Siloxa ghostshield for new construction

[Thomasshawn]

I have recently built/ am still building a new 3- car garage roughly 1500 sq feet.
new concrete slab poured in February.

I anticipate construction to continue on through June.
I'd like to seal this concrete and possibly the massive driveway as well.

Smooth concrete floor with 8" curbs inside the structure to allow for easy power washing etc.

considering 8505 vs 8510 for the garage. Looks like I may need the densifier as well?

1. how long after fresh pour of concrete to seal?
2. what sort of prep needed since right now it's covered in saw dust etc. not sure when I can/should power wash it.
3. will either 8505/8510 tolerate power washing?
4. suggestions for the large driveway and circular drive?

I assume still good to avoid brake cleaner and solvent based cleaners getting on the floor where possible?

 

[RPH]

30 days. Clean and clean again. Apply densifier at rate suggested. Wait 7-10 days the apply ghostshield. I used 8505 on mine. Don’t let it pool. It will take longer to keep rolling it out than the spraying takes. If it pools it can leave a white substance behind. Ghostshield is a penetrating sealer so nothing to be removed by high pressure cleaning unless you are removing hunks of concrete. The stuff works great.

 

[Thomasshawn]

I've seen a few postings however that despite it being a penetrating sealant it's still very prone to damage by solvent-based cleaners. I've seen comments about brake cleaner causing issues. And one YouTube video where a guy sprayed PB blaster and it immediately penetrated the concrete and left a visible stain. He said he used 8510 and his follow-up video showed lots of staining from oil and transmission fluid. Not sure if it was just poor prep and installation or not but it gave me pause

 

[Shea]

It's important to remember that penetrating sealers are not coatings. They are non-film-forming sealers that resist a variety of liquids and chemicals depending on the product. They form a gel-like barrier at the subsurface. This is why the concrete looks the same and retains the same slip resistance once applied. Because it does not form an impenetrable film on the surface, if something sits long enough (even water), then it's going to get through and possibly stain.

PB Blaster is a PENETRATING lubricant. It does not surprise me that it stained the concrete. If sprayed on a quality coating, it would wipe right up.

Oil resistant penetrating sealers are designed to resist and repel petroleum chemicals. This allows time to clean up the offending liquid in a reasonable amount of time. However, it can still stain if left too long. If preventing (not resisting) stains is your primary requirement, then a coating should be considered instead.

 

[Thomasshawn]

It's important to remember that penetrating sealers are not coatings. They are non-film-forming sealers that resist a variety of liquids and chemicals depending on the product. They form a gel-like barrier at the subsurface. This is why the concrete looks the same and retains the same slip resistance once applied. Because it does not form an impenetrable film on the surface, if something sits long enough (even water), then it's going to get through and possibly stain.

PB Blaster is a PENETRATING lubricant. It does not surprise me that it stained the concrete. If sprayed on a quality coating, it would wipe right up.

Oil resistant penetrating sealers are designed to resist and repel petroleum chemicals. This allows time to clean up the offending liquid in a reasonable amount of time. However, it can still stain if left too long. If preventing (not resisting) stains is your primary requirement, then a coating should be considered instead.

Great distinction.
I'm looking to avoid the maintenance and durability issues of say an epoxy coating that would be suspeptible to dropped wrenches or floor jacks left loaded up for days or weeks. I would like to the minimize staining where possible thus my desire to find a good compromise and this sealant appeared to be that.

I still think it probably is but I'm open to suggestions as this will not be a showroom but a working garage that will ideally not LOOK like a working garage from the perspective of the floor.

 

[Shea]

Great distinction.
I'm looking to avoid the maintenance and durability issues of say an epoxy coating that would be suspeptible to dropped wrenches or floor jacks left loaded up for days or weeks. I would like to the minimize staining where possible thus my desire to find a good compromise and this sealant appeared to be that.

I still think it probably is but I'm open to suggestions as this will not be a showroom but a working garage that will ideally not LOOK like a working garage from the perspective of the floor.

The great advantage of penetrating sealers is that you don't have to worry about dragging sharp or rough-surfaced items on the concrete. There is nothing to scratch or peel up. Metal fabrication is a good example. They do make cleanup easier, but not quite like a coating does.

If dragging stuff like that across the surface is not something you will be doing or you don't mind making the effort not to do so, then you may want to look at a product like TS210 by Concrete Sealers USA. It's a thin film-forming acrylic polyurethane coating that does an excellent job at resisting stains from a variety of chemicals. It's easy to apply and inexpensive when compared to other coatings. In addition, unlike other coatings, it's not hard to repair spots that might get damaged. We have an article on it below.

We Review TS210 Clear Polyurethane Garage Floor Sealer and Coating for Bare Concrete

Why TS210 may be the best no etching required, clear coating and sealer for bare concrete, workshops, and garage floors. We test for durability, oil stain resistance, and ease of application.

allgaragefloors.com

 

[Armorpoxy]

We are responding directly to your email to us and are going to recommend Ballistix for this project since it is a more topical, and higher performance coating than Ghostshield for your application, or any other sealer. The Ballistix is impervious to the brake cleaners, PB Blaster, solvents, fuels, acids, paints, etc.

 

[Thomasshawn]

@Armorpoxy @Shea , Appears ballistix and ts210 are similar concepts and products?

Would be interested to hear some real life exiting users comments as well.

 

[Garage Flooring]

PM replied to

 

[Armorpoxy]

Yes, similar concepts but very different products. The TS210 is "acrylic modified aliphatic polyurethane", while the Ballistix is a "Silicone/Cermaic/Silane" which when mixed cross links when the 3 parts of the Ballistix get mixed together which makes the Ballistix a much more technically advanced product, and much more resistant to fuels, solvents, acids, etc.

Ballistix also has a higher coefficient of friction of .80 vs the .65 of the TS210 meaning it's less slippery. TS210 has 20% water which evaporates out in it vs Ballsitix with no water and has 98% actives.

The cross linking continues for about a week after application. The chemistry is very different between the two products.

 

[Shea]

@Armorpoxy @Shea , Appears ballistix and ts210 are similar concepts and products?

Would be interested to hear some real life exiting users comments as well.

ArmorPoxy is correct about the differences between the two. We are actually in the process of learning about Ballistix ourselves but don't possess enough information (yet) to be a confident authority regarding its uses and applications. It's a future article currently in the making. However, it does appear to be a very good product and ArmorPoxy would be the one to speak with about it.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi,
We can tell you that after extensive testing the product is now being used and specified for every bathroom along the NJ Turnpike to prevent staining, odor, and bacteria growth, and also by Amazon who is now using it to reduce slippage on their metal loading dock plates and surrounding loading areas. In addition the companies below are all customers using it in various interior and exterior locations within their organizations.

We are currently in stage III final testing with Starbucks to protect all of their polished concrete to reduce repolishing and slip/falls.

 

[Toyo72]

Good discussion, thanks for all the info. I am in the process with a similar project, 1500 sq ft of new concrete poured in December in a steel building garage/shop. Wish I had the budget for a polyaspartic or similar product, but don't at the moment, and am considering densifier/sealer. GhostShield looks great particularly for the price, Ballistix has me interested, albeit at a higher price point it may be worth it for the petroleum product resistance. Still mulling over all the options.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Please contact us directly for comparative quotes for the Ghostshield vs the Ballistix as the Ballistix two coat system (Acrylic sealer primer + Ballistix) runs less/sq foot than Ghostshield with densifier and the recommended two coats.