Garage coating test -- Brakleen...

[EricVonHa]

Many concrete coating products are out there. They all say "chemical resistant". Well, how resistant are they?

I've noticed that my un-named brand does not do well with Brakleen and cleaning up grease or rotor/pad dust/rust. Using Brakleen and a cotton towel on the floor will clean up the mess. However, the floor's finish is permanently dulled in that area.

So, garage floor paint/epoxy sponsors and fellow enthusiasts, whose product is really more chemical resistant?

I'm looking to buy a product that retains a glossy sheen-- even through the abusive cleanup using Brakleen.

 

[softailgarage]

I wouldn't be using Brakleen on the floors. Yeah it's good for cutting grease and oil, but it's pretty abusive stuff. Maybe a citrus base product?

 

[Ruger_556]

Use some Citrol, won't hurt the floor and it'll take oil/grease off. Works great on oil stains in your jeans too.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Good point by softtail, wrong product to be using for cleanup.

If you have a quality coating on your floor the most you should need for clean-up is purple power and a paper towel. Urethanes do not allow the grease and oil to penetrate and therefore can be cleaned off quite easily.


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[BigDaveZJ]

I used to use brake cleaner all the time before I built my shop with a sealed floor. I used the Legacy 6525-MMA on my new shop, and anything that has spilled wipes right up. I find it now more an issue of how much the towel/rag can absorb as opposed to getting it all off the floor.

 

[fred d]

So.....I understand that citrus base is better to use as a clean up for the floor.

But what about a spill of brake clean? Or when trying to do a brake job, or degrease an area to find a oil leak brakekleen is used and then puddles on the floor.
Will that cause a problem with the epoxy coating

 

[Shea]

One of the keys here folks is to apply a quality top coat such as polyurethane or polyaspartic to your floor. Epoxy by itself will look glossy for a while, but strong cleaners and natural abrasion will take the gloss right out. This is why single coat epoxy floors loose their gloss after a while. Some quicker than others. A quality top coat is much more chemical and abrasion resistant and will keep the gloss much longer.

If you spill brake fluid, brake cleaner, carb cleaner, gas, or any other typical chemical that a garage may see, just wipe it up first with a rag. Any residue left over can be wiped up with simple cleaner.

Also as someone mentioned, use the right cleaner on the floor. You wouldn't spray brake cleaner on the finish of your nice car to wipe off bird poop all the time and expect your paint to last. As tough as these coatings can be, they are not bullet proof.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

It's funny you brought this up. Pulled out my car today and had a puddle of oil, ****** fluid and coolant on the floor (leaky C3 Vette). I sprayed it with a no-frills window cleaner and it wiped up perfect.

My suggestion would be to put down some cardboard when doing a brake job. If that is not possible than be sure to follow Shea's advice. Make sure your flooring project includes a finish coat of aliphatic urethane, polyaspartic or polyurea (like Nohr-S).

These topcoats will resist brakleen and pretty much anything else you have in your garage. Naturally, your floor will last longer if nasty spills are cleaned up sooner than later. Sand and grit from winter will do more damage (if not swept up periodically) than most chemicals, in the long run.

 

[Cave Creek Ray]

What Legacy said!

Who doesn't do a brake job without a 5x5 piece of cardboard under the brake area? Its a heck of a lot easier to clean up afterwards! I use double layers...

 

[Garage Flooring]

Many concrete coating products are out there. They all say "chemical resistant". Well, how resistant are they?

I've noticed that my un-named brand does not do well with Brakleen and cleaning up grease or rotor/pad dust/rust. Using Brakleen and a cotton towel on the floor will clean up the mess. However, the floor's finish is permanently dulled in that area.

So, garage floor paint/epoxy sponsors and fellow enthusiasts, whose product is really more chemical resistant?

I'm looking to buy a product that retains a glossy sheen-- even through the abusive cleanup using Brakleen.

On all epoxy products there is a chemical resistant chart. We can document which products are resistant to what and for how long. When you are doing a coatings project, you need to look at how your floor will be used. Once that is determined we can offer a coating to match those needs.

