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Comcrete Floor question

janschutz

janschutz

Corn Hauler
I having my tractor barn floor concreted on October 1st. How long should it cure before putting a epoxy coat on it? I having the whole 30X60 barn floor done. Got to get all the stuff out of it this weekend.

Also my Mom wants a 25X25 floor poured in the big goat barn which is about 1/4 of that barns floor space. I am hoping that between her and Dad, they can get that one cleaned out so I do not have to do it.
 
I agree with Steve that concrete would take 28 days give or take depending on temperature and humidity. However Comcrete will take a year to cure. :p

fd
 
Thanks, What has everyone used that they like on concrete floors? Needs to hold up to a tractor parking on it.
 
I used Legacy Industrial for the floors in my shop. They are much better than what you can buy at Home Depot/Lowes. They came highly recommended by the folks on GarageJournal.com I would call them up and ask about how long before it is installed on new concrete. My floor was about a year old before I applied the coating. I also used the clear over the top for the best protection you can buy. I can send pics and more detail if you want. I installed it myself, but it took several steps and quite a bit of work.
 
kb3 said:
I used Legacy Industrial for the floors in my shop. They are much better than what you can buy at Home Depot/Lowes. They came highly recommended by the folks on GarageJournal.com I would call them up and ask about how long before it is installed on new concrete. My floor was about a year old before I applied the coating. I also used the clear over the top for the best protection you can buy. I can send pics and more detail if you want. I installed it myself, but it took several steps and quite a bit of work.
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Yes Please send to john.anschutz@startmail.com
 
Before applying epoxy paint to the garage floor, you need to treat it with diluted muriatic acid (adds teeth to the concrete), then wash thoroughly. Then wait 1 week, clean thoroughly before painting.
 
You might want to consult with a professional on the job. Obviously, it would cost more but they do the dirty work and you get a top notch covering and presumably a warranty. I've seen many an amateur and even "pro" jobs that failed leading to head aches and added expense. The more traffic (especially heavy equipment) the floor will see the more this option could make sense for you.

in the interim, keep the concrete as clean as possible. Soiled areas are the biggest issue with extended adhesion of the materials.
 
Below is the email I sent to John, I copied it here for future reference if anyone else was interested.

I started by grinding the entire floor, using a Home Depot rental floor grinder. I then filled all the cracks and once again ground them smooth, this time using a special grinding wheel on my angle grinder. I then put down the proper primer, followed by the epoxy and chips the next day and then on the third day I used the clear top coat. It has been several years and has held up very well. I have yet to scratch through it nor has it peeled anywhere. I have a slight discoloration from where the new tires on my motorhome sits, but I have yet to see if I can scrub those marks out. If you have oil stains, then you may need to do the acid etch as Mid stated in the thread. I would still follow with the grinder as that is what is most commonly suggested on the Garage Journal. Call Legacy as they are very helpful. The also offer a decent discount to Garage Journal members.


7f41b39db6841ae4a607b588348cc252.jpg
 
as with painting your car, preparation is 90% of the quality in a good floor coating job. materials and proper technique account for the rest.

get the floor prep right, an even cheap materials will last a few years before needing a recoat.
 
At work they epoxy coated the hangar. I don't think it lasted 2 years before sections started lifting- the probably did not etch it correctly
 
Got the barns cleaned out except on shelf unit that is nailed to the wall. It is not as much space as I thought, only a total of 1200 sq ft.

Barn1.jpg Barn2.jpg Barn3.jpg
 
rbohm said:
as with painting your car, preparation is 90% of the quality in a good floor coating job. materials and proper technique account for the rest.

get the floor prep right, an even cheap materials will last a few years before needing a recoat.
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Prep is always key but not all materials are created anywhere near equal. Ask any manufacturer of most any product and they will confirm this. The item they produce for an industrial use is very different than a "generic" sold in big box. I for one wouldn't want to spend a week coating my floor only to have to come back and do even more work to do it over with the right stuff. A little extra $ up front seems a no brainer to me. That's why I suggested looking into having it done by a pro. Right tools, right stuff, right know how. Done right the first time. A quality job will, and should, last much longer than a few years.

