Concrete floor issue
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New User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 20
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Concrete floor issue
I have a 30X40 shop at my house. Who ever laid the concrete did a **** poor job of it. They laid it in 10X20 sections. The sections are not completely level 1/8 or 1/4 difference. They also used a rough brush to texture the surface. This is great for trapping dust and dirt in! I want to refinish the floor and put down some epoxy paint. If I put more concrete down I will have to put a minimum of 2" down to prevent cracks right? Is there a better alternative?<O
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 111
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From: Klamath Falls
About 10 years ago I was working for a company that contracted with grocery stores. We repaired a couple of loading docks with a product that was self-leveling and which was ready for fork lift traffic within 24 hours. Can't remember the name of the product now but I'd guess it's even better now than it was then.You might try checking some material handling sites.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: Klamath Falls
I called a guy I used to work with. He said to look for BONSAL or ENDUROSEAL on line. He doesn't remember the specific product we used but does remember it was suitable for hard tire forklifts.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,292
Likes: 5
From: NJ where fun comes to die
The epoxy is good stuff. If you just want to get rid of the brush marks, go to a tool rental and get a concrete grinder. Use water with it or it will smoke you out.
The epoxy is less work. Do a google search and you might find the right stuff..
The epoxy is less work. Do a google search and you might find the right stuff..
I'll have the Roast Duck
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 9,622
Likes: 110
From: Northshore, MN
as an alternative option, line your whole floor with mats. Doesn't need to be the checkerboard type...there's solid grey ones out there (Griot's Garage is one site). Though not real cheap, it is probably less work and may be cheaper than more concrete.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 521
Likes: 1
From: Southern New England
I think whatever you use to skim coat this floor will crack where the different sections transition. You will have a smoother floor though.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 24,418
Likes: 3
From: San Francisco, Ca.
Zero Obliquity, check out:
http://www.quikrete.com/
They have self leveling cement products.
Worth a look.
http://www.quikrete.com/
They have self leveling cement products.
Worth a look.
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 941
Likes: 4
The floor may have suffered from slab curl. The top of the slab cures faster than the bottom, causing the top to shrink faster. This curls the slab up at the edges. This is an extremely common problem in warehouses. Forklifts driving over the unsupported curled up edges cause the concrete to crack along the edge. So not only does the owner suffer with the annoyance of a rough floor, the floor deteriorates further in use.
The best way to avoid this is to specify a low water/cement ratio, and keep the placing crew away from the water hose during the pour. If the resulting slump is too low, a mid-range water reducer or super plasticizer can be added to the mixture to make the concrete more workable.
But it is too late for that in your case. If you plan to roll heavy rigs across the uneven edges, even self-leveling grout won't help you. (The slab edges remain unsupported and may break under the weight.)
you may want to look at how industrial folks deal with this problem. One pointer is here:
http://www.atlasrestoration.com/curling.htm
Read the article, then follow the embedded link to the pdf that describes how to fix the problem.
The best way to avoid this is to specify a low water/cement ratio, and keep the placing crew away from the water hose during the pour. If the resulting slump is too low, a mid-range water reducer or super plasticizer can be added to the mixture to make the concrete more workable.
But it is too late for that in your case. If you plan to roll heavy rigs across the uneven edges, even self-leveling grout won't help you. (The slab edges remain unsupported and may break under the weight.)
you may want to look at how industrial folks deal with this problem. One pointer is here:
http://www.atlasrestoration.com/curling.htm
Read the article, then follow the embedded link to the pdf that describes how to fix the problem.