Garage floor coating

[Damn True]

So Ive been trying to explain garage floor coating to my fiance (re, the home renovation thing) and showed her an ad for Ucoat it from a magazine. Her question was this?

Are those coatings semi-permeable? If not, what happens to water beneath the concrete slab? She is a commerical construction project manager and has had problems with water & sealed concrete in the past in commercial applications.

An issue at all?

[steve g]

I haven't heard of any issues and I've spoken to a few companies that do pro installations. You might want to talk to someone in your area that does pro installation for advice, or just to see what they say about it. I've seen the commercial epoxy coatings on many showroom floors, so I would have to think that it isn't a problem. One of the worst things with unsealed concrete floors is that moisture can seep up through the floor and can rust the bottom side of your car.

My car was stored in my fathers shop in Indiana for a few months before I was able to ship it to Florida. Once I got it here I noticed a lot of surface rust on many new parts that I thought were painted well enough.

[Johnny Blaze]

I just sealed mine yeaterday with Valspar's coating. Love the look of it. Have not heard of any problems either. But is sure beats a stained up nasty floor.

[rob07002]

I've done some research on this as well. Two things to keep in mind.

1) test your floor for moisture by placing a piece of aluminum foil over it and securely taping it down. In a day or two pull it up and check to see if ant condensation or water is on the foil.
If no moisture then no worries

2) It is highly advised not to coat a newly poured floor. Depending on your local climate with many variable, humidity, temp, etc. it can take anywhere from a few months to a couple years for the concrete to fully cure. Ask a local mason or GC to get his opinion of the time frame.

Other then that this is all I can contribute.

Good Luck

[toxicz28]

it can take anywhere from a few months to a couple years for the concrete to fully cure.

That's not entirely accurate. There are many of variables that contribute to the cure time for a concrete pour. Environmental conditions is a big thing, but thickness of the slab is going to play an even bigger role in the cure time of a slab.
The average slab poured for a house is about 4"- 6" thick, and even if it is kept damp to slow the curing process (usually when it is hot, or to increase the strength of the concrete) it can usually support weight (a car) after 30 days. Since it's usually longer than that from the time a slab is poured on a new house, and it is occupied, it is not an issue. In commercial construction with mega pours (12" + in thickness, 250+ cu.yds.) they give 30 days before they are allowed to put weight (4,000 + lbs.) on it and consider it "cured".
Once you get into bridge construction, (ie, The Golden Gate, Brooklyn, George Washington bridges) the tower footings is where you see the year + cure times.
The average time that I've seen new concrete get coated at work is 2-6 months, depending on the project and the flooring surface, and that's only because they don't want the flooring surface damaged. It has nothing to do with cure times.

[cad]

A pic of a buddy's garage with UCoatIt:

[rob07002]

That's not entirely accurate. There are many of variables that contribute to the cure time for a concrete pour. Environmental conditions is a big thing, but thickness of the slab is going to play an even bigger role in the cure time of a slab.
The average slab poured for a house is about 4"- 6" thick, and even if it is kept damp to slow the curing process (usually when it is hot, or to increase the strength of the concrete) it can usually support weight (a car) after 30 days. Since it's usually longer than that from the time a slab is poured on a new house, and it is occupied, it is not an issue. In commercial construction with mega pours (12" + in thickness, 250+ cu.yds.) they give 30 days before they are allowed to put weight (4,000 + lbs.) on it and consider it "cured".
Once you get into bridge construction, (ie, The Golden Gate, Brooklyn, George Washington bridges) the tower footings is where you see the year + cure times.
The average time that I've seen new concrete get coated at work is 2-6 months, depending on the project and the flooring surface, and that's only because they don't want the flooring surface damaged. It has nothing to do with cure times.

I'm not claiming to be a concrete expert, just what I read on the subject. When I said it could take a couple years, that is obviously on the extreme side, with thickness playing a major factor. Damn True wasn't clear if his floor was newly poured so I thought he should be aware that their could be issues if thats the case.....

[toxicz28]

I'm not claiming to be a concrete expert, just what I read on the subject. When I said it could take a couple years, that is obviously on the extreme side, with thickness playing a major factor. Damn True wasn't clear if his floor was newly poured so I thought he should be aware that their could be issues if thats the case.....

Don't take it as a personal attack, it wasn't. I read it as that was what was told to you by a contractor during your research.

[jr2]

I just sealed mine yeaterday with Valspar's coating. Love the look of it. Have not heard of any problems either. But is sure beats a stained up nasty floor.

Can you give us a general idea of how much it cost you and product infromation? If ya don't mind?

[rob07002]

Don't take it as a personal attack, it wasn't. I read it as that was what was told to you by a contractor during your research.

No worries.....

[68protouring454]

but here in maine i layed 2 courses of block on my slab for my shop the next day after pouring, and had shop framed and roofed within 3 weeks, all the while driving in it on it etc, this was not a polar mix either.
you can almost visually tell when the concrete is done curing as it will go from greenish grey to grey
jake

[Damn True]

Well the slab is over 40 years old so I'm guessing it's pretty much cured by now.

[Maxoctane]

I have a newly (4 weeks) poured slab, 1200 sq. ft. x 5" thick slab in my shop. Decided to go with Race Deck instead of a coating. You might want to consider that as an alternative.

[Damn True]

That is nice looking stuff.
Is race deck an interlocking tile, or a solid sheet?

My concern about the tiles is that if I spill something, or water gets on the floor it would just seep down between the tiles and into the concrete.

[Maxoctane]

That is nice looking stuff.
Is race deck an interlocking tile, or a solid sheet?

My concern about the tiles is that if I spill something, or water gets on the floor it would just seep down between the tiles and into the concrete.

It's interlocking tiles 12" or 18" square. The rep told me that if water gets under there it will just evaporate. Something about because of the material used in the tiles they wont mold or mildew.