the manufacturer of the product they sell like ZEP, Buckey, Diversey ,Spartan Etc. if you can swing a small walk behind auto scrubber would help you With a mild abrasive scrub brush on it.

Talking to a floor cleaning company sounds like a good idea. We use an old floor swing buffer w/ 3M pads on it twice per year, but we also clean the floors by spraying on you-name-it and scrubbing with brooms at least once per week and usually more. This is what I'm trying to improve upon - the effectiveness of a cleaner or somehow figuring out a less "tractive" type finish on a floor re-coating that won't be slippery.

Looking at the SDS for SC200, it's caustic based, which is what most cleaners are nowadays and is what we use on a regular basis. Although acid technically isn't a cleaner, muriatic acid works well in conjunction with the buffer and 3m pads, but it takes the nice shine off of the floor and causes dirt and oils to stick faster directly after. What really worked best many decades ago was a petroleum-based solvent/cleaner. However, those are long gone for obvious reasons.

 

[B&H]

The first 2 pictures are 10-YO Stonhard. The dirt and grease against the wall is what we typically fight for cleaning, and it is throughout the floor but not nearly as bad. The 3rd picture is from brand-X epoxy , coated 15 years ago and what we want to re-do. It chips easier than Stongard and is harder to clean. The bay passed the Subaru is the worst.

 

[Notgrownup]

We use the sc200 in nursing home kitchens, but it’s more animal based fats. SC200 might not be the best. We also use Sure step for cleaning and it helps grip

 

[B&H]

Here's an update. Trying different cleaners on my old flooring turned out to be a fool's errand. I bit the bullet and had Stonhard come in and grind, patch, prime and re-coat my floors with one of their epoxies. We backed-off the traction grit a little for easier cleaning. It was amazing how fast they got things done. They started on a Saturday morning and were done around noon on Sunday. 4 bays, approximately 2700 square ft. We were back to work on Monday morning without any downtime except for moving stuff out and back in. Their crew and equipment made short work of the job.

Several months later, the only floor cleaner we are using is the orange Dawn HD floor cleaner soap. We spray it on with a garden spray mixed with water, mist with water, scrub with a broom, rinse and squeegee. So far so good. There is no signs yet of stuff sticking in the pores like before.

 

[JessieAMorris]

I was really impressed with Stonhard too. I went with them for a urethane concrete product in my butcher shop. We are hard on the floor, pressure wash with hot water daily, use light acid based degreaser, etc. similarly, they came in and knocked out the floor in a weekend including grinding, cove, and floor. Ours is a very textured product to help with traction.

 

[KYCountryboy]

Talking to a floor cleaning company sounds like a good idea. We use an old floor swing buffer w/ 3M pads on it twice per year, but we also clean the floors by spraying on you-name-it and scrubbing with brooms at least once per week and usually more. This is what I'm trying to improve upon - the effectiveness of a cleaner or somehow figuring out a less "tractive" type finish on a floor re-coating that won't be slippery.

Looking at the SDS for SC200, it's caustic based, which is what most cleaners are nowadays and is what we use on a regular basis. Although acid technically isn't a cleaner, muriatic acid works well in conjunction with the buffer and 3m pads, but it takes the nice shine off of the floor and causes dirt and oils to stick faster directly after. What really worked best many decades ago was a petroleum-based solvent/cleaner. However, those are long gone for obvious reasons.

Most manufacturers suggest a "Neutral PH cleaner" ie.. not caustic. Having a brain fart trying to think of one off the top of my head

 

[KYCountryboy]

I was really impressed with Stonhard too. I went with them for a urethane concrete product in my butcher shop. We are hard on the floor, pressure wash with hot water daily, use light acid based degreaser, etc. similarly, they came in and knocked out the floor in a weekend including grinding, cove, and floor. Ours is a very textured product to help with traction.

My experience with Stonhard is hit and miss. Sometimes you get a good crew & a great job, sometimes it looks like dog poo when they're done. It all depends on the crew you get, their products are good.

 

[GlennSullivan]

My experience with Stonhard is hit and miss. Sometimes you get a good crew & a great job, sometimes it looks like dog poo when they're done. It all depends on the crew you get, their products are good.

Do they franchise their operations in different parts of the country which would account for different crews / levels of quality workmanship?

 

[B&H]

Most manufacturers suggest a "Neutral PH cleaner" ie.. not caustic. Having a brain fart trying to think of one off the top of my head

Caustic didn't seem to bother the flooring too much, but it would eventually eat the paint off of the lifts, tire machine, balancer, tool boxes, and any other painted metal near the floor.

I found this after the new epoxy was done. The rep never told me about this:

Commercial & Industrial Floor Cleaning Solutions | Stonhard

Stonkleen cleaning products are sustainable, tough on dirt and stains, easy to use, and formulated to maintain epoxy, urethane, and MMA floors. Order yours today.

www.stonhard.com

Also this was interesting too. I think you can find it for most of their coating series:

https://www.stonhard.com/ProductFiles/stonhard/Stonkote%20HT4%20Product%20Data%20-%20en_US.pdf