Epoxy floor for a new shop, good idea or bad?

[RJSakowski]

Expect grinding sparks and welding slag to pit the epoxy. They will pit glass which melts at a much higher temperature.

 

[diamond]

I should have mentioned, new shop is in Prescott AZ. We're escaping California.

I'd love to hear more about things like grinding chips pitting the epoxy. Folks have experience with that happening? Seems sorta surprising but maybe it can.

Also should clarify this is more of a gunsmithing/hobby shop than a welding/fab shop. Mostly mill and lathe work. Though I do want to have the capacity to MIG/braze/cut once and a while. Pretty light welding when I do. I could keep one area in the shop concrete and only epoxy the area where the machining goes on.

 

[diamond]

I'll ask...going to have a call with him in a few mins anyway.
Tim

I appreciate that!

 

[kb58]

In car garage forums, there are mixed opinions, one being that if you park a car on it with warm tires, they sort of glue themselves to the floor. Get back in the car and turn the wheel, and they rip a patch of epoxy right out of the floor. For your shop-only situation, that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[tmenyc]

In car garage forums, there are mixed opinions, one being that if you park a car on it with warm tires, they sort of glue themselves to the floor. Get back in the car and turn the wheel, and they rip a patch of epoxy right out of the floor.

I think that is an issue if the mixture of resin and hardener wasn't right to begin with, for any epoxy. It's rock hard when done right.

 

[Papa Charlie]

You are probably already aware of this, but I would completely separate dirty operations from your gunsmithing ops. I know when I am working on my weapons, especially my competition guns, I do so only in a clean room type of environment.

I know my shop plans include an isolated room where I will do my gun work and reloading, separate from the rest of the fab shop area.

 

[7milesup]

I had an epoxy floor in my previous shop. It was a grey base coat with the paint chips applied, and then sealed with a clear epoxy top coat. It looked awesome and held up well for the 11 years I was there. There were two downsides to it....1.) if you were welding and did get any splatters it would pit it, but that will be true of ANY floor coating you put down. As RJ mentioned, welding splatter pits glass, so my best advice is either have a dedicated area for welding (why not outside if in AZ?) or buy a TIG welder and then you don't need to worry about it.
2.) If you walked onto the floor with wet shoes, it is quite slippery. The more paint chips you put in the coating though, the greater the texture and the less likely slipping. I put carpet remnant inside of the door to wipe my feet on, which worked well.

My new shop has a stained floor https://simstain.com/ with a TK sealer overlay. Looks awesome! The only downside to that is the sealer is more like a lacquer so solvents melt it, however, you can touch up areas if that happens. I probably should have gone with a clear epoxy overlay but I was under a deadline when I built the shop. Too late now...

 

[7milesup]

The first three are pictures of my old shop with the epoxy coating.

The last two are of my new shop with the Sim Stain and the clear coating. I love the variegated look of the new shop.

 

[NCjeeper]

I used the DIY Rustoleum kits for my previous shop. Put it down on new concrete. Prepped as the instructions said. It didnt hold up well, especially in the high traffic areas. I wouldnt do it again.

 

[tq60]

If not poured yet contact the builder to insure vapor block under pad.

Usually a plastic membrane is placed.

Requedr

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