Coval Concrete in Satin after Formula 137 failure

[DaChev]

Buckle up this has been 3 years in the making. This floor took on a life of it’s own. Here is my experience with Coval Concrete and a number of other products.



The start: back in Sept 2022 I had my pad poured. After waiting 30 days, I applied Legacy Industrial Formula 137

https://www.legacyindustrial.co/pro...74rJrywKldH2VYdja_6aEewsAA28nq33KM6K_oC0HgAVH



At first, I was delighted with the results. Water would bead and the building had not been built. I was prepared for work! After the building was built, I had a few oil drips that I was able to wipe up just as advertised.

Over the next couple of years, I was working in the shop and on the shop and I had tragedy strike several times. As a precaution, I used nice cardboard under the engines of cars I was working on. The 71 Chevelle I was working on leaked oil out of the rocker panel after my first startup following a major amount of transmission service. WTF? Who knew. That happened after I had gone to bed. It turns out that over the next couple of years, I would find out how many things drip small amounts of oil and I had permanent stains in a few places.

I tried to keep oil off of the ground while I prepared for the next step. Finally in June of 2025, I was ready to have spray foam installed. I realized that this was my last chance to do something else with the floor.

I got quotes from several local small and large businesses. The end result $12K no matter what I wanted. The number was $12,000 for a while you are in there. I was already spending $10K on spray foam, so this was not an option. Loads of research later, I came up with a plan to do this DIY.

Goal: enhance the natural beauty of concrete (I know, my opinion) and add a top coat that was easy to maintain without complete replacement. I hate chipped epoxy. It looks trashy to me. I work in a manufacturing facility and they are constantly grinding and recoating. Epoxy, isn’t for me.

Before:





The Plan:

Grind the Formula 137 off with diamond impregnated pads from Concrete DNA

https://www.concretefloorsupply.com...-diamond-floor-pads/diamond-pads-with-resins/

The plan here was 2 passes with 200 grit to remove and even out look and physically remove the ineffective Formula 137 sealer.




Apply densifier

I used Ameripolish 3D HSL densifier.

3D HSL Densifier - Ameripolish

www.ameripolish.com

This is a really good easy to use densifier. One of the keys to good application is to apply to rejection. This product has a 15 minute application to rejection requirement. You need to keep it wet for 15 minutes to allow the product to soak in completely to achieve full depth densification.



Polish with 400 grit pad from Concrete DNA

This step cleaned up the look to a more final look and made sure that the top layer of densifier was removed. When you properly apply to rejection some residue is left. Physically removing it is the easiest method. If you are doing a final step in polish, you can get a 2 for one.



Clean clean clean

I must have mopped with soap and water 3 times followed up with clean water 3 or 4 times.

Prep for sealer application.

This is where things got interesting fast. I wanted the sealer under the door seal for the overhead doors, so the doors needed to be 6-8” up. But by this point, the leaves were in full drop and blow around mode. So I had to tape the leaves out from the door opening.

• One more round of cleaning. Coval requires a wipe down with Acetone. I just mopped with Acetone. Call me lazy, but here we go.
• Spray Coval Concrete

https://covaltechnologies.com/concrete/

Yes, this stuff smells pretty bad. I used a quality 3M organic respirator. I never noticed the smell until my wife stuck her head in the door and I pulled the respirator off from my face to talk to her. PPE is important. If you don’t follow the rules, you get sick. Beyond that, I had good success with the Coval branded sprayer, but I did not even try to clean it. I threw it in the trash.








I am very happy with the results. The finish is satin. The surface is not slick to the point of safety hazard. I like the look, but I like the look of wet bare concrete. I believe that oil will be able to sit overnight and be wiped up. Time will tell on that. In the event that I want to recoat an area, all I need to do is scuff the area and wipe it with Acetone and spray that area.

I hope this helps a future version of me make a decision on a coating. If you have questions, ask away.

 

[SD929]

Thanks for this - I was considering a oleophobic coating like Ghostshield 8510 for my new shop. Not looking forward to polishing it all out but maybe it'll be worth it. All things to consider.

 

[DaChev]

Thanks for this - I was considering a oleophobic coating like Ghostshield 8510 for my new shop. Not looking forward to polishing it all out but maybe it'll be worth it. All things to consider.

I will continue to tell anyone that will listen. Penetrating sealers do not work. They all use words like resist, repel, reduce.

You need something that uses the word proof.

I had to grind the 137 off because it was completely ineffective at proofing my garage from oil, but would proof my concrete from new applications of sealers.

If you are starting from scratch, learn from my mistakes and use something that creates a layer of protection. Penetrating sealers are snake oil.

 

[zaius]

OP, I also sprayed down Coval Concrete. I noticed that if the floor is wet from snow/slush, it is extremely slick.

Depending on your location, I tossed some clear silica sand and sprayed another coat of Coval to provide a grippier surface.

I haven't really tested oil penetration with the Coval, but if I notice any oil on the floor, I wipe it up ASAP.

