Good evening from S. Texas. I am in the process of building a new 50'x75' metal building which will be used to store my ranch equipment and serve as a maintenance facility. I am debating leaving the concrete bare vs some type of finish possibly epoxy. My only experience with a coated floor is in my machine shop which has a xylene based finish which is problematic with solvents and needs to be re-applied after 8 years. Bare concrete is pretty durable. Any thoughts? Thank you in advance!
Only advice I can give stay away from u coat it.
I have better traction walking on bare concrete than concrete coated with anything when it gets wet or muddy.
Bare concrete is very bad for absorbing oil spills. I applied Rust Oleum Rock Solid Polycurimine to my shop floor. It has a time frame to apply it after mixing the two parts together. I am pleased with the results. It impervious to any petroleum products that I have seen contact it. It is stupid easy to clean the floor after I applied it. I usually only need to use a leaf blower. It is a little slippery if there is water on it. I can roll a steel wheeled engine hoist over it with no harm to it. The downside is that it is $325.00 a gallon. I applied two coats.
Many epoxy floors I have seen are pretty but offer horrible traction especially when wet.
Get it over with quickly, get some old black motor oil and pour it all over the place.
I built a new shop 2 years ago for working on equipment and wanted to put something on the floor to protect it but didn't want an epoxy coating or something shiny and slippery. So after much research I found this product ULTRASIL LI+ it seals, densifies and dustproofs concrete in one operation and is made by Euclid Chemical. I purchased it through my local concrete company in 5 gal buckets and applied it to my floor by using a paint roller. I think it took 10+ gallons to do a 40' X 50' floor. Best decision I ever made to use this product, the concrete looks the same after applying, spills wipe up easy, its not slippery when wet, won't burn if welding or cutting and it eliminates the dust from the concrete when sweeping the floor. Be aware if you do use this product that when you apply it to the concrete the concrete will turn dirt brown while it is working into the floor but IT THE CONCRETE DOES RETURN TO IT'S NORMAL COLOR. This reaction really freaked me out when it happened. Here is the link to their website. https://www.euclidchemical.com/products/construction-products/liquid-densifiers/ultrasil-liplus/
Take a look over on "The Garage Journal" forum. Multiple threads and experiences with coating shop floors.
I did mine last fall with a siloxicane sealer. No dust, cleans up easy and not slippery at all. Only isuse is wont absorb water in winter, not going to be your issue though I think. Cheap and bonus is when welding or cutting, no spalling.
Sounds like what was put on my floor back in '93? It makes clean up so much easier. I'll never have another concrete floor without it. My only gripe is that the floor is slippery when wet but the ease of sweeping is worth that small agravation.
Hello! @ Legdo c When it comes to deciding on whether to leave the concrete bare or apply a finish, there are a few factors to consider. Bare concrete can be durable, but it is also susceptible to staining, dusting, and cracking over time. Applying a finish, such as an epoxy coating, can help protect the concrete from these issues and also make it easier to clean and maintain. However, as you mentioned, some finishes can be problematic with solvents and may need to be reapplied periodically. One option you might consider is a polyaspartic coating, which is a type of epoxy that is more resistant to solvents and UV rays and can last longer than traditional epoxy coatings. It also dries faster, which means less downtime during the application process. Another option is a concrete sealer, which can provide some protection against stains and dusting without changing the appearance of the concrete. Ultimately, the decision will depend on your specific needs and preferences, as well as your budget. I would recommend consulting with a professional in the field of concrete coatings to determine which option would be best for your particular situation. Hope my thought will help in your query
Rather have bare concrete than coated concrete. Bought place with coating put on to look good for sale and put on poorly prepared concrete got flakes after a few months. Had to grind whole floor and start over. Got company to put in HP Spartacote Polyspartic after ground down. Rather have a bare floor you'll always end up having to grind and recoat.
Pour a good quality slab, finish it nice and slick then leave it bare. My shop floor is 5”’thick with the edges thickened to 10”, 4500psi concrete with rebar and fiber. It is very durable and maintenance free basically forever. I drive crawler tractors on it, weld and cut on it, spill oil, etc. Throw down some oil dry on spills and sweep occasionally is all it needs. Then again I’m more interested in getting work done than having a showplace or a man cave, others may have different priorities.
Mine is the same, only reason I used the Siloxincane was you can’t tell the floor is sealed but oil and other spills clean up easier and no concrete dust sweeping up. The dust was a real pain in the ass.
I don't know much of anything about proper pouring of slabs but sounds like something was done wrong if you are getting lots of dust. The shop floors where I worked and the floor in my garage/shop at home both do not produce any noticeable amount of dust while sweeping.
I’m sure they were power troweled as mine was done with a bull float. My basement floor is beautiful while my garage floor is rough. I didn’t want a super smooth floor for the bikes.
A lot of finishers will put calcium in the load so the surface will cure faster, and they can get away with less work. The Trade off is constant dust. I used to drive cement truck, and a little Italian fella names Peppi used to put 2 bags in every load for a floor.
I appreciate all the responses. Many options are available. After much research it looks like the Euclid Ultrasil LI+ might be the cat's meow. It will not peal or burn from sparks or slag. Thanks again friends!