That said there have been several posts and tests regarding Rust Bullet and chemical resistance. It performs incredibly well with automotive fluids and magnesium chloride as well as salts in general. Its been sitting in diesel fuel for 7 years. Puts up with brake fluid, fully submerged for 7 days and has extensive documented testing regarding salts, etc.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

We have all our coatings sitting in kryptonite. They hold up well except for the Geiger-Counter is off the charts!!


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[Garage Flooring]

Many concrete coating products are out there. They all say "chemical resistant". Well, how resistant are they?

I've noticed that my un-named brand does not do well with Brakleen and cleaning up grease or rotor/pad dust/rust. Using Brakleen and a cotton towel on the floor will clean up the mess. However, the floor's finish is permanently dulled in that area.

So, garage floor paint/epoxy sponsors and fellow enthusiasts, whose product is really more chemical resistant?

I'm looking to buy a product that retains a glossy sheen-- even through the abusive cleanup using Brakleen.

We have some coating samples, and I am more than happy to get some Brakleen. I am curious. After you clean an area with it do you rinse it off or does it sit there indefinitely.

 

[brickG-man]

I don't know, I am kind of looking at it like Eric. Granted, maybe most people don't clean up messes with Brakleen but some could spill just using it the way it is supposed to be used. If the epoxy is supposed to be chemical resistant it should hold up

 

[brickG-man]

We have some coating samples, and I am more than happy to get some Brakleen. I am curious. After you clean an area with it do you rinse it off or does it sit there indefinitely.

It actually just kind of evaporates!

 

[Garage Flooring]

Ok. I will pick some up and check it over Rust Bullet.


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[HemiRamOn22s]

I use brakleen/carb cleaner on my epoxy floor all of the time. It works great.

 

[benwah]

It really depends on the type of epoxy and the resins used in that epoxy to what it will hold up to. Not all epoxy is created equal.

Amine, Polyamide, Poly(amidoamine), Cycloaliphatic, Novolac, Vinyl Ester, Water-Bourne and Coal-Tar epoxies, for example, will all have different properties and chemical resistances. Some will overlap, but they are all used for different environments from water immersion, fuel storage, chemical storage, high temp, chloride resistance etc etc.

You should always check with manufacturer if you are looking for a coating to protect against certain chemicals. If you are top coating with a polyurethane, I believe you should follow the same steps.

 

[Garage Flooring]

It really depends on the type of epoxy and the resins used in that epoxy to what it will hold up to. Not all epoxy is created equal.

Amine, Polyamide, Poly(amidoamine), Cycloaliphatic, Novolac, Vinyl Ester, Water-Bourne and Coal-Tar epoxies, for example, will all have different properties and chemical resistances. Some will overlap, but they are all used for different environments from water immersion, fuel storage, chemical storage, high temp, chloride resistance etc etc.

You should always check with manufacturer if you are looking for a coating to protect against certain chemicals. If you are top coating with a polyurethane, I believe you should follow the same steps.

I use brakleen/carb cleaner on my epoxy floor all of the time. It works great.

Its also important to remember that a lot of times we talk about epoxy but we are really dealing with urethane top coats. I think right now we have 6 different aliphatic urethanes alone. You have WB products, Low VOC products and specialty products that are all used as top coats in many epoxy systems. Others use clear epoxy, which again there is a ton of variation.

 

[benwah]

Its also important to remember that a lot of times we talk about epoxy but we are really dealing with urethane top coats. I think right now we have 6 different aliphatic urethanes alone. You have WB products, Low VOC products and specialty products that are all used as top coats in many epoxy systems. Others use clear epoxy, which again there is a ton of variation.

Exactly! This is why, when talking to someone about their floor I like to get as much info as possible on what it will be exposed to. Some people on here say that "Isn't necessary", but I do not agree with that. Also, it's good for the owner of the floor to know what they can expose it to, without sacrificing the coating's durability. Which I think most of the Vendor's on here do!

 

[JCQuick]

I know ya'll wont beleive this but I have used brake clean ,carb clean and even parts washing fluid on my epoxy floor with no issues. and its U-coat-it .

mind you it doesn't sit on it. When I'm cleaning brakes i put a drain pan under what I'm cleaning to keep it off the floor

 

[Dave88LX]

Haha, I have used Brake Cleaner on mine.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Brakeleen evaporates so fast I doubt it will be on the floor long enough to harm it.


