Floor coating/sealer and welding

[TTMotorsports]

Getting the slab poured for my 4000 sq ft shop at the end of April. Now it's going to be an automotive fab shop. I do complete vehicle rebuilds. Roll cages. Suspension. Welding and general fabrication. Now I know I dont want to have a urethane epoxy flooring since I have welded around those and they burn and melt with the splatter.

Looking into more if a good sealer/clear coat. Should I use linseed oil/kerosene. Tong oil/kerosene. Or ???

Been doing a lot of searching and haven't found anyone saying what they use in their welding and automotive shops.

 

[Lucid Moments]

Look at the thread here for Hellfire coating. It is supposed to be very heat resistant.

 

[RPH]

I recommend Ghostshield 8510. I used the 8505 waterbased as the solvent based8510 was not out yet. If this is a working shop like mine is then this is the best product for the concrete. It doesn’t change the texture of the cement as it penetrates the pores. Nothing sticks to it. Clean up spills in a reasonable time period and there is no stain. The vendors here carry it and are well worth supporting.

 

[LXCam]

Personally I'm a fan of diamond hard sealer / Densifier. It's a common spec product for heavy use areas of large industrial projects.

 

[TTMotorsports]

I recommend Ghostshield 8510. I used the 8505 waterbased as the solvent based8510 was not out yet. If this is a working shop like mine is then this is the best product for the concrete. It doesn’t change the texture of the cement as it penetrates the pores. Nothing sticks to it. Clean up spills in a reasonable time period and there is no stain. The vendors here carry it and are well worth supporting.

I've seen the ghost shield and looks like a nice product. Appears to run about 1.60 a sq ft. About 2500 bux to do the flooring. I'll contact some forum supporters and see what they can do for it.

 

[Uhlee1]

I've seen the ghost shield and looks like a nice product. Appears to run about 1.60 a sq ft. About 2500 bux to do the flooring. I'll contact some forum supporters and see what they can do for it.

If I’m doing my math right you should be well under $1500 if you go by the recommended 300sqft per gallon for the 8510. Im no expert but from what I’ve read after you use the densifier the concrete wont absorb much more than that.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Garage Flooring]

Getting the slab poured for my 4000 sq ft shop at the end of April. Now it's going to be an automotive fab shop. I do complete vehicle rebuilds. Roll cages. Suspension. Welding and general fabrication. Now I know I dont want to have a urethane epoxy flooring since I have welded around those and they burn and melt with the splatter.

Looking into more if a good sealer/clear coat. Should I use linseed oil/kerosene. Tong oil/kerosene. Or ???

Been doing a lot of searching and haven't found anyone saying what they use in their welding and automotive shops.

I've seen the ghost shield and looks like a nice product. Appears to run about 1.60 a sq ft. About 2500 bux to do the flooring. I'll contact some forum supporters and see what they can do for it.

Heavily diluted 4500 followed by 8510 at 300 SF / Gallon (single coat) is the way to go for sure. https://www.garageflooringllc.com/siloxa-tek-8505-concrete-sealer/

No actual coating will put up with slag unless you cover it. So the sealer mentioned is a great way to protect the floor instead of using a coating

 

[Armorpoxy]

We would recommend the Ghostshield 4500/8510 system since it penetrates and won't burn.

 

[dcg9381]

My experience with both epoxy and polyurea... And my boots:
Slag will damage/discolor (if it doesn't penetrate) all of it. Vendors may know of the most burn proof product, but I haven't experienced one where slag just brushes off without discoloration.

I bought a welding blanket - use that in areas where we know we are going to be dropping hot liquid-metal on to the floor.

 

[TTMotorsports]

Question. Do you use the Ghostshield 4500/8510 system THEN sikaflex OR sikaflex first then the Ghostshield 4500/8510 system

Thanks

 

[Shea]

SikaFlex last.

 

[RonG]

I have a similar setup as the OP. Mine is a home shop where I build race cars (full tear downs to rebuilds, welding, engine building, etc). My floor needs some serious protection as I have been putting it off.

I know I need to get the old oil/stains off as much as possible beforehand (grinding, etching, etc) but then want to know the materials I need going forward after that. From what I have been reading:

- Lithi-Tek 4500
- Ghostshield 8100

These are penetrating, do I need a topical sealant after this?

Garage is 40x25, any idea what amounts I need of each?

 

[Shea]

Ron, you can either apply a penetrating sealant or a topical sealant/coating, but not both. A penetrating sealant effectively blocks adhesion of a film forming topical coating. I would recommend a penetrating system such as the GhostShield products you mention.

You don't want to grind if you can help it unless you follow up with a finer grit hone. Grinding will open up the pores and and tend to absorb much more of the sealant down into the concrete instead of keeping it near the surface. I would recommend a good power scrubbing instead.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

My experience with both epoxy and polyurea... And my boots:
Slag will damage/discolor (if it doesn't penetrate) all of it. Vendors may know of the most burn proof product, but I haven't experienced one where slag just brushes off without discoloration.

I bought a welding blanket - use that in areas where we know we are going to be dropping hot liquid-metal on to the floor.

Our Hellfire can take a BBQ Lighter flame for greater than 60 mins (no sign).
Typical epoxy lasts less than 10 seconds and it's bubbling and popping.
Look for a welding video-clip soon showing it's ability.

 

[RonG]

Ron, you can either apply a penetrating sealant or a topical sealant/coating, but not both. A penetrating sealant effectively blocks adhesion of a film forming topical coating. I would recommend a penetrating system such as the GhostShield products you mention.

You don't want to grind if you can help it unless you follow up with a finer grit hone. Grinding will open up the pores and and tend to absorb much more of the sealant down into the concrete instead of keeping it near the surface. I would recommend a good power scrubbing instead.

So, is SikaFlex not a topical coat? You replied to the OP saying to put SikaFlex on last (after 4500/8100). I'm confused.

 

[Shea]

SikaFlex is a joint sealant that is typically used to fill saw cuts, contraction joints, expansion joints, and etc. It's not a topical sealer if that's what you were thinking, but I could understand the confusion if you are not familiar
It's best to apply SikaFlex after a penetrating sealer or topical film forming sealer has been applied to the floor.