New slab about to be poured.

[mx842]

I was wondering if a light broom finish would be an okay surface for an epoxy floor finish? I hate to pay a finisher to put a nice slick finish on it and have to pay someone to sand it down so that the paint can stick to it. What do you guys think?

 

[qstott]

IMHO I'd go with the slick finish. It's so much easier to keep clean with a push broom that way. Not to mention the paint will tend to wear of any high spots. I don't see the need to sand a slick finish. Let the concrete cure, and then etch it with a mild acid solution before painting.

 

[crbr]

Slick trail finish, no sealant or hydration retardant. The epoxy will not adhere properly if you use said surface additives. No need for etching if you leave it unsealed and in its raw state. Give it 30 - 45 days to hydrate. The epoxy product kit will offer up a grit additive which is good in my opinion. Don't try and add a commercial sand.

 

[Bilko]

MX842 if I read your post right you are saying broom it then put the sealer down! My thinking is you possibly would be taking a chance that the sealer would not cover the ridges leaving the floor non smooth. I am no professional and have never coated a floor, just thinking it out in the head.

 

[rjmack]

no fan of brooming here.

as has been stated, you can always put some grit in the paint over areas where traction may be an issue.

 

[mx842]

no fan of brooming here.

as has been stated, you can always put some grit in the paint over areas where traction may be an issue.

I'm not worried about traction .....unless I'm at the track.LOL I was just wondering about the prep work some say you have to do if you paint the floor. What I was wondering was how much of a rough finish do you need to get the paint to stick properly.

 

[SPIKER]

if you plan on floor jacks or creepers I would go with the smooth finish. if you tell them a light broom finish it may be light to them but hard to roll a creeper over. I went smooth finish and later etched stained and sealed the floor. not real happy with the stain/sealer but very happy with the floor being nice & smooth for creeper and floor jack use...

The floor in my barn is 5+" radiant tube for floor heat (not yet heated as shop is still un-sealed)

Only thing i wish I had done is I should have had them use the powdered stain that goes on top when they float the slab. that stain penetrates a colored surface down a good ways into the concrete the stuff I used was junk after the fact used "Rustolium Transparent Stain." Then same brand sealer over the top. I flooded the floor for 2 weeks under water 90% of time which helps the hydration process for HARD concrete. so far (was poured in 4th Sept last fall.) I had the exterior pad Y cut (angled out front of the barn) no cuts inside where the radiant tube is at. I saw one small crack where the GD is at when preping for the stain. cant find that now but after pulling an engine and rolling hoist on the stain it is the weak part... Sealer is total garbage, brake fluid peals it up like an orange, gas and oil do to if left more than a minute... stay away from the RUSTOLIUM transparent stain...

ZYPEX or something like that is the powdered stain that is tossed out when floating to create a REAL penetrating stain. I wanted something like the floors in a BIG wallymart stained & polished looks good and very durable but didnt know what they use for that until afterwards.

mark

 

[mx842]

if you plan on floor jacks or creepers I would go with the smooth finish. if you tell them a light broom finish it may be light to them but hard to roll a creeper over. I went smooth finish and later etched stained and sealed the floor. not real happy with the stain/sealer but very happy with the floor being nice & smooth for creeper and floor jack use...

The floor in my barn is 5+" radiant tube for floor heat (not yet heated as shop is still un-sealed)

Only thing i wish I had done is I should have had them use the powdered stain that goes on top when they float the slab. that stain penetrates a colored surface down a good ways into the concrete the stuff I used was junk after the fact used "Rustolium Transparent Stain." Then same brand sealer over the top. I flooded the floor for 2 weeks under water 90% of time which helps the hydration process for HARD concrete. so far (was poured in 4th Sept last fall.) I had the exterior pad Y cut (angled out front of the barn) no cuts inside where the radiant tube is at. I saw one small crack where the GD is at when preping for the stain. cant find that now but after pulling an engine and rolling hoist on the stain it is the weak part... Sealer is total garbage, brake fluid peals it up like an orange, gas and oil do to if left more than a minute... stay away from the RUSTOLIUM transparent stain...

ZYPEX or something like that is the powdered stain that is tossed out when floating to create a REAL penetrating stain. I wanted something like the floors in a BIG wallymart stained & polished looks good and very durable but didnt know what they use for that until afterwards.

mark

Yeah I would never put a brush finish on a floor that might see oil, grease, antifreeze and the other normal stuff that always seems to find it's way on a concrete floor. Sometimes it hard enough to get clean if it has a good slick sealed finish you could never get it out on a brushed finish.

I was just thinking that the rough texture would give a really good surface for the paint to get down in and really stick. I have 2+2 gals of this industrial two part epoxy paint that I came across that they use in the plant where my son works. Their floors are all painted and they really take a beating. Lift trucks running all over the place moving six ton heat exchangers, heavy objects dropping on it and sliding across the floors and it doesn't seem to phase them. I looked close at the floors in a couple places and it looked like the surface underneath had a brushed look or at the very least a really rough surface. This paint looks really thick like it would fill in any reasonable voids in the surface and come out smooth.

The company that sets up and maintains this plant is from Germany so it's hard to find out anything about how they do this stuff or even what the paint is called. It comes in a can with a almost blank label and the only thing that is printed on it is a list of random numbers and some directions saying, (DO NOT THIN) Part 1: is on one can and Part 2: is on the other. It says to mix part 1 with part 2 thoroughly and apply with a brush or roller in a even coat. Do not apply when surface temp is below 38F degrees. Don't walk on for 24 hours, normal operations after 48 hours if temperature is above 50F.

 

[flusher]

Interior concrete floors get a float finish (slick). Exterior concrete slabs generally get a broom finish.

Epoxy coating--can be a hazard (slipping and falling, especially when wetted with water/oil mix). Be careful.

 

[Raspy]

mx,

Epoxy doesn't really "stick" to the surface. The beauty of epoxy is that is soaks into the cured concrete, much like water does, and then hardens into a tough plastic. The surface smoothness has little to do with this.


But a smooth surface will be much easier to clean, as mentioned, and as the high spots in a rough surface will wear faster and begin to expose the concrete color under the epoxy color. If you want the natural look you could use clear marine epoxy. It's amazing how hard and durable an epoxy soaked concrete surface can be! But don't use the clear stuff if it gets sun on it.