How do I get a "big box store" floor?

[Piggywutz]

Hopefully in a few weeks we will be starting on our new home build. Included in this project is a 30x40 shop for me.

I don't know much about concrete finishing. I would be thrilled if I could get the floor to look like the floors in just about any Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart etc.

I like the look of the natural concrete, I just want it smooth and sealed.

Please tell me how to get the big box store floor that I want.

Thanks

 

[bdamico]

Try searching "home depot" in title only?

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137979&highlight=home+depot

and then use that knowledge to do a search for burnishing?

 

[Toolfool]

I don't know if the picture shows well, but the procedure for my shop floors was 1) Pour and screed to preset screed pipes, 2) Bullfloat, 3) Hand trowel , 4) Power trowel, burnishing until all cream is dry, 5) After building was dried in and concrete cured, four coats of Ultraseal.

 

[Justanoldguy]

I don't know if the picture shows well, but the procedure for my shop floors was 1) Pour and screed to preset screed pipes, 2) Bullfloat, 3) Hand trowel , 4) Power trowel, burnishing until all cream is dry, 5) After building was dried in and concrete cured, four coats of Ultraseal.

That came up perfect. Job well done.

 

[Piggywutz]

Damico, thanks for the link.

Toolfool, very nice looking floor.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Hopefully in a few weeks we will be starting on our new home build. Included in this project is a 30x40 shop for me.



I don't know much about concrete finishing. I would be thrilled if I could get the floor to look like the floors in just about any Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart etc.



I like the look of the natural concrete, I just want it smooth and sealed.



Please tell me how to get the big box store floor that I want.



Thanks

All in the troweling. Once power troweled to excess or slick troweled, seal with a good Stainguard like our HD40 Concrete Stainguard.

http://www.legacyindustrial.net/hd40-concrete-stain-guard-product-video.html


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[Armorpoxy]

Hi
The big box stores use polished concrete, a multi step process that is expensive, and not very chemical or fuel resistant. Normally polished concrete is not used in garages, but can be.

To get that look our SPGX would give a similar look, but also give super resistance to garage liquids.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Nah, nah nah...
The older floors are polished. The newer stores are slick troweled, densified, sealed and burnished. They are maintained, in many cases, with Diamabrush polishing heads on the Tennant scrubber machines used to clean the floor.

This is a much more efficient and cost effective way to a low maintenance floor.


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[kwschumm]

I don't know if the picture shows well, but the procedure for my shop floors was 1) Pour and screed to preset screed pipes, 2) Bullfloat, 3) Hand trowel , 4) Power trowel, burnishing until all cream is dry, 5) After building was dried in and concrete cured, four coats of Ultraseal.

Gorgeous floor. Yours is the type of beautiful and functional utilitarian floor I'm going for. Thanks for posting!

 

[Toolfool]

There were nine of us to pour and finish my 40' x 90' slab in one day. And two power trowels. A lot of work, but I've gotten a lot of compliments, and it still looks great seven+ years later.

 

[HotRodMan]

I also admired the concrete floor at Wal-Mart. I found out the company that made the finish and contacted them about putting that same finish in my garage. I have seen fork lifts, heavy traffic, and all kinds of mistreatment so I thought that this would be a good choice. The company e mailed me back saying that they did not recommend their finish in a garage because it would not hold up to hot tires. I was amazed and did not try to use the finish in my garage.

 

[Justanoldguy]

We did a factory floor a few years back. Was 80ft x 150ft.
On a section of it 40 ft square we screeded and troweled it then sprinkled an inch of iron filings on it all. Then power floated it into the surface. That floor section was so hard that even dropping a large steel bar from 10 ft never even marked it. Brilliant hard shiny surface.

 

[theoldwizard1]

After building was dried in and concrete cured, ..l.

28 day cure I assume !

 

[Radix2]

We did a factory floor a few years back. Was 80ft x 150ft.
On a section of it 40 ft square we screeded and troweled it then sprinkled an inch of iron filings on it all. Then power floated it into the surface. That floor section was so hard that even dropping a large steel bar from 10 ft never even marked it. Brilliant hard shiny surface.

really ? I would have thought all you would get is a big rusty mess.

 

[Piggywutz]

Thanks for all the replies.

I didn't know that the store floors were that involved tonget their look.

I have never heard of metal filings in a floor. How did they go about "sprinkling" them?

 

[DCVING6]

Try finding a local contractor to grind and polish the concrete.

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[Justanoldguy]

really ? I would have thought all you would get is a big rusty mess.

Not at all. Well pounded in with powerfloat and a few other chemical additives.
Here is the original patent on the idea.

http://www.google.com/patents/US3668150

 

[rburke65]

I worked at a General Motors in the Body shop where the floors took a hell of a beating with steel baskets full of body parts.....no feet or legs......brackets, braces, reinforcing plates. The floors there were poured ith the steel fibers and a surface hardner. Look like a small wall tie used hen laying brick or a wide Bobby pin.

 

[12husky]

All in the troweling. Once power troweled to excess or slick troweled, seal with a good Stainguard like our HD40 Concrete Stainguard.

http://www.legacyindustrial.net/hd40-concrete-stain-guard-product-video.html


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How long after the pour do you wait to apply it? I poured my concrete yesterday.


-Matt

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

How long after the pour do you wait to apply it? I poured my concrete yesterday.


-Matt

Matt:
This product is breathable. Therefore, 2.5 weeks is sufficient (no dark spots).

 

[FunBags]

What is the general life cycle with the HD40. I want a sealer that I don't have to redo every couple of years, preferably ~10 years would be optimal if possible.