New pad sealing for long term exposure

[nvbigblue]

Hey guys,

I should be breaking ground in the next month on a pad for my new shop. The pad will be a 6" inch monolithic pour. The actual size is 41' 1"W X 39' 8 1/2L. The GC is suggesting a 6.5 bag mix, no fiber, with #4 bars on 18" centers. I can't find my email, but I believe he said it would be 4500 psi...

I know that it will need to cure for 28 days or so, but I have a question about sealing it.

Specifically, once the pad is poured, it may end up sit exposed for quite some time before I can get my bldg (already purchased and on-site) erected. I work overseas and may not get back in the states in time this year to get it put up. If I don't get back this year, I probably wouldn't be back until April or May of next year.

If it's going to sit exposed for that long, what would be the recommendations for sealing / protecting it? It's in norther Nevada, so we do get rain, and in my location some snow during the winter (could be a couple inches, could be several feet )

Long term, once the bldg is up, it will be a working shop / parking garage for the most part so not looking to make it a beauty queen. It's just for me, not commercial or anything. I do quite a bit of engine/****** work, so the normal engine pullers and other rolling stock. There will be a 10K two post lift. I'm also planning on a mill and lathe.

Anyways, I don't want the thing beat up by the weather, and I don't want to do something stupid like putting down a sealer now that might interfere with another sealer (densifier??) that I might put on after the bldg goes up. I might put something like Racedeck down in a small area at some point for a 'showroom' floor for my bikes.

The possibility does exist that once the pad is cured, I might just throw some money at the problem and have the bldg erected by a crew, but I've been planning on doing this with my boys for quite a while now and I'd like to put the thing up with them.

At any rate, since I'm not a concrete or flooring guy, I thought I'd defer to those that know more than me.

Thanks for the input. I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say.

NV

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Put down an acrylic sealer.
Easily stripped or ground off later.

http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/hd6525mma-concrete-sealer-p-299.html


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[ConCretin]

I'll defer to L.I. on the sealer but I thought I'd give you something else to think about. I faced a similar situation where my slabs were going to sit exposed to a Maine winter before I could get a structure built over them.

The question I wrestled with was the concrete itself. Normally you want to use air entrained concrete if it will be exposed to freeze/thaw conditions. A chemical is used to create millions of tiny air bubbles that give the concrete some give.

The problem arises when a smooth trowel finish is applied to air entrained concrete because it becomes very prone to de-lamination. It's possible to avoid this but it's risky. So, do you take a chance the winter weather is going to ruin your non air entrained slab or that it de-laminates all over the place?

In the end, I decided that a fully cured slab could stand up to one winter and did not use the air entrained concrete and the slabs stood up just fine. By the way I didn't opt for a sealer. I didn't see the need and wanted to avoid either the hassle of removing it or risking floor covering adhesion issues.

Of course you could avoid all this and build the garage right now, which is my vote. And Oh Yea, post lots of pics. I know you didn't ask about all this but I figured I'd throw it in there in case it comes up. Good luck with your project.

 

[nvbigblue]

Thanks for the input guys!
LL, I read through the whole thread on your CU build..... woof.... very nicely done...nice place man!

NV