Sealer for concrete shop floor?

[FatTire]

We are going to pour a floor for a new shop/garage in a couple weeks. Wondering what you guys like for sealer? Not looking for anything fancy from a cosmetic standpoint, just something to make cleaning up spilled motor oil and hydraulic fluid a little easier.

 

[jack707]

I bought mine at Home Depot BEAR PREMINUM5 gal. 5 gal bucket covered my 30x40 and I still had a little left!. it did a nice job smeared it with a broom. Its a 10year sealer

 

[Industrial Toys]

I never did seal my new driveshed floor as I was going to paint it. Never got to that. But my woodshed floor was sealed. I can't tell the difference. Personally, I think this might be a cash grab for contractors, like selling the fabric protector to a new car buyer.

Of course, I have had more leaks then normal. Big and small. And scratches, big and small. It is a smooth steel trowel finish and not very porous which I guess for spills is good. I've lost the will to fight on this one! It is what it is.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Got sealer at concrete supply place.

 

[LD1]

There isnt any sealer IMO that is as durable as the concrete itself.

You have to pay a ridiculous amount of money just to get a good sealer that wont get ate off by gas or harsh chemicals. But it can still chip and peal. And if you plan on doing any torch or welding work, you will have a ton of burn marks that cause the floor to start pealing in that area as well.

 

[FatTire]

I bought mine at Home Depot BEAR PREMINUM5 gal. 5 gal bucket covered my 30x40 and I still had a little left!. it did a nice job smeared it with a broom. Its a 10year sealer

Transparent and non-slippery? Have you spilled (or tested) any fuel or oil on it? As mentioned above, I'm not sure if there is enough benefit to warrant the cost and effort?

 

[oosik]

Friend put a very fancy sealer on his new concrete attached garage floor. The sealer was a light blue and then you sprinkle on little colored beads of plastic and roll them in while the sealer is still wet - or something like that.

The sealer job lasted forever because the family moved all their junk out into the new garage and it never saw a car, or gas or anything corrosive. As a matter of fact, if you looked carefully or moved the mound of accumulated junk - you could actually see the floor.

 

[George2615]

I used a box store concrete sealer on my garage floors (2 coats a day apart). Then all the stuff went in the garage so it's hard to keep it clean and harder to reseal later. IMO the sealer I used soaked into the floor and didn't seem to last too long. I've had oil, brake fluid, antifreeze, and many other fluids spilled on it. It doesn't just wipe up because the concrete is porous. But if I put down speedy dry or cheap cat litter right away it soaks it up pretty good. I let it sit a day then grind it into the floor with my heel and sweep it up.

If I could do it all again I'd use the commercial epoxy you see in most commercial shops and dealerships. The epoxy coating seals the floor and the floor shines. You can usually wipe up the spills right away and at the end of the day hose off, sweep, and mop the floor back to the original shine.

 

[newbury]

I spill brake fluid, transmission oil, engine oil, grease on the floor and sprinkle it with sawdust and sweep it up.
It's a concrete garage floor.

I bought mine used, I never saw an original shine.

What's the value of shine?

 

[George2615]

I spill brake fluid, transmission oil, engine oil, grease on the floor and sprinkle it with sawdust and sweep it up.
It's a concrete garage floor.

I bought mine used, I never saw an original shine.

What's the value of shine?

Not so much the shine but the sealed coat on top of the concrete that keeps spilled liquids from soaking into the concrete. I have good luck using the speedy dry, litter, and / or sawdust like you. A top shiny coat just makes it easier to clean. I remember working at a dealership many years ago and at the end of the day the floor was hosed down, squeegeed out and mopped dry and looked like new again. Sweeping my bare concrete floor gets dust all over everything in the garage.