Removing carpet from 1974/ Applying Epoxy

[Pontiyak]

Just moved into a new house, which was built in 1974 and appears to have had the garage used as a den.

I want to epoxy the floor and start parking my cars in it.

I have to remove this ugly, dirty, awful carpet.

I'm cutting and scrapping the carpet, which was rubber backed or had some kind of rubber pad underneath it.

Then I am grinding with a dewalt diamond cup wheel on a harbor freight 7" grinder. No dust collection. But I do have a shop vac to clean up afterwards with.

Question: After I have ground the floor, is it necessary to acid etch as well?

Also, other than being labor intensive and dusty, am I missing something? I have a respirator with some p100 filters.

I'm going to be marathoning this project, maybe working an hour a night until its done. Garage is 511 SF

 

[kd3pc]

I would etch it to make sure all the adhesive has been removed....if it is not, it may react with the epoxy and spoil it.

Some of the pros will pony up an answer I am sure,

 

[thegarageguy]

maybe you want to invest in a good respirator and rent a grinder with dust shroud and appropriate vac.....unless your health isn't much of a concern.

Next, after you saved your lungs, invest in a calcium chloride test to ensure the epoxy coating you choose does not blister off.

And no you do not need to acid wash after you diamond grind but you do want to remove all the residual dust off the ground so maybe a few good mopping sessions would help.

Good luck and stay healthy!

 

[Pontiyak]

Next, after you saved your lungs, invest in a calcium chloride test to ensure the epoxy coating you choose does not blister off.

OK so I googled the calcium chloride test, and it measures the amount of moisture emitted from a concrete slab (presumably coming from the ground under my house)

.... but how does that factor into my epoxy job?

I imagine that all it does is confirm or deny that my slab is in an appropriate range for epoxy, and not that a "wetter" or "dryer" slab uses different epoxys or formulations?

So just a Yes/No that my slab can be coated?

 

[bigbadktm]

Being that your house was built before 1986, I suspect that the black mastic you just ground up and introduced into the air contained asbestos. We will shut down a job if we find any suspicious substances while doing our prep work and have it tested. There is no reason to take a chance. And as far as acid etching goes, there is no need to introduce moisture into the concrete after grinding. I have NEVER acid etched a floor after grinding it and I have done dozens of garage floors. The company I work for has done hundreds the same way. No problems.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

OK so I googled the calcium chloride test, and it measures the amount of moisture emitted from a concrete slab (presumably coming from the ground under my house)

.... but how does that factor into my epoxy job?

I imagine that all it does is confirm or deny that my slab is in an appropriate range for epoxy, and not that a "wetter" or "dryer" slab uses different epoxys or formulations?

So just a Yes/No that my slab can be coated?

Garage Guy gave you some very good advice regarding your lungs. Silicosis is no joke.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for silicosis. Removing the source of silica exposure is important to prevent the disease from getting worse. Supportive treatment includes cough medicine, bronchodilators, and oxygen if needed. Antibiotics are prescribed for respiratory infections as needed.

Treatment also includes limiting exposure to irritants, quitting smoking, and having routine tuberculosis skin tests.

People with silicosis are at high risk for developing tuberculosis (TB). Silica is believed to interfere with the body's immune response to the bacteria that cause TB. People with silicosis should have skin tests to check for exposure to TB. Those with a positive skin test should be treated with anti-TB drugs. Any change in the appearance of the chest x-ray may be a sign of TB.

Patients with severe silicosis may need to have a lung transplant.

Wear a respirator in addition to a dust shroud/vac!





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Pontiyak]

Wear a respirator in addition to a dust shroud/vac!

read OP - i have a half mask respirator with fresh p100's



next up, I joined this forum to research what to do, decide on a course of action, and then remodel my garage. That being said I asked a legit question on the application of a calcium chloride test, and all I've gotten is a bunch of waambulance nanny's telling me to wear a dust mask. lets keep it on topic, because all ya'll are doing is driving me away from this forum (and your business LI)

 

[gc427]

maybe you want to invest in a good respirator and rent a grinder with dust shroud and appropriate vac.....unless your health isn't much of a concern.

Next, after you saved your lungs, invest in a calcium chloride test to ensure the epoxy coating you choose does not blister off.

And no you do not need to acid wash after you diamond grind but you do want to remove all the residual dust off the ground so maybe a few good mopping sessions would help.

Good luck and stay healthy!

It looks like thegarageguy answered your question. Maybe you missed that part of his answer.

I would scrape as much of that floor as possible prior to grinding. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Pontiyak]

It looks like thegarageguy answered your question. Maybe you missed that part of his answer.

I would scrape as much of that floor as possible prior to grinding. Just my 2 cents.

Right, I do the calcium chloride test, and then what?
How do I interpret the results? How do the results determine what product I use?

