Coating advice for a concrete Barn floor?

[VolksWomble]

I’ve done a fair bit of reading on here, and appreciate this not an uncommon question, but I have a couple of specifics which I can’t really find good answers for, so…

I am in the process of buying a property which includes a 100’x40’ barn which I plan to use for my various vehicle restoration and general engineering hobbies, as well as housing and maintaining the equipment needed for the rest of the property (3 acres, so not big).

note also that this is in the U.K…

Currently it is a dirt floor, So my first job, before moving any of my existing workshop over will be to get a better floor in - and my plan is concrete over an aggregate base, withe a power floated finish.

Looking through the posts on here, I have concluded that an epoxy or urea floor is neither suitable or cost effective - I do a fair bit of grinding and welding, it’s not a showroom, and 4000sqft of epoxy is not cheap. I do really want to seal the surface though to limit dusting, as that has always been a real bugbear of my previous workspaces.

So, is a basic sealer the right sort of product to be looking at? Most of the specific product recommendations on GJ are naturally US focussed, so I wondered if anyone had any UK based product recommendations?

My other question was on how soon I can seal the surface after laying? Products I have found all day not for use on fresh concrete. I’d really like to seal the floor before ’moving in’ so to speak, but I’m impatient….

thanks
mark

picture of the current state of affairs…

 

[VolksWomble]

I should also note that I have used floor paint in the past, but that it hasn’t really stood up to moving machinery around let alone regular vehicle movement and manoeuvring (tryres scrubbing etc). I don’t want to have to reapply it often although I accept that any coating has a finite lifespan in use.

 

[benjy]

That's a lot of concrete, how about concrete where you really need it & asphalt chips elsewhere? Both with a well compacted agg base?

 

[ConCretin]

I do really want to seal the surface though to limit dusting, as that has always been a real bugbear of my previous workspaces.

My other question was on how soon I can seal the surface after laying? Products I have found all day not for use on fresh concrete. I’d really like to seal the floor before ’moving in’ so to speak, but I’m impatient......

Hopefully our resident experts will weigh in on specific sealer recommendations but I'll offer a couple thoughts.

Dusting occurs when the slab surface isn't strong enough to resist abrasion from normal use. This is due to excess water on the surface during finishing operations. This can be bleed water from excessive slumps or water added to aid finishing.

Some bleed water is not uncommon and it should be allowed to dissipate before floating commences but it's best to avoid bleed water in the first place by minimizing mix water through the use of chemical water reducers. With minimal attention to mix design and finishing technique, dusting will not be a problem.

With regard to the timing of sealer application. There are many cure & seal products that can be applied immediately after placement. This type of product creates a film on the surface to hold in moisture during curing and provide some short term protection against stains but need to be re-applied periodically.

Penetrating sealers last longer, are more effective at protecting the concrete from stains and some can harden the concrete surface a bit but these products aren't applied for 28 days or so you'll want to moisture cure the slab.

Btw. Some sealers can provide relief from dusting but they don't fix the underlying problem and results can vary.

Take a look at my Guide to Floor Slabs in the link below for some additional thoughts on placing a slab. Congrats on the purchase and good luck with your renovations.

 

[VolksWomble]

That's a lot of concrete, how about concrete where you really need it & asphalt chips elsewhere? Both with a well compacted agg base?

Yep, agreed - at this stage I don’t really know where I need it and where I don’t. I will break the space up, some will be for storage of vehicles and trailers and some for workshop spaces - machine shop, and vehicle lifts separately. I also plan to build a mezzanine in there too in order to achieve ‘garaging’ as well as dedicated spaces, and storage up top - size and layout will depend on what I can acquire second hand. I want to be able to run a forklift all over, and don’t want to be constrained in the future, so I figured it was a job best done once…

gratuitous forklift picture… i Bought it from the previous occupier of the barn.

 

[VolksWomble]

.Take a look at my Guide to Floor Slabs in the link below for some additional thoughts on placing a slab. Congrats on the purchase and good luck with your renovations.

thanks for taking the time to reply. I have studied the slab thread numerous times and I’ve been very grateful, and will continue to be so as I engage with contractors!

I hadn’t really appreciated however that the dusting I’ve experienced is down to the initial lay down, so if done right it may not be as much of an issue as I had worried.

it won’t happen till the new year, and I’ll put a build thread up as we go - at the moment I am attempting to make use of my time on researching stuff!

 

[Kpaige]

Thought for you. If you don’t want to concrete the entire shop they do make a sealant for dirt that is really good and I know it is available in your area. It started as a product they put down in the military to create roads in the desert. But contact your local BMX track they will be using these products pretty much makes the dirt concrete hard.
As far as coating the concrete I have found that simple sealers like Thompson’s water seal etc work well and are easily recovered as needed.

 

[Shea]

A densifier application followed up a week later by a good oil-repelling penetrating sealer would be a good option for your needs. You would need to wait 30 days for the slab to cure. I've posted two articles below on products and how they work.

Is GhostShield the Best Oil Repelling Garage Floor Sealer? | All Garage Floors

We review GhostShield Siloxa-Tec 8505 & 8510. Learn why this is an excellent concrete sealer for resisting oil & oil stains on your garage floor and driveway.

allgaragefloors.com

Why PS100 is a Superior Oil Resistant Garage Floor Sealer | All Garage Floors

We review PS100 Fluorinated Oil Repelling Sealer. It may be the best garage floor concrete sealer for resisting oil stains for the garage and driveway.

allgaragefloors.com