Concrete Floor Sealers?

[gee-dub]

I decided early on not to go with an epoxy finish on the new shop floor.  It has a moisture barrier below but I am pondering the top surface.  There is generally so much equipment, supplies or project activity in a shop I have never really been troubled over the little bit of visible concrete surface.  I am not sure if sealing it with something like Seal-Krete would be helpful in preventing deep staining or just add another maintenance task to refresh the floor treatment.

I would love to hear any thoughts, experiences and tales of terror or nirvana you all might have to share.  I have had plenty of experience slipping on epoxy floors that have a light dusting of sawdust on them.  I have also fought to move things on epoxy floors that have added the grit to prevent slipping.  It is safe to say that if epoxy is the best choice I will go with bare .  I have well established habits of using rubber mats in "long standing" areas.  I shouldn't have taken today off . . . I think too much.  I am only concerned with stain or moisture penetration protection and whether the brain-trust thinks that is even an issue.

[Chestnut]

So I'm thinking about this and there is another variable here that I think needs to be considered. What is the surface finish of the concrete? Was the surface finish left with a slight texture or was it floated glass smooth? The concrete floor in my shop (my basement) was not finished glass smooth and it was to my knowledge sealed (clear sealer as water doesn't soak into the floor and change it's color). It is not slippery in the least nor has it degraded. I've worked in various commercial buildings that had the floors finished glass smooth, they applied no sealer or epoxy and they were still incredibly slippery. Some of these sealers may need to be applied as the concrete is curing to bind with it. I'm not sure .... it's complicated.

If you don't like slipping on epoxy floors don't seal imo. Sealed floors from my experience are similarly slippery as epoxied floors given the same surface finish. This is complicated as the surface finish is what is going to dictate the amount of slip you get vs the exact finish. It may be worth watching Matt Cremona's shop setup video as he covers some of this coating. It may also be worth reaching out via email to see if he can give some additional information. Additionally the thickness of the finish may fill in the texture which may may epxoy slightly different than a sealer but that's complicated.

I honestly think sealing concrete is very complicated so I'd try and find and ask a professional that deals specifically with concrete coatings. I had a friend that worked in the field for 5-6 years and he confused the heck out of me when he tried to explain things.

[gee-dub]

Floors were floated smooth but not polished per my request. They are much smoother than something like a sidewalk or a driveway but not so smooth that I’d like to drag my elbow across it :-)

I may have just been thinking too much as my original intention was to leave it bare. I just like getting other peoples input and experiences to factor in.

[Tom King]

Here, floating is the first step/steps after pouring.  Anything beyond that is called troweling, whether by hand, or machine.  Floating just pushes down the aggregate, and brings the "fat" to the surface.  The best finish you can get with any float is still pretty daggone rough.

The slicker the finish, the more the trowel/trowel blades are turned up on edge, and the more passes in the process as it sets up, with the trowel getting turned up more on edge for each step.

[Just Bob]

When I built my shop I  planned on coating the concrete.  I chose not to, primarily because of cost.  But I did do a lot of research.  I found this forum had the most information. 

[wtnhighlander]

I tend to treat my work space the same as my work bench, meaning I beat the crap out of it. My opinion is to not bother with any coating unless your work demands it. 

[curlyoak]

4 hours ago, gee-dub said:

I have well established habits of using rubber mats in "long standing" areas. 

My shop has a concrete floor. I wear Teva sandals. A synthetic sole that has give to it. Many other brands and types of shoes with some cushion to the sole. I wear the mats.

 

[gee-dub]

5 hours ago, Tom King said:

Here, floating is the first step/steps after pouring.  Anything beyond that is called troweling, whether by hand, or machine.  Floating just pushes down the aggregate, and brings the "fat" to the surface.  The best finish you can get with any float is still pretty daggone rough.

The slicker the finish, the more the trowel/trowel blades are turned up on edge, and the more passes in the process as it sets up, with the trowel getting turned up more on edge for each step.

Thanks Tom. Just showing my ignorance of the terminology. The guys were using metal tools that I thought were “floats”. They were also on their knees doing handwork which I guess I should’ve called troweling. I almost addressed this thread directly to you because I was truly hoping for your response and the benefit of your experience. Thanks :-)

[Tom King]

There are hand floats too.  Floats are used while the pour is still fairly soft.  The first float is the Bull Float.  It has a long handle-like 12' long.  The concrete is left to set up a little while, after bull floating, and then the machine is put on it.   They probably hand floated it around the edges, and used an edging tool to turn the sharp, and easily broken corner back in, while it was still pretty soft.  Once it starts to set, there is no moving the aggregate in it, but you can still work the surface.

[Tom King]

I need to redo the floors in the dogrooms.  They're wood framed, with thick plywood subfloor.   I've narrowed it down to this stuff, but looks like they have good things for concrete too.

If it were my concrete floor, I'd top it with their Moisture Cure top coat.  We won't be able to use that in the house, and they probably won't even ship it to California.  I'm going to have to stick to the waterborne topcoat.

https://ucoatit.com/