# Shop floor - RAW CONCRETE



## bsstone13 (Jan 13, 2014)

My shop floor is raw concrete and is about 9 months old with just a trowel finish (semi-rough). Do I NEED to seal it, paint it or anything? Will moisture work its way up through the concrete into my shop? I really hate painting and frankly I don't want to have to move everything out. If leaving the shop floor in it's raw form and there's no harm then that's what I prefer, BUT if not…. Please let me know. Thanks.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

There IS a sealer for concrete. 5 gal. buckets. Foam paint roller and a long handle.

Or a garden sprayer. Paint roller will put on a better coating.

Yes, unless there was a sheet of plastic laid down UNDER the concrete, there WILL be moisture coming up through the concrete. It is just about the same as a hard sponge.

There is a latex paint made FOR concrete floors, again a paint roller apply.

As for a trowel finish, it is for the surface to be non-slippery. Slick finish is nice, but also very slick.

One can just roller paint what shows, Then when something gets moved, you would have to paint the empty spot.

Just a sealer will do. IF, however, cars and such will be parked on it, roadsalt WILL eat your floor. Right through the sealer. Proof? Look at the local highway that are concrete. Sealer would be a yearly maintainence issue. Look at your sidewalks.


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## Rugman01 (Jun 19, 2014)

What about apoxy floor coating like for a garage. I have the same issue and it has been working good for me so far


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

I'd use an epoxy coating. It's durable (most likely never have to be recoated) and if you spill something on the floor, you have a better chance of cleaning it up. Spill something on concrete and it most likely will leave an unremovable stain.


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## todd1962 (Oct 23, 2013)

I used a gray epoxy seal coat. The nice thing about that is that it makes it easy to find stuff if you drop it. Of course when I put mine on I had just built my shop and not put the tools in.


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## higtron (Jan 26, 2011)

To test whether moisture is coming through the concrete tape a small piece of clear plastic sheeting to the concrete come back in a day or so if the plastic has condensation between the floor and the plastic than moisture is wicking through. Was there a vapor barrier laid down before the concrete was poured (plastic sheeting laid on the sub grade before the concrete)? This will stop wicking but if it wasn't than sealing is your only option


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## Oldsaxon (Jul 17, 2013)

Higtrom, there will always be condensation if you do that unless you live in the Mojave. Concrete is porous, damp will find it's way. The thing is ventilation and levels of humidity. Can you cope with the amount of moisture? are there windows, vents? air movement?


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Can you find out if a vapor barrier was laid down before the concrete was poured? If it's only 9 months old and was made to code (in most areas) it should have been done.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Hopefully there was a vapor barrier of thick plastic put down before the concrete was poured. As mentioned, check on it.


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## bsstone13 (Jan 13, 2014)

There is a plastic vapor barrier that was laid down after termite treatment and before concrete was poured. So, do I still need a sealer or paint?


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Shawn, If the MS in your location means your in Mississippi then I don't think the floor will be your issue, the water will walk into the shop with the wind as humidity, Houston TX was almost as bad. For myself, I'd like to put a treatment on my floor, but trying to move everything and get all of the spill/stain crap off is just too much of a pain in the ass, next shop though, I'll do the floor before the moving truck arrives..


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Sealer,,THEN the paint. The epoxy paint is better.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Put down CVT flooring. Not expensive, and will last giving you an easily broomed/vac surface.
CVT=composite vinyl tile. 12"X12". Usually about $.80/sq. ft.
I've used it on three shop floors without regret.
Bill


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## bsstone13 (Jan 13, 2014)

ChefHDAN: Mississippi is in fact where I live.

I think for now since we've established that having a plastic vapor barrier will block moisture I will just leave the raw concrete. Sometime soon I will seal and paint at the very least Or maybe do what Bill suggest.

Thanks guys!


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

My shop was converted to a gym by the second owner, compete with glued down astro turf. I (the third owner) pulled up all the turf and reverted the space back into a shop. I wanted to put down an epoxy floor like one of my co-workers did in his garage. I changed my mind when his car slid in the garage into the far wall and almost into the kitchen (he didn't put any sand in the mix for traction). The turf glue that I couldn't figure out how to get up has actually proved to be a decent covering for the floor, providing traction and protection for the concrete.


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## Quanter50 (Feb 11, 2012)

Sealer! No question. Vapor barrier or no vapor barrier. I sealed mine after we poured it. This was 25 years ago. Stuff sweeps up easily and spills clean up easily. Read the directions on the 5 gallon can. You'll be glad you did it.


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

Shawn,
I am not fan of paint or epoxy. One thing with either one of those is they are not permanent. Second as mentioned by bigblock, it is slick when it is wet. My floor is powertroweled and it is slick when it is wet too, but I must admit it is nice to sweep and vacuum. 
I am in Law Enforcement in a small town. We have a Saftey Center for both the FD and PD. I manage the building and the building's budget. The FD epoxied the apparatus bay, I was not in favor of it, but I don't work over there either, so I shut my mouth. They added some sort of sand or something so it would not be slick. It does not work. We had an officer fall and hurt himself when he went in that side with snow on his boots. (I know that you don't get snow) It is beginning to wear some after 5 years or so. It was big money…like 15K for 85×100…and obviously is not pemanent. It looks nice, but will scratch too. 
If I did anything I would put on a sealer, but I personally don't see the bad part of just leaving it. My shop has been there 12 years now unsealed and I see no sign of rust or corosion on the bottom of my tools. Once in a while it will get very humid and the concrete is darker like it is wet, but the sawdust absorbs that and it just fine…...
Just my .02…no disrespect meant to other opinions….this is just my experience.
Mike


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

Actually, I can vouch for what Mike says.

In our last house, the garage floor was in sad shape … somebody had glued linoleum to part of it, and one bay had holes in the floor where they had bolted machinery of some sort to it.

We had the floor patched, diamond-ground to get rid of the mastic, and surfaced it with epoxy with aluminum flecks in it. It looked great and was easy to sweep, but it was dangerous if you came in with snow on your shoes or they were wet. And after it had been on for a few years it showed some wear from tires and started to discolor.

I wish the guy I bought my house from would have just put sealer on the floor in what is now the shop before he started working on his truck in there. The grease and rust stains are unsightly and the floor would sweep up a lot better if it had been properly sealed.


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## MrSmith670 (Jan 26, 2014)

Unless your shop is climate controlled, humidity will find its way in regardless of the floor treatment. The vapor barrier will prevent moisture from wicking through the concrete more than any kind of sealer.

I personally would recommend a sealer as opposed to any kind of paint or epoxy. You could always stain the concrete before you seal it if you're looking for something different. Epoxy looks great when first applied, but in any shop, it'll quickly start showing wear. Doubly so for paint. (not to mention the safety issues others have commented on.)


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## sgv (Mar 21, 2013)

Mike nailed it (no pun intended ) my old shop i used H&C concrete stain 3 coats worked great, this time broom finish floor I left just concrete. it is two years no rust, I do run a dehumidifier in summer. I live in Blacksburg Va


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