Flooring advice for proper protection

[willehca]

First post, lot's of great advice on this forum.... on to the matter

I'm getting to the point where I'm almost done the interior finish of my workshop and I'd like to start moving things in. Before I do that I would like to do something with the floor, primarily for stain resistance. I'm not really interested in epoxy and I am thinking after reading a number of previous threads that I should go with a densifier and then something to resist oil and fluids.

Does this sound correct for a 32' x 40' - 4" poured floor on packed sand fill over mostly clay ground. Workshop will have all sorts of work done in it (recreation only not a business) such as oil changes, auto work, some welding, some woodwork. Pretty much you name it, and if I need to do it, I'll try it. The floor already has a few rubber marks and a spot where my K5 marked it's territory with antifreeze.

What products could someone recommend for success, keeping in mind I'm in Canada (Central Ontario to be more precise), I doubt shipping from the US will be a feasible option.

 

[Garage Flooring]

First post, lot's of great advice on this forum.... on to the matter

I'm getting to the point where I'm almost done the interior finish of my workshop and I'd like to start moving things in. Before I do that I would like to do something with the floor, primarily for stain resistance. I'm not really interested in epoxy and I am thinking after reading a number of previous threads that I should go with a densifier and then something to resist oil and fluids.

Does this sound correct for a 32' x 40' - 4" poured floor on packed sand fill over mostly clay ground. Workshop will have all sorts of work done in it (recreation only not a business) such as oil changes, auto work, some welding, some woodwork. Pretty much you name it, and if I need to do it, I'll try it. The floor already has a few rubber marks and a spot where my K5 marked it's territory with antifreeze.

What products could someone recommend for success, keeping in mind I'm in Canada (Central Ontario to be more precise), I doubt shipping from the US will be a feasible option.

One option would be a densifier followed by Ghostshield 8505. Another would be TrueLock TLPPC. 2-3 coats. Its a penetrating urethane sealer that leaves a little bit of sheen, protects from stains and makes the floor much easier to clean

 

[willehca]

Thanks for the reply. Can I ask if they are equivalent solutions or is one better than the other. The local Building supply (known for masonry products) pretty much looked at me like I had 3 heads when I asked about a densifier and suggested just a good sealer. I'm somewhat confused on what I need now.

I want something as mentioned in my first post and the only other caveat is that I have the K5 in the shop. I can only do one half at a time. I'd like to apply half one day, let sit for a day then roll the truck onto the first half and do the other half.

 

[rayra]

wouldn't so many coats of urethane sealer make the floor more slippery? Especialyl in wet climes I'd think it would be a concern.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Thanks for the reply. Can I ask if they are equivalent solutions or is one better than the other. The local Building supply (known for masonry products) pretty much looked at me like I had 3 heads when I asked about a densifier and suggested just a good sealer. I'm somewhat confused on what I need now.

I want something as mentioned in my first post and the only other caveat is that I have the K5 in the shop. I can only do one half at a time. I'd like to apply half one day, let sit for a day then roll the truck onto the first half and do the other half.

wouldn't so many coats of urethane sealer make the floor more slippery? Especialyl in wet climes I'd think it would be a concern.

They are completely different solutions. Apples and oranges.

A densifier and 8505 will permanently densify your floor and protect it from stains. It won't look any different than when you started. The TLPPC is chemical resistant, UV resistant, abrasion resistant penetrating sealer with a low solids urethane component. The first coat is going to completely soak in and seal the floor. Second coat will add a little luster and the third coat will start to build some shine.

Any wet floor can be slick. This product meets ASTM requirements and bonds very tightly to the surface with minimal mil thickness. You have to damage the concrete to damage the product and there is not enough thickness to give you the slick floor you would get with one of our top coats.

 

[sbosecker]

Thanks for the reply. Can I ask if they are equivalent solutions or is one better than the other. The local Building supply (known for masonry products) pretty much looked at me like I had 3 heads when I asked about a densifier and suggested just a good sealer. I'm somewhat confused on what I need now.

willehca,

Is there a chance that this is a terminology thing? My brother - builder for 25+ years in Indiana, gave me that same look when I mentioned a densifier about 6 months ago. I really didn't think too much about that until I said something to the guy that did my slab a couple of months ago (Georgia) and he didn't seem to know what I was talking about either. Then he said, "Do you mean like a hardener?"


Best regards,


Scott

 

[willehca]

willehca,

Is there a chance that this is a terminology thing? My brother - builder for 25+ years in Indiana, gave me that same look when I mentioned a densifier about 6 months ago. I really didn't think too much about that until I said something to the guy that did my slab a couple of months ago (Georgia) and he didn't seem to know what I was talking about either. Then he said, "Do you mean like a hardener?"


Best regards,


Scott

I think that may be the case, that they don't know it as a densifier.

So a bit more on my research, I called the concrete company and asked what they sprayed on the floor immediately after they were done power troweling it. It turns out that they used Diamond Hard (a densifier) which is a Euclid product I believe. So if I had a densifier applied at time of curing(last august), is it safe to say I can skip this step and go straight to a top coat?

Just to frame the kick in the teeth getting things in Canada due to a smaller population and weaker dollar(0.40 exchange approx) and not so cheap shipping:
Assume quantity to cover above building as per instructions

Ghostshield 4500 + 8505 from CDN supplier incl $50ship - 1040ish CDN
Ghostshield 4500 + 8505 from US supplier incl $77ship - 973ish CDN

 

[BlackTalon]

Not sure about availability in canada, but Prosoco has a line of consolidators/ densfiiers:

http://www.prosoco.com/consolideck/#link3

 

[Armorpoxy]

A good product at a great price would be our 1 part SPGX Polyurea clear coating. This is super chemical/solvent resistant, goes on with almost zero prep, and will give many, many years of protection.

See
https://store.armorpoxy.com/mm5/mer...=A&Product_Code=SPGX-GAL&Category_Code=AULTRA

 

[desgarage]

As you may already know, coating a garage floor can be a lot of work, not to mention the toxic fumes that you may be inhaling if you don't have proper safety equipment or gear. If you absolutely must do it yourself to save some dollars, I'd suggest to make sure you've done this before prior to engaging in the project. Otherwise, hiring a garage flooring contractor or company to do it right the first time might go a long way, especially if you're looking to coat your garage flooring, like with epoxy.

There are many other options with garage flooring though. Some are PVC flooring, which are basically modular floor tiles that come in many styles and colors. There are lots of benefits, espeically the ease of installation and to repair. Anyway, good luck on your project!

 

[CF Av8or]

So a bit more on my research, I called the concrete company and asked what they sprayed on the floor immediately after they were done power troweling it. It turns out that they used Diamond Hard (a densifier) which is a Euclid product I believe. So if I had a densifier applied at time of curing(last august), is it safe to say I can skip this step and go straight to a top coat?

Just read your post, as I am tying to decide on a penetrating sealer for my garage floor and Euco Diamond Hard densifier and sealer is near top of my list so far. I just read the Directions For Use instructions on the spec sheet and it says "New concrete should cure seven days or longer before application of Euco Diamond Hard".

Unfortunately, your concrete guy didn't take the time to read this before using the product. Hopefully, for your sake, without any harmful after-effects!