O.T. Basement Floor Paint......

What would be the best paint or coating for a basement shop floor. Right now it's just smooth concrete, and there is not a problem with moisture. I am looking for something that is durable. I was going to use DriCore but when I started to lay it out this morning I decided to use it in the family room instead of the shop. (I don't have the finances to do both areas with it) I am just going to paint the shop floor and use the snap together mats that you can get at Harbor Frieght or one of the borgs.

Thanks!
John

John,

Are you going to cover the whole or most of the floor with mats? If you are, I wouldnt' do anything to the floor, you won't see most of it anyway.

Use the Rust-oleum basement floor epoxy paint. It is the least expensive paint of this type.

It doesn't give as nice as a finish as the U-Coat-it epoxy floor paint (see this thread for an example), but it is very durable.

The question I would have is...does it really need to be painted? Is it worth the expense?

I chose to use VCT tile. That's the commercial tile. They sell it at Home Depot for around $0.50/sqft.
If you paint the basement floor, you have to be careful with the fumes when you etch it.

Jay

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Originally Posted by Jim Becker

The question I would have is...does it really need to be painted? Is it worth the expense?

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Yes, it is well worth the time and effort. Dust will continue to come up through the concrete. By putting an epoxy sealer on the floor, you will kill 80% of the dust, at least till you turn your tools on.

Also it will be easier to clean.:cool:

I have a tiny 14X11 shop in my basement. Rust-o-leum was my choice because it's cheaper. MONEY WELL SPENT. Cleanup a snap. So far (about a year) the durability is outstanding. Easy to apply.

Good luck

I put Rust-Oleum down in my shop too. Now my wife thinks it's a good idea if I do the rest of the garage as well (mind you, this is the woman who thought I was needlessly spending money on my shop floor.

I wouldn't paint the floor. End of discussion at least for me. Now let me tell you why. I made the mistake one time of painting a school shop floor where I taught. That was some 26 years ago now. Some poor sucker that is working there right now is probably painting the floor for the 26th time since I did it.:eek:

I now teach in a school shop where the floor is sealed with a concrete floor sealer (clear) that goes on with a mop like floor wax. The material is not a wax or a paint but a sealer that provides a good smooth surface for easy sweeping and cleanup of liquids.:rolleyes: As you can tell I'm really sold on this stuff.

I just went to the back of the shop and looked at the jug of leftovers that we used last summer to mop on in a few thin spots. "Clean Assist" Number 341 Clean assist is a janitorial chemical supply company. You can get the stuff in other brands as well like "butchers"

We have to clean the shop up every summer and reapply the sealer with a mop but at least the sealer does not flake up like paint will. I have the sealer on my shop floor at home and it gets some pretty heavy use at times and it is on it's third year without being recoated.:D

Jim:

I remember that stuff from a summer job I had many years ago. I got to re-coat the floors of a large warehouse with the same kind of product you described, but I can't remember the manufacturer. Any idea what the cost is?

Would Thompson Water sealer worK ?

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Originally Posted by Sam Chambers

Jim:

I remember that stuff from a summer job I had many years ago. I got to re-coat the floors of a large warehouse with the same kind of product you described, but I can't remember the manufacturer. Any idea what the cost is?

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I don't remember for sure but I'm thinking it was around $7.00 a gallon three years ago when I did my shop. It is not much considering what you actually get from it. A gallon goes a gazillion sq. ft. across the floor especially on the second and third coats.

I'll add my vote for the Rustoleum EpoxyShield Garage Floor paint. I used it a few months ago on a bare concrete floor and it's impressed me with its strength. Just days after applying the paint, I dropped a 2" steel cold chisel from about 9' high onto the floor, and I couldn't find any mark at all in the paint. Very hard stuff IMHO.

- Vaughn