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[Joeys79]

I did a test with Rust Bullet. I had a tile painted with two coats, cured for about two weeks. I took a small cotton patch about 2"x2" and soaked with Brakleen (Red Can), placed it on the tile, covered it with a piece of plastic so it wouldn't evaporate and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Absolutely nothing happened. I tried scraping it to se if it softened, but nothing. The picture doesn't say much, because you can't see anything.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I did a test with Rust Bullet. I had a tile painted with two coats, cured for about two weeks. I took a small cotton patch about 2"x2" and soaked with Brakleen (Red Can), placed it on the tile, covered it with a piece of plastic so it wouldn't evaporate and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Absolutely nothing happened. I tried scraping it to se if it softened, but nothing. The picture doesn't say much, because you can't see anything.

Nice work!

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Brakleen is not a good test of chem resistance. I sprayed 5 coating samples that we have roasting in the Florida sun (UV TEST) and not one of them blinked. One was an acrylic hybrid.

In fact, it proved as a good way to remove dust from the coatings!!

 

[benwah]

Try cheesecloth soaked in MEK, rub back and forth until failure occurs. Wear gloves.

 

[Garage Flooring]

The most vital chemical resistance testing for any coating is testing it against the chemicals you use in your garage. In all seriousness I have seen coatings stand up to harsh solvents and get stained by soda and dog pee.

If you look on some of the charts you will even see testing for Coca Cola and others.

Anyway if you use a product, testing it on the coating is a good idea. Throw everything at it that you think your floor would be exposed to. Then scratch it up with a utility knife into squares and do the same. Put some gorilla tape over the scratched up section, leave it there a while and remove it.

If I sell you a coating that resists SKydrol but it does nothing for what you use in your garage....

Any way, that is my two cents about the issue.

Re BENWAH and MEK: This is a great test because so much of what we have in the garage has MEK in it. Not to mention, a good MEK test is usually indicative of solvent resistance all the way around.

 

[benwah]

Right, kind of hard to go against ASTM methods!

 

[Garage Flooring]

Right, kind of hard to go against ASTM methods!

Agreed. Although I have not seen extensive cross hatch testing after chemical exposure. I think it makes a ton of sense.

 

[Joeys79]

The question was about Brakleen, and in my opinion the most common chemical I would get on my floor. I don't know why I would be rubbing my floor with MEK. It also wasn't happy with Acetone for 20 minutes, but I don't know why I would do that either, unless intentional. I'm sure there are others that would kill it too.

My point was to answer the original question. Also, 20 minutes is way overkill and not just spraying it. Bottom line is the stuff is tough.

 

[Garage Flooring]

The question was about Brakleen, and in my opinion the most common chemical I would get on my floor. I don't know why I would be rubbing my floor with MEK. It also wasn't happy with Acetone for 20 minutes, but I don't know why I would do that either, unless intentional. I'm sure there are others that would kill it too.

My point was to answer the original question. Also, 20 minutes is way overkill and not just spraying it. Bottom line is the stuff is tough.

It was a great test for your application and I am glad it turned out well.

MEK is very common and testing for resistance to it is a good idea. Many cleaners and other products contain it.

 

[EricVonHa]

Reviving this from the dead.

This stuff is incredible. From a serious/extreme home hobbyist perspective -- very pleased. Contaminants bead up (almost like a freshly waxed automotive paint surface in the rain).

https://armorpoxy.com/commercial-floors-and-hangars/acid-static-resistant/


Also, these guys were the only supplier to contact me with an actual data sheet depicting various chemical types and the effects on their product.

 

[Armorpoxy]

It's been a pleasure working with you! Please post the pics!

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Something I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned (unless I missed it)... are you guys using chlorinated brakleen, or non-chlorinated? There's a pretty significant difference with regard to the solvents you're exposing the floor to, and that may affect how the coating reacts.

That said, I've had both types of cleaner get on my tiled floor (MotoFloor from Costco, made by Racedeck) and it doesn't affect the tiles at all.