Thread: Workshop Floor

There is no need to flood anything let alone flood rinse. Once the acid has reacted and etched the surface you can apply a neutralising solution (bicarb soda) and suck any liquid up with a wet and dry shop vac. Then apply water and vac that up with the wet and dry vac - you need to do this a few times.

To stop the acid and neutralising agent attacking the gyprock and timber you can gaffer tape a 150 mm wide strip of builders poly to the floor and up the wall. Tape just a 10 mm strip on the floor rest up the wall. Then go around with a small roller or paint brush and carefully do that last 10 mm if you really want to.

Also don't pour or flood acid onto the floor. Use a garden sprayer to control the amount of acid, you only need to get the floor just wet ie not pools of acid, and apply enough to get the concrete surface bubbling, any more is just wasted and will require more neutraliser. As soon as the bubbling eases off that is generally enough and after leaving it for about 10 minutes apply the neutraliser - also with a sprayer or roller. If the neutraliser bubbles there's been too much acid applied keep adding neutraliser until it stops. You my need to stop and vac up the liquid Neutralizer is also much less likely to affect gyprock and timber.

I've seen this done inside homes and its been very effective at holding the epoxy.

Thank you Bob, you are a wealth of knowledge in many areas.

Regards
Keith

Is there a recipe for the bicarb soda / water mix ?

Regards
Keith

Originally Posted by KeithP

Is there a recipe for the bicarb soda / water mix ?

Do a search on line and you will get plenty of ideas

Here is one "How to" - it explains the acid dilution and bicarb soda recipe
How to Acid Etch Concrete (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Found the bicarb soda / water mix on google (1 cup to 1 gallon of water).

Regards
Keith

Be really careful with the concentrated Hydrochloric acid. Carefully follow instructions and wear appropriate PPE and old clothes - even small drops on clothing will seem OK but turn into holes during their next laundry cycle.

I had this problem with a workshop I am setting up in an old shed with a very bad concrete floor. Based on recommendations here I just sealed it using bondcrete. Following bondcrete’s instructions for sealing concrete with two coats. It now doesn’t release concrete dust, is smoother and so much easier to sweep up. No acid needed and only cost about $50.


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Originally Posted by Toomnus

I had this problem with a workshop I am setting up in an old shed with a very bad concrete floor. Based on recommendations here I just sealed it using bondcrete. Following bondcrete’s instructions for sealing concrete with two coats. It now doesn’t release concrete dust, is smoother and so much easier to sweep up. No acid needed and only cost about $50.

Bondcrete is more of a moisture barrier than a final hard coating for floors is it wears more quickly on floors than something like epoxy.
I looked into using Bondcrete for my shed floor but after reading the Bondcrete technical use info on how to effectively seal concrete floors and talking to my concrete flooring buddy about it, it seemed like quite a bit of work. Bondcrete recommend using 3 coats of Bondcrete on concrete floors, with the final coat containing sand or fine aggregate and cement to create a low-slip surface, but also a harder top layer so it does not wear as much.

I guess it comes down to what you do in your workshop. If minimal dirt/grit is tracked into the shed (ie you don't have to go outside your house to access your shed) and all you do is woodwork then it's probably Ok. However, if dirt is constantly tracked in or you do any metal work or any sort of grinder work, the grit and metal dust will chew up any floor covering. Because floors are a common major source of dust, when I visit mens shed on dust consults I always look at and ask about their floor covering. The floors with the least wear are always the epoxy coated floors.

I followed the current bondcrete information for dust proofing interior concrete floors, as dust from it was my only concern. It has worked really well and also made it much easier to sweep.

I am sure epoxy is more durable, but a one man hobby wood workshop, especially hand tools in this case, must see so much less wear then a mixed medium men’s shed with many members.

But if it’s a forever shed would be worth the extra money and effort, a lot easier to do when it is empty.

When diluting any chemicals with water always take the chemical to the water not the water to the chemical. Volatile reactions can occur if you get this wrong and you wouldn't want anything blowing up in your face. Bicarb shouldn't be much of a problem but any acid can be quite dangerous.

Originally Posted by aldav

When diluting any chemicals with water always take the chemical to the water not the water to the chemical. Volatile reactions can occur if you get this wrong and you wouldn't want anything blowing up in your face. Bicarb shouldn't be much of a problem but any acid can be quite dangerous.

So timely. But the old spit test for acid --- spit in it - if it spits back then its acid!

The machine shop I worked in has epoxy coatings put on the floor in both the old and new sections. The people doing it had a shot penning machine they walked along the floor which took off a couple three millimetres of the concrete for the epoxy to bond to. It sucked up the dust as it went. If you can find someone that does the work, perhaps for under the table money on a Saturday, you'll have your floor readied for paint with no chance of water damage.

An alternative to consider since you are an admitted hand tool worker you could have the floor covered with agriculture rubber matts made from recycled tires. Soft on the feet and greatly reduced, if any, damage to dropped tools. After sweeping shavings up you'll want to vacuum to get the rest of the dust. If it gets burning it will be almost impossible to put out so keep the spark producing activities outside.

Wood flooring would be nice too.

Pete

Originally Posted by QC Inspector

An alternative to consider since you are an admitted hand tool worker you could have the floor covered with agriculture rubber matts made from recycled tires. Soft on the feet and greatly reduced, if any, damage to dropped tools. After sweeping shavings up you'll want to vacuum to get the rest of the dust. If it gets burning it will be almost impossible to put out so keep the spark producing activities outside.

Those mats are nice to walk/stand on but can be problematic for moving (even wheeled) gear around on. If you are going to use them consider using them just in walks ways which is where the majority of floor covering damage happens. After 10 years I can clearly see this pattern on my paving painted shed floor.

I did consider covering the floor with Structa-Floor, I'm not sure if that would be a viable option. It certainly would be kinder to dropped tools.

Regards
Keith