Epoxy flooring with cracked concrete.

[Neschenbrenner001]

Hello everyone,

I have a question i'm hoping someone on here has had experience with. I recently bought my first house with a 24X24 garage out back, and i've been in the process of fixing up both of them for the last year. I'm at the point in the garage where i'm thinking about my floor. From what i've read on here the epoxy floor seems to be the way to go. So my problem is i have a few cracks in my floor some are kinda big they would need to be patched before the epoxy could be laid down. I'm looking for some advice on what i should use to patch my floor. I don't have any experience with concrete or epoxy. I think the floor is done settling so i don't think there will be anymore movement. Any idea's or how to help would be great.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

For cracks:
http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/crack-sealant-gel-style-p-206.html

For really large cracks:
http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/epoxy-concrete-patch-2-gal-hd110-p-81.html

 

[Edger]

Cracks are not good. Larger cracks will be all the way through the slab which means they will always move. Try to find the reason for the cracks first. Water is the normal problem where water gets under the slab due to a broken or blocked drain nearby where water is introduced to the soil under the slab or water is drained onto the soil close by so it eventually gets under. When it dries the ground shrinks and the slab cracks due to a lack of support underneath. Fix the problem first and let it dry out for 6 - 12 months. Because the slab will keep moving from winter to summer if you fill it with a solid material it will crack again. This is probably the best way as long as you expect to see a hairline crack along the patching sometime after coating your floor. Patching materials vary from acrylic modified cements, to epoxy/sand mixes and many other products. If you prepare the crack by washing and wet vacuuming while you work the patching should adhere. If you do it in summer it will crack in winter, if you do it in winter it will crush the patching in summer. Flexible patching is not always the best because it shrinks and leaves a depression in winter and squashes and protrudes in summer. Many people have tried to join the cracks with epoxy to permanently fix the floor, but the slab weight is too strong for that and the slab will crack again alongside the repair. Watch out for smoothing the patch, find out how this is done from the supplier of the patching - do you simply scrape it smooth? will it shrink down? do you leave it proud and diamond grind it smooth? does it need two applications? how will it adhere to itself after the first application cures? Be careful of contamination, do not walk the patching all over your slab, or spill it etc.
These are just a few ideas to help you.
Cheers.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Cracks are not good. Larger cracks will be all the way through the slab which means they will always move. Try to find the reason for the cracks first. Water is the normal problem where water gets under the slab due to a broken or blocked drain nearby where water is introduced to the soil under the slab or water is drained onto the soil close by so it eventually gets under. When it dries the ground shrinks and the slab cracks due to a lack of support underneath. Fix the problem first and let it dry out for 6 - 12 months. Because the slab will keep moving from winter to summer if you fill it with a solid material it will crack again. This is probably the best way as long as you expect to see a hairline crack along the patching sometime after coating your floor. Patching materials vary from acrylic modified cements, to epoxy/sand mixes and many other products. If you prepare the crack by washing and wet vacuuming while you work the patching should adhere. If you do it in summer it will crack in winter, if you do it in winter it will crush the patching in summer. Flexible patching is not always the best because it shrinks and leaves a depression in winter and squashes and protrudes in summer. Many people have tried to join the cracks with epoxy to permanently fix the floor, but the slab weight is too strong for that and the slab will crack again alongside the repair. Watch out for smoothing the patch, find out how this is done from the supplier of the patching - do you simply scrape it smooth? will it shrink down? do you leave it proud and diamond grind it smooth? does it need two applications? how will it adhere to itself after the first application cures? Be careful of contamination, do not walk the patching all over your slab, or spill it etc.
These are just a few ideas to help you.
Cheers.

We suggested a polymer based, non-shrinking, elongating, slab bonding crack filler for all the reasons you mentioned. This product will bond with any epoxy the gentleman uses. This product was designed to battle expansion joints in warehouses with fork-trucks riding over-top.

If you ever get a chance to visit lovely Secaucus NJ (near Giants Stadium) you will see some of the worst slab movement in the US. Our products are working hard down there everyday.

 

[crazy_dave]

Any body ever try that Con-pro oneshot?

 

[VersatileBuildingProducts]

Here is a great blog article on crack repair:

garage floor concrete crack repair & expansion joint filling