Floor shot blaster

[Brendan]

I have looking to rent a shot blaster and could not find anyone to rent one at any or the local rental places.
I found one for rent at Home Depot $225 per day, thought I would pass it on!
Brendan

 

[Floorguy]

Using a shotblaster is certainly the best way to prep a floor for application of an epoxy coating. I do floors for a living and we shotblast all floors. A couple of things to look out for if you do use a shotblaster.

1. Make sure you don't stand still as they will dig a hole in the concrete.
2. It will uncover cracks, we use a diamond blade to widen so filler can fit in.
3. depending on the finish that you want when done the shotblasted concrete can leave it looking rough if you do not use a 100% solids material. We do 3 coats of epoxy and then a urethane to protect further.
4. Primer should go down as the slab is cooling so it will not produce bubles int he finish. once sealed other coats can go on as needed.
5. shotblating will cause you to use more epoxy as it leaves lots of peaks and valleys to fill which is what you want. Justmake surey ou have enough material to complete the job.

IF anyone has questions I would be happy to help if I can.

Don

www.ultimategarageworks.com

 

[RickP330]

Guys,
What are you using for shot blast - Sand? If so can't you get a sand blaster from TIP for less then the rental at home depot?
Regards,
Rick

 

[Floorguy]

Guys,
What are you using for shot blast - Sand? If so can't you get a sand blaster from TIP for less then the rental at home depot?
Regards,
Rick

I use steel shot either 280 or 330 depending on how hard the concrete is and if there is any coating on it. With steel you get to recycle it ( pick or with a rolling magnet) and use it again.

Sandblasting will work but it is pretty messy.

 

[Floorguy]

Guys,
What are you using for shot blast - Sand? If so can't you get a sand blaster from TIP for less then the rental at home depot?
Regards,
Rick

Here is a picture of the shotblaster that I use. It is self-contained but needs hooked to a vac to capture the dust. It's hard to tell from this small picture but it does a great job at prepping the concrete for a coating.

 

[bmwpower]

Wow. That looks nice. I wish my Home Depot rented one of those when I did my floor.

 

[90LX]

I'll have to see if any local Home Depots rent them in central Florida. I have 850 sqft to prep for some Armorseal 1000 HS and was quoted $2/sqft to have the floor shot. Muriatic acid is looking more attractive after that sticker shock, but I think the shot would prep the floor better.

 

[Dave88LX]

Jeesh, $2/sqft? That's pretty ridiculous, then again I don't know if that is standard pricing or not. If I can I would rather shot blast since that seems the preferred method to prep the floors.

I'm going to call around and see if any one can do it, or see if I can rent one.

 

[sjsfire]

I rented one of these from my local rental store at $100 for the day. It's a Edco grinder, has one rotating head with three carbide steel blocks attached to the head. This picture is a newer model than I rented but it came out great. I compared the finish to 120 grit sandpaper and it was very close. First pic is of a grinder like I used and the rest is my finished floor. I used The Butterfield Cure and Seal in Gull Gray color. It's a solvent based sealer like the contractors apply after the pour.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Man, I wish my floor looked like that, but with the kind of work I do in that garage, it would not make it six months!

 

[jim1504]

Floorguy

What other steps are still necessary if you go with a shotblaster as opposed to muriatric acid (ie still necessary to degrease)?
Thanks
Jim

Using a shotblaster is certainly the best way to prep a floor for application of an epoxy coating. I do floors for a living and we shotblast all floors. A couple of things to look out for if you do use a shotblaster.

1. Make sure you don't stand still as they will dig a hole in the concrete.
2. It will uncover cracks, we use a diamond blade to widen so filler can fit in.
3. depending on the finish that you want when done the shotblasted concrete can leave it looking rough if you do not use a 100% solids material. We do 3 coats of epoxy and then a urethane to protect further.
4. Primer should go down as the slab is cooling so it will not produce bubles int he finish. once sealed other coats can go on as needed.
5. shotblating will cause you to use more epoxy as it leaves lots of peaks and valleys to fill which is what you want. Justmake surey ou have enough material to complete the job.

IF anyone has questions I would be happy to help if I can.

Don

www.ultimategarageworks.com

 

[Floorguy]

I shotblast first, then put a little water on the old oily spots. If it beads up then you will need futher cleansing. If is soaks in, you should be ok. It really depends on how oily it was. A leaking deisel could spell trouble, a few spots from a leaking car not a problem. Feel free to email or PM if you want more details.

Are you using a primer then an epoxy or just going with a single coat of epoxy?

 

[jim1504]

Thanks Floorguy!. I'm using the Griots epoxy. I believe it is a double coat of epoxy. The oil leakage in my garage has been fairly minimal over the years so hopefully the shotblasting alone will do it.

Thanks again!

I shotblast first, then put a little water on the old oily spots. If it beads up then you will need futher cleansing. If is soaks in, you should be ok. It really depends on how oily it was. A leaking deisel could spell trouble, a few spots from a leaking car not a problem. Feel free to email or PM if you want more details.

Are you using a primer then an epoxy or just going with a single coat of epoxy?