Self-leveling epoxy flooring ??? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

akm · 07-07-2008, 06:32 PM

Looking for self-leveling epoxy flooring that can be put down on existing (seems dry, well above any water table) concrete basement floor which has been previously painted, and is now quite chipped from remodel demo etc and splattered from drywall work.

Any ideas ?

Bud Cline · 07-08-2008, 02:17 PM

There are many but the first one that comes to mind is Torginol.

http://www.torginol.com/colorflakes.html

akm · 07-08-2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud Cline

There are many but the first one that comes to mind is 'Torginal'.

Bud
Thank you for the reply.
Was amazed at how little info 'Torginal' had on their website re specs, application, etc.
Any other brand that may be more help ?
Alan

Bud Cline · 07-08-2008, 04:43 PM

The Torginol products have been around a long time and are probably the better known of them all. I can't think of another name off-hand but they will come to me.

In the meantime - what you are looking for is used mainly in industrial food service operations. They are "floor coatings" that are used in places like meat packing plants and some large industrial cafeteria kitchens. You could do a search.

Whoops here comes one now. Tennant is another brand name. They specialize in cleaning equipment for industrial floors but also have a "coatings division". We did a lot of Tennant coatings in warehouses for Apple Computer many years ago.

There's another better known name on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite conjure it up at the moment. It'll come to me.

akm · 07-08-2008, 06:43 PM

Bud
Think am looking for a product that is like a self-leveling type floor coating in that it will be thick enough to fill in chipped conc and level out some small depressions etc.
Most of the stuff Ive seen online is more like a thick paint coating.
Guess am looking for something that is applied with a like a 'trowel' instead of a 'roller'.
Not sure if Im looking for the impossible or not.
Thanks again for your help !
Alan

Bud Cline · 07-08-2008, 07:38 PM

All of the epoxy floor coatings are basically "self leveling" but all that means is that they flow a little on their own to create a smooth finish. They will only be mils in thickness.

If you want to improve a rough floor then you would have to first use a Self Levelling Compound and then install the finish coating over that. There is no one-size-fits-all that I am aware of.

If you are interested in stained concrete - Mapei makes a self levelling Compound that is stain-able with acid stain and is intended to be a wear-surface. SLC's are not wear surfaces unless you buy the right particular product.

Self Levelling Compounds are generally poured and seek their own level (with some slight encouragement).

akm · 07-09-2008, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud Cline

All of the epoxy floor coatings are basically "self leveling" but all that means is that they flow a little on their own to create a smooth finish. They will only be mils in thickness.
There is no one-size-fits-all that I am aware of.
Self Levelling Compounds are generally poured and seek their own level (with some slight encouragement).

Bud
Have used SLCs and was hoping to find the 'o-s-f-a' you mentioned.
But ilo that guess would be happy with an epoxy that was as 'thick' as possible.
Maybe way to 'measure' that with 'specs' so can use in web search ???
Thanks again !
Alan

Taranis · 07-09-2008, 12:37 PM

Go for a 3 mm s/l resin. Use a scratch coat as a primer to fill in discrepancies in the floor.
BASF make good ones. They also do PU s/l which are great.
Also Altro, Flowcrete.

Most importantly, get a specialist contractor to do it.

akm · 07-09-2008, 01:10 PM

Taranis
Thanks much for the reply and info.
Will take a look at those products.
This job is a remodel on my own house and we (my son is doing all the site work... 'pilot project' to see if we can get along without killing each other to start a new company specializing in barrier-free accessibility (ADA etc) remodel/ti projects) and we have done most all of the finish work ourselves (hardwood floors, tile, marble, etc... my son has done really nice work, am pleasantly surprised).
Anyway, we will probably be trying the epoxy thing ourselves, since it is a fairly un-important area of the house... any tips ?
Thanks again for all your help !
Alan

akm · 07-12-2008, 12:43 PM

Am visiting local ('Industrial Coatings and Sealants, Inc', ICSI) store...
coatingsandsealants.com
...Monday 7/14.

Per our over the phone conversation they recommended products by 'Miracote'...
miracote.com
...basically a primer, topping, and then finish (to put it in laymen terms, only thing I understand these days, think it comes with the gray hair).

They also mentioned that a thicker (self-leveling like I was looking for) epoxy coating would probably be cost prohibitive, since 'epoxy' is an expensive material... guess that makes sense.
ICSI also handles other products the likes of Kemiko, Life Deck, Polycoat, Dayton Superior, Proline, Epmar, 3M, etc (I dont know much about any of them)

Any feedback on 'Miracote', or other suggestions for the shopping trip ?

mdshunk · 07-12-2008, 01:10 PM

Other than the Torginal which has been around forever, the product called Stonhard is another common oldie that I see frequently that's even older than Torginal.

Taranis · 07-14-2008, 09:23 AM

I've used Miracote before. Long time ago when, i think, they were part of Dex o Tex. Correct me if I'm wrong.
When you buy the material the one you want usually has the word flow in it. Altroflow etc. Seems simple enough but, again, its not as easy as it looks. Everything needs to be clean. Smooth floor, no dust, clean boots, new drill and whisk (slow speed) for mixing, good trowel.
Oh and.....Remember to add the hardener!!!
Wear kneepads.

cjcoastal33 · 08-22-2008, 07:34 PM

great product for coloring and staining.

Bud Cline · 08-22-2008, 08:20 PM

That's it That's it That's it!

Stonehard That's a helluva product and you can get it in a textured finish.

Two years ago I did some quarry tile stairs throughout a SWIFT meat packing plant and they were also coating the cutting rooms floors with Stonehard. I was curious - so the next day after an area was installed I took my pocket knife to a small area trying to damage it intentionally just to see how good the product really was. Never put a nick in it and I tried.

72chevy4x4 · 08-22-2008, 09:02 PM

Bud (or others), when putting down an epoxy coating, I've read an etching solution is to be put down-correct? The original poster stated he had paint, drywall and other crud on the floor. Is the proper procedure for doing this scraping the floor down, vacuum, mop and etch?

I recall watching Hometime some time back where they utilized a machine which shot bb's (or similar) into the concrete floor to loosen weak material. How necessary is this step?

Taranis · 08-25-2008, 06:12 AM

Get rid of all surface contaminants(paint, dirt,everything), make sure floor is sound, flat. Vaccum floor then prime.
If you want it to last, make sure there is nothing to prohibit the bond between the resin and the sub-floor.
Prep can be sanding, grinding, scabbling,acid etching (not my advice), Blastrac(ing)- where small steel bb's are shot at the floor to get rid of paint etc. and open up the sub-floor. The floor must be in good solid condition before using the Blastrac, the machine will destroy it otherwise. You would need largish size of area to justify using the machine cos of the dust collector etc.