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Hangar floor coating

Scouter

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Exeter Maine
What is the best? Looking at several mfgs Most are 2 part epoxy. Air Tech is the big advertiser in TAP


Jim
 
Polishing vs epoxy paint. ?

Lots of Big Box stores have polished.

Polished has a bunch of stain options too.

Thanks for the OP Jim. I been thinking same thing.

Kem
 
I liked the comment the one mechanic made that he worked out of kings hanger in naknek for a year before he realized it was a concrete floor, it
was so dirty and falling apart :)
 
I was in a hangar last weekend in Hampton NH. This is an epoxy 2 part. It was shiny but not too slippery. Owner said about $1 per sq ft do it yourself. Was very nice
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There is a local guy who diamond grinds and then polishes concrete for the big box stores. It is prob smoother and shines more than paint. Not sure on cost yet
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Then there is exposed aggregate concrete polished. They are doing countertops in this area with this process. Big $$$$ really nice
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There is a local ice cream shop that stained the concrete. Looks like the dog threw up on it. No pic of that.

Will post my final result.

jim
 

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What is the best? Looking at several mfgs Most are 2 part epoxy. Air Tech is the big advertiser in TAP


Jim
Jim,
All of our compressor stations floors have a two part epoxy sprayed on then rolled. Simple application extremely durable. If rolled grit can be applied. I will reach out to our contractor for a preferred brand.
 
Polished is great till it gets wet.

Glenn
Actually it's not slick when wet, we use it in industrial applications often. Going to do it in my new hanger, really easy to keep clean and it looks great for about $3.00 a sf.
 
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Polishing vs epoxy paint. ?

Lots of Big Box stores have polished.

Polished has a bunch of stain options too.

Thanks for the OP Jim. I been thinking same thing.

Kem
Polished and or stained will breathe and if you have a moisture problem under a slab and paint it it can bubble and fail.
 
What is the best? Looking at several mfgs Most are 2 part epoxy. Air Tech is the big advertiser in TAP


Jim
Lots of Air Tech floors at my airport and they do well except in high sub surface moisture areas. You have to properly clean and etch before application. Also you need to wear a GOOD respirator when putting it down and have ventilation.
 
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What if the moisture is from condensation?
If you have moisture condensing ON the floor it is often likely passing through the slab from moisture below. This is a symptom of not having an effective vapor barrier under the slab. You can do a vapor pressure test to see if your condition is too severe. We see this often on glue down tile floors and it will cause the glue to bubble up between the tiles or on sheet vinyl can bubble the surface.
 
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If you have moisture condensing ON the floor it is often likely passing through the slab from moisture below.
While this is a possibility, it only occurs on high humidity days. Also, two 14 foot walls of my hangar are poured concrete as the hangar is built into the side of a hill.
 
Kirby
the old standby test for moisture in slab is tape down a sheet of plastic and watch for moisture?
jim
 
Actually it's not slick when wet, we use it in industrial applications often. Going to do it in my new hanger, really easy to keep clean and it looks great for about $3.00 a sf.
Will polished concrete stain if oil drips on it?
 
Kirby
the old standby test for moisture in slab is tape down a sheet of plastic and watch for moisture?
jim
This is why I mentioned the wet floor. In some areas I've had carpet on the floor when the high humidity wets the floor. Then when I move the carpet the floor is dry where the carpet was located. I've been suspecting the stable temperature of the large mass of concrete which is tucked into the hill causing condensation of the humid air.
 
Will polished concrete stain if oil drips on it?
Not as easily as unpolished. The polishing densifies the surface and with a sealer over it the stain resistance is excellent. That's what I'm doing and if you want a shine a couple coats of a liquid Wax and you're stylen!
 
Kirby
the old standby test for moisture in slab is tape down a sheet of plastic and watch for moisture?
jim
Yep, leave it down for several days to a week. The vapor pressure test does about the same thing but gives a numeric value, typically over 3 pounds and you're in trouble for glue down products that don't breathe. If you see much moisture, don't do no-breatheable products.

I used to rent space in a hanger with an epoxy floor that was over a floor that sweated bad and it looked terrible with failing coating coming off...

I have a client with a problem floor. 40 year old building that had 9x9 (yep asbestos) tile and mastic that they abated and removed (I recommended tiling over it as it was not fryable) to install new 12x12 VCT on it oozed glue at every joint and smelled damp. Tested moisture pressure after the install and it was 10, the glue was guaranteed to 3. The old floor and heavy mastic was a great vapor barrier, now they have to run a dehumidifier 24/7!
 
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I have mine polished, oil does not penetrate or stain it. Jet fuel does. Far better than paint, mine has aggregate showing, makes it hard to find a screw or washer when you drop them!
 
I'm going with spray on polyurea from SPI in Anchorage. High solids content, can build up thickness, is flexible and resists cracking due to expansion/contraction from temperature variation. Will probably go with the chemical resistant version. I'd like to find a surface grinder of some sort to fix/grind imperfections on the new slab.. Any ideas?


