Help on DIY Hangar floor paint removal & refinish

[sleeper-319]

Hey all, I rent an small airplane T-Hangar, about 800 sq feet of area. Previous tenant painted the floor with crappy paint that is flaking and making a mess everywhere. I want to remove the old paint and refinish the floor. Apart from the paint, the concrete is pretty smoth and in good condition. It doesn't need any concrete repair.

Since I'm a renter, and won't be here forever, I don't want to overspend. It seems like a good way to go for removing the paint is renting a floor polisher and Dimabrush at Home Depot. Does anyone know how long this should take? And I have no nearby host to wet the floor. I'd have to do it dry (or wet using 5 gallon buckets of water, and mops or squeegees). Is the paint removal a 1-day job, or longer?

As for refinishing, I don't need fancy. Is there a simple concrete sealer or coating that is easy to apply and reasonably affordable? I don't need it to look fancy. I'm just tired of tracking red paint bits from my shoes everywhere.

<dog and airplane not to scale>

 

[The Cobbler]

first thing you need to do (In my opinion ) is see if you have a vapour/moisture issue coming through the floor
. vapour will be an issue for bonding of coatings

 

[Jeff]

Being that you rent, I wouldn't invest in any flooring upgrades unless you can take it with you.

 

[sleeper-319]

How does one do that? (was a reply to The Cobbler)

 

[sleeper-319]

Being that you rent, I wouldn't invest in any flooring upgrades unless you can take it with you.

So... plastic tiles?

 

[Jeff]

How does one do that? (was a reply to The Cobbler)

So... plastic tiles?

So... plastic tiles?

that would be correct. but i am a cheap *******, i would just deal with the peeling and let it be.

 

[FMB4]

first thing you need to do (In my opinion ) is see if you have a vapour/moisture issue coming through the floor
. vapour will be an issue for bonding of coatings

You can place plastic sheeting down for a week or so and see what you get. You need not sheet the entire floor tho. Meanwhile, The Cobbler likely as more info on this.

 

[Joemctag]

You want to get rid of paint flakes. I certainly get that. Do you really want to do anything to it after removing most of the paint?

 

[sleeper-319]

So... plastic tiles?

that would be correct. but i am a cheap *******, i would just deal with the peeling and let it be.

That's where I am so far.

It's just messy as hell, and when the wind blows, I get a flurry of red flakes everywhere.

You want to get rid of paint flakes. I certainly get that. Do you really want to do anything to it after removing most of the paint?

Not really. I'm assuming that I'd need to do something after removing the paint, but maybe that assumption is wrong.

 

[sleeper-319]

You can place plastic sheeting down for a week or so and see what you get. You need not sheet the entire floor tho. Meanwhile, The Cobbler likely as more info on this.

Edit: I now understand you were talking about how to determine if moisture was coming up through the slab. Thanks for the tip. What do you mean by plastic sheeting? Thin stuff would probably get torn up quickly by foot traffic and moving the plane & car in and out regularly.

 

[rjacobs]

Grind it.

Use the Rustoleum epoxy kits you can get at Home Depot.

I normally wouldnt recommend them, but for your project, probably good enough.

 

[landlord30]

How do you fit in that plane or is that just a really big dog?

 

[sleeper-319]

The plane is like one of those Harry Potter tents. Surprisingly spacious on the inside.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Agree, if this is not your owned space, put down either something inexpensive from a home center, or interlocking tiles which you can take with you at some point. We carry these as do several other vendors on GJ.

 

[PoorUB]

You can rent a floor buffer with carbide scrapper blade that will peel that off in minutes.

 

[Steve in UT]

I did the dimabrush thing to remove a bad densifier layer on 1,280 sqft. I went slow and did a cross hatch pattern on 10'x12' sections. Took me about an hour each section or 12 hrs. I used the Home Depo unit that had the water tank, a must in my book. If I were you, I would take 8 hours and go over it with the dimabrush and throw some cheap paint over what ever doesn't come up. If all the paint comes up, the all the better, gives you more options!

 

[Steve in UT]

You can rent a floor buffer with carbide scrapper blade that will peel that off in minutes.

