Epoxy floor and machine tools

[Keith S]

I am in the process of finishing the interior of a 1500sq/ft pole barn that I plan to set up as a machine shop and wood working shop. After reading many, many posts on this forum about epoxy flooring I have decided to spend the money and install an epoxy floor. My big concern is about durability with heavy equipment. The lathe and milling machine I am planning on using in this workshop are on the order of 1500 to 2000 pounds.

1. If I place the mill or lathe in one spot and then move it a year later, will the epoxy coating be indented or compressed at all?

2. Would one type of epoxy be better for this purpose over another?

3. Would there be a benefit to doing a full broadcast quartz floor for my application?

4. Regarding the top coat, what would be best for preventing stains from machining oil and coolant?

Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks
Keith

 

[Garage Flooring]

I am in the process of finishing the interior of a 1500sq/ft pole barn that I plan to set up as a machine shop and wood working shop. After reading many, many posts on this forum about epoxy flooring I have decided to spend the money and install an epoxy floor. My big concern is about durability with heavy equipment. The lathe and milling machine I am planning on using in this workshop are on the order of 1500 to 2000 pounds.

1. If I place the mill or lathe in one spot and then move it a year later, will the epoxy coating be indented or compressed at all?

2. Would one type of epoxy be better for this purpose over another?

3. Would there be a benefit to doing a full broadcast quartz floor for my application?

4. Regarding the top coat, what would be best for preventing stains from machining oil and coolant?

Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks
Keith

Keith,

The trick is to get a coating specific to your needs and follow that up with a top coat that will do the same. Everything is a trade-off.

1. If I place the mill or lathe in one spot and then move it a year later, will the epoxy coating be indented or compressed at all? We can certainly get you an epoxy that will stand up to the weight. What we do need to look at are trade-offs on the top coat.

2. Would one type of epoxy be better for this purpose over another? YES. Again we need (you and whoever you buy from) to get all the details, weights, size of contact with floor, rolling or stationary, etc.

3. Would there be a benefit to doing a full broadcast quartz floor for my application? ABSOLUTELY. Would make the epoxy selection much easier. Look at this thread http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=290925

4. Regarding the top coat, what would be best for preventing stains from machining oil and coolant? Yes, if you get us an MSDS sheet for the products you use, and the PDS we can suggest the right top coat. We also need to consider what you end up doing for broadcast material. For example if you do full broadcast we may suggest a higher build clear film followed by a second coat of a chemical resistant urethane. It all depends on the total system

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Keith: Here is our take:

1. If I place the mill or lathe in one spot and then move it a year later, will the epoxy coating be indented or compressed at all? Keith, you have more chance of damaging the floor moving it in and out. Place on a good mat or something similar to keep from marring.

2. Would one type of epoxy be better for this purpose over another?
Choose primer, solids base coat and topcoat with urethane.

3. Would there be a benefit to doing a full broadcast quartz floor for my application?
OVERKILL. If you have plenty of cash to spend go for it, otherwise save it for something better like another machine. This type of system is good for super heavy use and a machine shop does not qualify for this.

4. Regarding the top coat, what would be best for preventing stains from machining oil and coolant?

Yes, go for a urethane topcoat or our Nohr-S Polyurea. very good resistance to all you can throw at it.

Good luck!

 

[EdT]

Just a quick observation. We redid the floors at work with epoxy. In the area where they crated equipment and stuff they cut a lot of lumber to make the crates. This made a lot of sawdust. Next to wet ice, that was about the slipperiest thing I've ever walked on. It was a death trap. So, if you're planning on wood working in the area with the epoxy floors, watch out!! You might want to see how you like the traction or add some traction enhancer to the top coat. If you can find someone with an epoxy floor, see if they'll let you put some sawdust on it and see what you think. The risk of falling is especially high for infrequent visitors to the shop who may not be aware of the hazard. BTW, as nice as they look, I think fancy floors in shops don't make a lot of sense. It's a shop, the floor is going to get scratched ,bad stuff spilled on it, hunks of welding slag spewed on it etc. and it's a PITA if you always have to worry about doing what you want to do in the shop because it might mar the floor. Just my opinion; worth what you paid for it.

 

[Armorpoxy]

A good 100% solids system with a topcoat like our Military Grade option will handle a machine shop without issue. The epoxy most definitely won't dent from heavy machinery, but any coating can be damaged by aggressive scratching or dragging sharp objects across them.

A Quartz floor is very expensive and since more textured, harder to keep clean generally.

 

[Keith S]

Thank you all for your advice. I had thought that the quartz was going to be overkill for my application but it is nice to have that confirmed. I am now concerned about the slipperiness of the floor though. I do plan to have a section of the shop set up as a wood working area so sawdust will inevitably be on the floor. What kind of anti-slip additive would work well for this problem? How would that additive affect the ability to clean the floor and keep it sealed from light oil?

Thank you again!

 

[Garage Flooring]

Thank you all for your advice. I had thought that the quartz was going to be overkill for my application but it is nice to have that confirmed. I am now concerned about the slipperiness of the floor though. I do plan to have a section of the shop set up as a wood working area so sawdust will inevitably be on the floor. What kind of anti-slip additive would work well for this problem? How would that additive affect the ability to clean the floor and keep it sealed from light oil?

Thank you again!

With the right top coat the oil will not be an issue in an epoxy system. We have an anti skid we ship with our systems but this product is gaining popularity http://www.hcconcrete.com/products/shark-grip-prep-products/Shark_Grip_Slip_Resistant_Additive/

 

[Armorpoxy]

All of our Armorclad kits include n/c our Armorgrip non skid additive. It's just the right particle size for easy cleaning.