Filling a floor drain depression

[jdieter]

I've got 2 floor drains in my garage, the depression is 2" deep at the center where the grate is and feathers out to nothing in an 8ft diameter circle. They are located in the center of the garage so it makes it a pain to use creepers, seats or portable equipment on casters. I don't need the drains and would like to level these 2 areas with the rest of the concrete.
I know one option is to saw cut the concrete back to the level floor and pour new sections but I'd like to find a less costly and labor intensive option. Does anybody have experience using epoxy with a sand filler for an area this large and deep. One concern I have is an epoxy patch lifting where it feathers into the level concrete.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Yes, you want to use an "Epoxy Patch".
YOu don't have to saw cut and the edges can be feathered.
Check out: http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/epoxy-concrete-patch-1-gal-hd110-p-6.html

Thanks,
-Scott

 

[jdieter]

The spec's for this product state 1/4" maximum depth, the deepest part is 2".

 

[gabeancounter]

I think any of these levelers you are going to be risking it (peeling , chiping etc). You can rent a gas 14" concrete saw for $60 a day. This saw will cut 5" deep. In about 2 hours you can have all the concrete cut into small squares. Can rent a big metal pry bar for getting the pieces up. You are only talking about two yards of concrete. Materials should be around $200. Get a couple labors from Home Depot and make it happen! Good luck.

 

[TRC51]

Without question the right way is to cut it out and pour it again. That self leveling stuff or epoxy filler is not as good as they say it is. A neighbor of mine had it done in their garage when it was just pitted. Within about 8 months it started to peel and crack. Like anything else I would assume that prep and proper application would be key, but for something so deep as what you are talking about, no way.

My biggest reason for saying this.... I have the same exact situation. A pitted tapered floor to a drain I don't want. A creeper nightmare. I think I am going to just end up putting racedeck down with free flow tiles and accepting the slope. Pouring my garage slab again would be around $2500 or more.

 

[tncatadjuster]

Epoxy mortar would work perfectly if installed by an experienced person. I have done jobs of covering up rails used to transport paper in printing plants and it holds up to the big rolls of paper.

If it is 100% solids epoxy, and it bonds to the existing floor, it is strong.

Look at bottom of this page.
http://www.acepoxy.com/Site/Concrete_Restoration.html

 

[jdieter]

TRC51 was the failure do to moisture issues witht he slab. Before I would consider any type of epoxy either for filling this depression or complete floor coverage I would do the plastic sheet and calcium chloride tests. An impermeable covering on a floor with moisture issues is not going to last. At this point I haven't ruled out concrete patching, just looking around for somebody with first-hand knowledge using epoxy.

If I was using epoxy I would saw-cut the perimeter 1/2" deep and chip this out till I had a full 1/2" depth back into the depression, roughen and parge the concrete with a cement paste and fill to the 1/2" depth with a concrete sand mix, allow the full 28 day cure and fill in the remaining 1/2" with an epoxy and quartz mixture. Anybody used a repair procedure close to this.

Not ideal, but a failed epoxy repair can always be knocked out and patched with concrete.

 

[Jason641]

Jdieter has the right idea. It is best to sawcut 1/2" to 3/4" deep around the edge of where the patch will be, and chip away the inside so the minimum thickness of the patch will be 1/2" or 3/4" thick. use 100% solids epoxy and follow the manufacturers recomendations as to the type of bonding agent to use on the concrete. Depending on the epoxy it may only be able to be installed a maximum of 1" or 1.5" at a time, you must wait for this to cure before adding the additional thickness to bring it to the level you want. We do patches like this on concrete buildings all the time and they will last forever if done correctly. A company called Sika makes good concrete repair products and coatings www.sikaconstruction.com

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Gents:
Epoxy floor patch is rated over 10,000 lbs per square inch at 1/4" thick.
It is way stronger than the best 4K bag mix.

Our tech data reflects using it as a resurfacer not a patch.
When patching you can go a few inches deep, no problem.

You can coat over our product the next day, try doing that with concrete!!

-Scotty

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

You don't have to do the sheet test when patching a small area.
If there is moisture present, it will escape around it.

If you are going to fully seal the area with epoxy or any floor paint, you will need to perform the sheet test for moisture as the moisture will have no where to escape and can "pop" the coating off.

Good luck.
-Scott