Just doing a test doesn't magically make the epoxy stick.

 

[Shea]

Here you go. This article will help explain why you want to do a moisture test, how to do a calcium chloride test, and what results you are looking for. Why you should moisture test before applying epoxy.

 

[gc427]

This info is copied from Sherwin Williams with link to follow:

Prior to installing the epoxy flooring system, measure the Moisture Vapor Transmission using Calcium Chloride test kits as described by ASTM E 1907-97 or humidity test (see Form G-1). During the measurement process, temperature (both air and surface) and humidity must be recorded to provide meaning to the test. All measurements (and floor installation) should be done when the facility is equilibrated to use conditions with respect to temperature and humidity. Readings should not exceed 3.0 pounds/24 hours/1000 square feet. The carpet, resilient and tile flooring industries share this criteria.

If the MVT readings are higher than acceptable, the slab must be treated to remedy the situation or the owner must risk the possibility of moisture related problems after the floor is installed.

http://generalpolymers.com/mvt_terrazzo.html

 

[Pontiyak]

Here you go. This article will help explain why you want to do a moisture test, how to do a calcium chloride test, and what results you are looking for. Why you should moisture test before applying epoxy.

Perfect, that explained it pretty well.

So next up is a moisture test, depending on reults i thun use Bio Vee Seal or similar http://www.epoxyproducts.com/vee4u.html before the epoxy coating, right?

 

[tncatadjuster]

Being that your house was built before 1986, I suspect that the black mastic you just ground up and introduced into the air contained asbestos.

Look at the photos, no asbestos in carpet padding. Asbestos this late in the chain is a joke, just there to make money for contractors. Proceed and protect your lungs as noted.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

read OP - i have a half mask respirator with fresh p100's



next up, I joined this forum to research what to do, decide on a course of action, and then remodel my garage. That being said I asked a legit question on the application of a calcium chloride test, and all I've gotten is a bunch of waambulance nanny's telling me to wear a dust mask. lets keep it on topic, because all ya'll are doing is driving me away from this forum (and your business LI)

Didn't mean to turn you off...
I see so many guys walk in that dust everyday too cool or tough to wear a mask.

 

[SteveCh]

next up, I joined this forum to research what to do, decide on a course of action, and then remodel my garage. That being said I asked a legit question on the application of a calcium chloride test, and all I've gotten is a bunch of waambulance nanny's telling me to wear a dust mask. lets keep it on topic, because all ya'll are doing is driving me away from this forum (and your business LI)

Ouch, someone's been breathing too much dust....

I recommend easing up and reading and listening. I've learned a ton of stuff on here since I joined a year ago, and I thought I knew a fair amount. Lots of folks here know a whole lot more than me, I can tell you. Sometimes responses here, as in any forum, can come off a bit critical, but all in all, it responses are well-meaning and I can guarantee you'll learn stuff and sources and resources you might well never have come across on your own. And, after your project is completed, you'll be in here giving responses to others just beginning theirs.

 

[Pontiyak]

I've made a ton of progress, rented an Edco and hooked up to my shop vac it created hardly any dust.

Time for the calcium chloride test, however:

I live in FL, and we have a distinct wet and dry season. Currently it is the dry season. How accurate is a calcium chloride test during the dry season, compared to a wet season test?

 

[Pontiyak]

^ any help?

Decided Action Plan:
(X)Grind Floors - ~13hrs, 1 day Edco rental, 1 massive migraine
( ) Scrub floors with Tide
( ) Pressure Wash & Acid Etch
( ) Wait 2 weeks
( ) Prime with Epoxy 200 Primer / Sealer
( ) Epoxy-Coat Premium Kit - Apply Base (Lowes)
( ) Add 25lbs chips from BuyRhino.com
( ) Epoxy-Coat Premium - Apply Clear

The above equates to $1.99/SF for 518 SF, including the additioinal chips and a $50 budget for misc. supplies

 

[Pontiyak]

Alright here's the finished project.

Rented a grinder that hooked up to my shop vac. Dust was minimal

Used Pre-Prime 167. This was advertized as "solvent free". I seriously doubt that because man were the fumes bad. Stunk up the WHOLE house. Very angry wife.

Next goes the Epoxy Coat. It was pretty congealed up in the buckets, and was hard to work with. Side note, they do return calls on saturday. Kudos.

For flakes I added red and pure metallic light grey to the white/black provided in the epoxy coat kit. These came from original color chips.

Then I epoxy coated the clear, and shook on some shark grit from sherwin williams.

Floor is not too rough, and not slippery at all. Came out perfect IMO. The floor is not "high gloss" probably due to the texture, but looks great for a residential garage.

Next up was to park the toys.

Cabinets were the Costco ones. Project still in the process. Only thing left is the baseboard.

Should I use hardiboard, or do some black subway tiles? what would you pick?