 

[DaChev]

OP, I also sprayed down Coval Concrete. I noticed that if the floor is wet from snow/slush, it is extremely slick.
-snip-

Did you use the gloss or the satin or matt?

My concrete was very slick before I applied the spray, but it gained texture after it was applied. I am not sure if some of that will wear or not. RIght now, it is no concern even in wet crocs.

 

[zaius]

I went with Gloss.

Let me know your oil penetration findings.

 

[Shea]

I will continue to tell anyone that will listen. Penetrating sealers do not work. They all use words like resist, repel, reduce.

You need something that uses the word proof.

I had to grind the 137 off because it was completely ineffective at proofing my garage from oil, but would proof my concrete from new applications of sealers.

If you are starting from scratch, learn from my mistakes and use something that creates a layer of protection. Penetrating sealers are snake oil.

Great write-up and documentation of your project! I think you will find that Coval will do much better than a penetrating sealer at protecting the concrete from oil stains and most other common automotive fluids. It's very similar to TS210 by Concrete Sealers USA. The advantage of a satin finish is that it shows less dust and dirt and will be less slippery than a gloss finish. I think you will be happy with the results based on your priorities.

Formula 137 may have been a failure (for you) because it did not prevent the oil stains. In its defense, it will only help to "resist" oil stains. This is the case for ALL penetrating sealers, as you unfortunately learned. However, 137 does an excellent job of protecting concrete against moisture, salts, freeze-thaw, and the damage that can result from such. That is what most penetrating sealers excel at, and why they are used throughout the industry in volumes far exceeding those of coatings. They are not "snake oil", but they may seem like they are to some when they fail at what the consumer perceived they would do. I'm the first to admit that marketing makes it seem like they do everything. The minds of consumers tend to interpret the word "resist" as "won't happen", when it really does not mean that at all. There's a reason they use that word.

The only penetrating sealers that do a better job of resisting oil stains are oleophobic sealers such as GhostShield 8510 or PS100 by Concrete Sealers USA. They will actually repel the oil for a while (other penetrating sealers don't do this), giving you more time before cleaning, but oil can still stain (though not as much) if left to sit for an extended period.

Good performing film-forming sealers/coatings will always perform better against stains and automotive fluids than penetrating sealers. You can almost say they are oil-proof, but manufacturers in the industry rarely use that phrase. "Proof" is a word the industry shies from. There is always a situation in which one high-performance coating or another isn't infallible against such.

Penetrating sealers are popular for garage floors and workshops because they are relatively inexpensive compared to coatings, require less concrete prep, and are the easiest to apply.

I'm not discounting your experience and I can understand your frustration. You did a great job of researching the problem and coming up with a better solution. I just wanted to clear things up a bit for those on a budget who are looking at penetrating sealers.

 

[SD929]

Thanks for that - I'm still torn, mainly because I just don't want to go through the grinding and polishing route.

 

[DaChev]

Thanks for that - I'm still torn, mainly because I just don't want to go through the grinding and polishing route.

You do not need to do that. You can put Coval on plain trowel finished concrete. I had to remove the Formula 137 to get the Coval to stick (allegedly, it probably would have stuck to the 137).

I spent hundreds of hours in the Marine Corps running a buffer polishing VCT for Uncle Sam. When the opportunity to put those skills to use for my benefit came around, I took it.

-edit- changed spend to the proper tense spent. I've been out of the Marines long enough to measured it in decades.

 

[DaChev]

I went with Gloss.

Let me know your oil penetration findings.

This is interesting. I noticed that applying the Coval Concrete created a texture. I wonder if that is part of how it changes the gloss to satin/mat.

So far so good on the slipperiness.


Short update, I spilled Alkyd paint on the coating. A lot. It cleaned up easily with water. No real surprise there. I also dripped a couple of spots and it dried. I was able to get it up with water, a rag, and a little elbow grease.

No oil yet. My truck drips from loads of places and is parked back in the shop. I will probably find an oil spot after I move it and will get a oil test in.

 

[zaius]

Also, let me know the durability of this stuff. My garage is only a 1.5 car garage so there isn't much traffic in and out of it (other than tire tracks)

 

[kngelv]

I spend hundreds of hours in the Marine Corps running a buffer polishing VCT for Uncle Sam. When the opportunity to put those skills to use for my benefit came around, I took it.

I had to comment on this part of your post. I spent the same amount of time doing the exact same thing in the Army. The first time I used a buffer it was almost impossible to control. I remember crashing it into our wall lockers and the walls in the barracks. By the time I left I was drinking beers and eating pizza with one hand while effortlessly buffing with the other. Good times for sure.

James

 

[DaChev]

By the time I left I was drinking beers and eating pizza with one hand while effortlessly buffing with the other. Good times for sure.

James

I will admit that running a buffer with a diamond impregnated polishing pad is significantly more of a workout than polishing wax on VCT. There may have been some beers drank, but not while running the buffer for sure.