Don't believe me, spend a hour looking at all the pics of crappy DIY jobs on the Web. It's not just bad prep that causes it.
 
Horseplay said:
Prep is always key but not all materials are created anywhere near equal. Ask any manufacturer of most any product and they will confirm this. The item they produce for an industrial use is very different than a "generic" sold in big box. I for one wouldn't want to spend a week coating my floor only to have to come back and do even more work to do it over with the right stuff. A little extra $ up front seems a no brainer to me. That's why I suggested looking into having it done by a pro. Right tools, right stuff, right know how. Done right the first time. A quality job will, and should, last much longer than a few years.

Don't believe me, spend a hour looking at all the pics of crappy DIY jobs on the Web. It's not just bad prep that causes it.
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terry for the most part i agree. there are a lot of junk products out there that will fail if you look at them cross eyed. but the good manufacturers average product might not be the best stuff they make, but if you are strapped for cash, and you are willing to put in the time to get the prep work right, then you can have a floor coating that will last a few years before it needs re coating.

i too prefer to use the best product available when i can though.
 
I look at it this way. His new concrete has to be allowed to cure for a very long time before it should be coated. Use that time to scrape up the cost difference between average at best and pro quality stuff. Some jobs you can get away with lesser materials with the worst case being you have to come back sooner to do it again. This isn't one of those deals. Lay down a bad job and you are looking at significant labor and cost to strip it back just to start over! I mean, who wants to clean out a big garage full of a couple years of accumulated stuff to go through all that...again?
Me, I'd clean it out. Sweep it. Acid wash it. Grind it. Sweep/wash it out again. And lastly, put down the good stuff. After that I would never have to worry about it again.

I know there are guys on here who have done their own floors. I'm sure most used big box stuff. How about sharing your experience and results? Anyone have great results with something other than Ken?
 
Horseplay said:
I look at it this way. His new concrete has to be allowed to cure for a very long time before it should be coated. Use that time to scrape up the cost difference between average at best and pro quality stuff. Some jobs you can get away with lesser materials with the worst case being you have to come back sooner to do it again. This isn't one of those deals. Lay down a bad job and you are looking at significant labor and cost to strip it back just to start over! I mean, who wants to clean out a big garage full of a couple years of accumulated stuff to go through all that...again?
Me, I'd clean it out. Sweep it. Acid wash it. Grind it. Sweep/wash it out again. And lastly, put down the good stuff. After that I would never have to worry about it again.

I know there are guys on here who have done their own floors. I'm sure most used big box stuff. How about sharing your experience and results? Anyone have great results with something other than Ken?
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I see, now you are discounting my sage advise and words of wisdom! :confused:

Actually, I think most people use the big box stuff just for the price alone. Using industrial grade products gets expensive quick. I spent over $3,000 just in materials for the 1,500 sq. ft. that I have completed so far. If I had used some of the Home Depot stuff, it would have been in the hundreds. Again, I took every precaution I could to make sure my floor will last, as there is no way I want to do it again. I ground the floor for two straight days, and then used all of the products and steps that Legacy suggested. Most DIY guys would acid wash and then put down the epoxy. I have seen many floors done that way and they look like crap in a few years. Mine is still looking like new after 3-4 years and I think it will out live me.
 
I have been following this thread closely, as I am having a tandem garage with work shop built on our retirement house, and have just been working with the designer and contractor for a week.
I too will be wanting to put down a floor cover, and suspect the time to do that is after the garage is finished.
What I understand, is an industrial product is better than a consumer product.
With a brand new concrete garage floor, is it safe to assume a muratic acid wash is still needed?
Anything else to look for that may be different from the OP's situation as this will be a brand new floor?
 
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