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Jim,
All of our compressor stations floors have a two part epoxy sprayed on then rolled. Simple application extremely durable. If rolled grit can be applied. I will reach out to our contractor for a preferred brand.

Jim,
One recommendation is Sherman Williams 8100.
I will talk to you tomorrow about particulars. Simple process.
 
I always wanted to paint my hanger floor but years and years of oil drips etc. and 5200 square feet I can't justify the cost.
 
I am not a fan of grit. It hurts when you have to get on your knees and it makes it MUCH harder to clean the floor. If you live in a high humidity area and expect to have a wet floor often, maybe. But I'll take a couple of days of slick floor a year Vs pain every time you put your hand down, or a knee, or have to lay on the floor to clean the fuselage etc.
YMMV, my personal opinion, and all that. But I recommend you try it before you buy it.
Bill
 
Agreed - I have done several hangars with a good commercial grade two part epoxy. It's glossy, but not slippery and tends to loose its shine over about 10 years use. I tried adding grit for the section in front of the nose wheel for the power tow, but found that is not really necessary. On smooth epoxy, power tow can spin its wheel, but nothing a little weight doesn't sort out.

On a new floor - good wash with an acid etch, followed by a good power sweep. I rented, and have now purchased a Stihl 24" power broom - does a good job of brushing the water and fine particulates away after the acid wash / etch. Pressure washers don't work, you keep getting areas with fine dust remaining. Wait for it to dry properly and then paint with a roller. You can control the thickness by using different roller, don't skimp on the quality - nothing worse than having one fall apart while you have a few gallons mixed. 4G will do about 2,000 ft2 - you might look like you don't have enough after the first gallon, but an amazing amount of epoxy gets left behind in the tray, tin, brush etc. After 1/2 to 3/4 you will know whether you are ahead or behind and its quite easy to stretch the remaining quantity to finish by rolling a bit harder / thinner.

I did one floor that had been covered in oil stains, I washed 2 or 3 times with a degreaser then the acid wash then epoxy. It all worked out fine, still good after 10 years.

The surface prep is 2 or 3 times more work than the painting.

Aerodon
 
I have a 32' x 60' X16' high enclosed metal hangar with concreted floor. Roof is insulated with 1" sheet insulation. Under certain temp and humidity conditions, all metal parts in the hangar become soaked with moisture. Even the engine inside the cowling. Floor gets wet as well.Drives me nuts.

Will coating the floor with epoxy help this situation? I've been told that the only solution is a de humidifier which is essentially an AC unit.

Gary
 
I have a 32' x 60' X16' high enclosed metal hangar with concreted floor. Roof is insulated with 1" sheet insulation. Under certain temp and humidity conditions, all metal parts in the hangar become soaked with moisture. Even the engine inside the cowling. Floor gets wet as well.Drives me nuts.

Will coating the floor with epoxy help this situation? I've been told that the only solution is a de humidifier which is essentially an AC unit.

Gary
Unfortunately, I don't know of any currently available topical coating that will stop moisture transfer. Even Air-Tech requires essentially no vapor pressure http://www.airtechcoatings.com/pdfs/harddeckinstructions.pdf

You might try a portable dehumidifier, the home stores carry some decent units that are in the $200 range that you can pipe to a drain, if your hanger isn't too large and seals up decent it ought to help, even if it took two it would be better than the rain forest you describe. I used to use one in my shop (900sf with 10 ft side walls and open ceiling) before I installed AC and it only ran intermittent and kept tools from tarnishing.
 
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In the summer when I put some ice in a glass and fill it with water, the outside of my glass becomes soaked with moisture too. That warm day has a dew point value that is warmer than the outside of the glass. Its the same situation with Stuff in the hangar. During the night everything got cold soaked. Then the sun comes out and it warms up and the air in the hanger. The air warms faster than the cold soaked engine. The dew point rises and when its higher than the cold soaked engine it behaves just like my glass of water.

The fixes that I can think of include heating the hangar, keeping the engine warm with something like a gun cabinet heater, using a silica bead dehumidifier, dehumidifying the entire hangar
 
I always wanted to paint my hanger floor but years and years of oil drips etc. and 5200 square feet I can't justify the cost.

Mine's for working in as well, not for sitting in a chair admiring it. Besides, the dust helps absorb the oil ! ;-)
 
Mine is carpeted over the dirt. If your going fishing just lift a corner up for the worm store

Glenn
 
I have a 32' x 60' X16' high enclosed metal hangar with concreted floor. Roof is insulated with 1" sheet insulation. Under certain temp and humidity conditions, all metal parts in the hangar become soaked with moisture. Even the engine inside the cowling. Floor gets wet as well.Drives me nuts.

Will coating the floor with epoxy help this situation? I've been told that the only solution is a de humidifier which is essentially an AC unit.

Gary
Epoxy coating the floor will not prevent the condensation problem you have described.

To fix the problem you need to use a dehumidifier sized for the volume of your hangar. Adding a ceiling fan or two to circulate the air will help the dehumidifier be more effective.
 
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