I believe that is what the dimabrush is.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/rental/Diamabrush-Coating-Removal-Disc-7-12569/309406722
My Home Depo was reluctant to rent it to me. I guess the blades break fairly easy and cost a lot.

 

[ZRX61]

Anywhere near a convention center? Hit the dumpsters after a convention & grab 800st ft of the carpet they always throw out.

 

[sleeper-319]

did the dimabrush thing to remove a bad densifier layer on 1,280 sqft. I went slow and did a cross hatch pattern on 10'x12' sections.

A densifier layer would involve removing a lot more material than just surface paint though, right? So presumably paint removal should be quicker. That's sorta what I'm trying to figure out.

Anywhere near a convention center? Hit the dumpsters after a convention & grab 800st ft of the carpet they always throw out.

No. Not really. Also don't own a truck, so I'd have to rent one to dumpster dive. Good idea though.

 

[Steve in UT]

A densifier layer would involve removing a lot more material than just surface paint though, right? So presumably paint removal should be quicker. That's sorta what I'm trying to figure out.

I think you are just going to have to give it a try. I wasn't trying to remove a hardened layer of concrete, just a coating that I let dry on the surface that in hind sight should have been rinsed off before drying. I was using colloidal silica, the stuff that you aren't suppose to need to rinse off. I have learned since, that the layer left with colloidal silica can be buffed to a nice finish. Anyhow, I took my time and removed a little concrete in the process just to make sure I got the dried densifier layer off.

 

[InsanePyro]

How about cheapo pavement sealer?

 

[vminchevDeondre]

Hey all, I rent an small airplane T-Hangar, about 800 sq feet of area. Previous tenant painted the floor with crappy paint that is flaking and making a mess everywhere. I want to remove the old paint and refinish the floor. Apart from the paint, the concrete is pretty smoth and in good condition. It doesn't need any concrete repair.

Since I'm a renter, and won't be here forever, I don't want to overspend. It seems like a good way to go for removing the paint is renting a floor polisher and Dimabrush at Home Depot. Does anyone know how long this should take? And I have no nearby host to wet the floor paint. I'd have to do it dry (or wet using 5 gallon buckets of water, and mops or squeegees). Is the paint removal a 1-day job, or longer?

As for refinishing, I don't need fancy. Is there a simple concrete sealer or coating that is easy to apply and reasonably affordable? I don't need it to look fancy. I'm just tired of tracking red paint bits from my shoes everywhere.

<dog and airplane not to scale>

Floor Painting provide a protective layer that is aesthetically appealing and durable. In some cases, property owners may apply a few millimetres on existing floors or an entire screed. In the latter case, it may be necessary to mix the screed with quartz sands to increase the mechanical resistance of the floor. To understand how to remove epoxy floor coating for concrete floors, you should familiarize yourself with the installation process and the materials involved. The laying of epoxy resins is time-consuming as it takes about a week to settle. However, the results are usually impressive.

 

[sleeper-319]

Hey all, replying with a follow up. I ended up renting the Dimabrush from Home Depot. It went about the same as for Steve in UT. It was probably about 10 hours worth of work. Pretty slow going. On the upside, the epoxy is removed, the hangar looks a lot nicer, and I'm not tracking red flakes everywhere.

It was a lot of work for a property I don't own, and while I was doing it, I kept thinking that I should have just let it be. After I finished though, I'm glad I did it; it was worth a days work and $150 equipment rental for the result. I'm happier every time I'm in and out of the hangar.

Kinda interesting re an earlier comment. It does seem that water seepage from under the slab is the issue. When hangar neighbors in my row saw me doing it, several commented that they also had epoxy flaking up in exactly the same way mine was, and several said they would see moisture through after heavy rain periods, and that it's been a persistent problem in some of those hangars for years. So... definitely not re-doing epoxy. I will use a cheap sealer.

 

[FJ4FUN]

Yeah, managing run-off can be challenging in airport environments. Lots of asphalt, concrete, and roof area combined with grade level slabs is a recipe for MVT issues.

 

[Forgottonia]

A good way to get flaking paint up from concrete is by using an air compressor. It's a LOT easier than sanding/scraping.