Hi, I have a new build which has a single garage. The floor is untreated, always dusty and pock marked like the moon and a few depressions where concrete has come away I have looked online at a cheapish way of making it a useable floor for eg as a gym with a cleanable floor Some advice seems to point towards degreasing, then acid etching and the painting with an epoxy paint or varnish etc but I would need to hire a buffer or powerful power washer I think Alternatively, should I just get rid of as much dust as possible and then use a self levelling compound? This seems like the obvious choice but does anyone have advice for me? Does it need a primer PVA first after sweeping up and before SL Compound? Thanks in advance for any replies
Self levelling compound is not designed to be a finish floor ready to paint, but to provide a level floor for tiles, laminate, etc.
Personally I'd go for a latex SLC, sweep it as clean as you possibly can, a good coat of PVA, then the SLC, use a spiked roller on the SLC this help remove all the air bubbles from it and aids levelling, once it thoroughly dry, you can paint it with a garage floor paint of your colour choice.
Probably a daft comment but being accident prone I would have a painted plywood floor with suitable insulation and vapour barrier,depending on your gym equipment of course . If you have a fall, wood is a lot more forgiving than concrete. Do know whether there is any insulation under the concrete? I may be wrong but I don't think there would be for a garage.
I have a really good solution, I had a similar floor in my garage workshop. The solution is to fit rubber/plastic matting, it fits together really easily like a jigsaw without any underfloor prep and will go over uneven surfaces as well. Because it is around half inch thick it insulates also. It is very tough. I bought mine from big dugs. Don't buy the cheaper foam stuff as is not robust.
Prdc, you surely want a proper covering on this floor if it's to be used as a welcoming gym? So that leaves how to sort the existing floor first. Peasy - give it a good stiff brushing, sweep up the dust (cough), vacuum it all to get rid of all the dust, and then use Everbuild stabilising liquid. That's is wot I am doing at the moment in my own garage. (And 'cos mine will chust be a garage, I'm using the cheapest method of coating it after the stab sol - Thompson's Drive Seal. And 'cos the drive seal is black and I really prefer dark grey, I have added some white masonry paint... And it works.) After stab sol, just chose the finish of your choice - that rubber interlocking matting tile thingy mentioned by Mr Moose is great stuff. Or you could go for cheaper and thinner rolls of rubber matting. Or a thin layer of underlay designed for laminate flooring and vinyl covering on top. Or akshull laminate. If you are not too fussed about the actual choice of colour, check out eBay in your locality - I bet something suitable will come along before long at a cracking price.
Should use Everbuild 403 Concrete Hardener & Dustproofer to seal the floor, NOT Everbuild Stabilising Liquid 406 that's for interior/ exterior render, plaster, painted painted surfaces & block/brickwork & ceilings, not floors.
Ooh - didn't know that existed . Mind you, it must be pretty much the same stuff - soaks in and binds the surface ready for a top coat.
Didn't realise they use EPDM as recycled rubber crumb in flooring, I thought of EPDM as in large sheets. Thank you for pointing this out.
Shooorly the cove would like to sort the dusty surface first, and then he can have whatever covering he wants.
Agreed. You need to seal the floor first, pointless putting down a covering as you still get dust finding it's way through.
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