Hangar Flooring

[tonyjohnson]

I am buying a hangar. Its floor is untreated (as far as I can tell) concrete with some flaws, pits, small cracks etc. I would like to clean up the flaws and make it nice, perhaps making it a lighter brighter color.

I have talked with friends who have had less that positive experience with epoxy, paint and other coatings.


I found some threads in the archives on this topic but all were a few years old. Perhaps there is some new information on this subject so I will start a new tread.

I have heard suggestions that include one part epoxy, two part epoxy, urethane polishing and sealing the concrete, paint. One poster used a roll on product found here http://www.bltllc.com/g-floor_main.htm

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Geico266]

Carpet!

[RV8RIVETER]

A while back Aviation Consumer rated Griot's garage the best.

[ColoRv]

My company has fought this battle many times over. My suggestion is to bead blast or grind (polish) the concrete and just seal it. Fresh concrete grey is fairly light in color, sealed it will remain so. We've put $90k opaque coatings on concrete floors for clients and believe me when I tell you...none of them are even remotely as tough as promised. I also don't put any stock in an X year warranty...even the big companies won't stand behind it without a lawsuit forcing them to.

If you are detemined to coat it....and can't be talked out of it then use epoxy. In my experience, standard two part epoxy is as durable as the VASTLY more expensive crushed quartz, high solids blah blah blah... At least when it's chipped and pealing you haven't put a ton of money in it. If you are going to coat it and it's old concrete, have it bead blasted or ground first, but if it were me I would simply roll out as flat a sealer as I could find after the bead blast. Glossy has never turned out as well as the client had hoped.

Just one commercial general contractors opinion...worth what you paid for it. But, I'll tell you this...I've never had a client choose to opaque coat a floor and not complain about it in some way later. As long as I've documented my opinion as given above...it's their money and they spend it as they see fit, but a few years later (at most) I usually get the "should have listened to you" email. They all do look amazing when first applied. The crushed quartz coating we put down at a Loomis Fargo facility was simply gorgeous...for 6 months. They did buy me the 'you told us so' lunch. That floor looks like **** now and I could buy two RV-8's for what they paid for it. YMMV

[PCHunt]

Once you get a "pretty" light-colored floor, then you can't help but notice all the inevitable dust, dirt, grime, grease, oil, etc. You will then spend an inordinate amount of time and effort, and maybe expense, just cleaning the floor.

IMHO, leave it as it, and clean it every now and then. Been there, done that.

My $2 worth.

[patterson]

I have had good luck with laying down a concrete sealer / polish. Once it's down you can use a buffer and it shines like the floor at the big box stores. Oil will wipe right up. Biggest expense is the buffer. Looks great, looks clean. no epoxy.
My 0.2 cents
Ron

[tinkertoy]

Look at Racedeck.com.

[FresnoR]

The quality of the floor is going to depend on the preparation and existing condition.

Oils and stuff embedded in 40 year old concrete will prevent anything from sticking properly. I painted my shop floor with the one part concrete paint from Home Depot. I believe the shop was built in the 1970's. In many areas the paint has chipped and peeled. However, it is still much nicer then if I left it the plain porous cement that it was.

Just saying if there has been decades of abuse and spills on the existing floors, do not expect too much.

[Gary Bricker]

Look at commercial vinyl tile. You can buy it for around 60cents a foot. Pressure wash the concrete and lay the tile yourself. Once down it will be there until it wears out. Big expense upfront but will last.

[n468ac]

Originally Posted by Gary Bricker

Look at commercial vinyl tile. You can buy it for around 60cents a foot. Pressure wash the concrete and lay the tile yourself. Once down it will be there until it wears out. Big expense upfront but will last.

Don't use tile, fuel will eat The tiles and glue. I've tried that in cargo trailers, better to just seal the floor and use a car mat under the vehicle.