Howdy all,
Just finished gutting my basement. I tore up the 3 layers of tile on the floor and now I want to try and make it “neat and clean” looking. I saw a product called “EpoxyShield” made by RustOleum. Anyone know anything about this? My concrete floor in the basement is COVERED in old paint adheasive from the old tiles. If I wanted to use this EpoxyShield product I would assume I need to clean the surface.
Anyone have any experience with this? Any tips on how I should proceed? Is this the right choice? Any other ideas?
Thanks!
Mark
Replies
Rustoleum makes good stuff, but I'm not familiar with that one. Read the label and follow it to a T. Start by getting down to the base crete clean first.
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Should I grind the concrete surface? Is grinding indoors just asking for trouble? I have a local rental company near me that rents concrete grinders...just don't know if it is OK to use indoors.
Mark
That would be a killer. I have a demo hammer with a 2" wide chisle bit that I would hold low angle to the floor surface. I have also done this with hand tools, but that was when I was young and dumb. If you are too, or the athletic and ambgitious type looking for a new way to work out, buy some kneepads, stiff scrapers or a sacrificial chisle, maybe some dry ice to make it all brittle, and have fun.
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Mark,
Epoxyshield is a good consumer grade product, but make sure you read ALL the instructions, especially for preparing the concrete.
You may want to think twice about grinding, as the old "cutback" adhesive contains asbestos.
You can buy cutback remover in liquid form, and that will remove most of the adhesive, but there will still be a bit in all the small pock marks and cracks.
Also, you'll have to make sure you have adequate ventilation, and no ignition sources that could ignite vapors.......
You'll probably have to acid etch the concrete too.
After all that, water vapor can still force the finish off the concrete, so make sure you do a moisture test on the floor.
I just did the same thing, remove old tile. I used some kind of citrus juice, I think it was called Contractor's Citrusolve. You'd be amazed at how fast it removes that old adhesive. Bring plenty of old rags.
Yes, that Citrusolve worked really well. Do you have a current source for it? I haven't seen it in a while.
DG/Builder
I bought it by the gallon at True Value. I think it was actually called De-Solv-It.
>>"Start by getting down to the base crete clean first.Unfortunately, this is incomplete and potentially dangerous advice: with 3 layers of flooring, sounds like an old place.Old tile flooring and adhesives (pre-70's) may well contain asbestos Working with it poses special considerationsFrom the EPA website:"Asbestos Do's And Don'ts For The Homeowner* Do take every precaution to avoid damaging asbestos material.* Do have removal and major repair done by people trained and qualified in handling asbestos. It is highly recommended that sampling and minor repair also be done by asbestos professionals.* Don't dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos.* Don't saw, sand, scrape, or drill holes in asbestos materials.* Don't use abrasive pads or brushes on power strippers to strip wax from asbestos flooring. Never use a power stripper on a dry floor.* Don't sand or try to level asbestos flooring or its backing. When asbestos flooring needs replacing, install new floorcovering over it, if possible." [Etc]
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html#4
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Edited 2/14/2006 7:17 am ET by rjw
The tiles have already been removed. The basement had lots of seepage over the years and the tiles just about lifted right off. Very few tiles broke...they just lifted right off the floor.
Earlier last year I had the outside excavated and fixed the foundation leaking issues. Had drain tiles and a sump pump installed.
Yes, the house is old.... 99 years old this year.
I just want a good solution for flooring in the basement. I do not want to put down adhesive tiles again. This EpoxyShield product seemed like a good solution, but looks like the prep work might be pretty nasty stuff in my instance.
Any suggestions for flooring?
Mark
Mark, it sounds like you might be a candidate for an overlay job. Whether you can do it yourself or not, depends on your skill level and how motivated you are. There is a book by some guy named Bob Harris...no relation or affiliation...it might be worth a look.
http://www.shopconcretenetwork.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=30
>>The tiles have already been removed. The basement had lots of seepage over the years and the tiles just about lifted right off. Very few tiles broke...they just lifted right off the floor.That's good news.But the adhesive still remaining could also contain asbestos, so there is still a possibility that physically removing it could create friable air born asbestos which is not good for you.
And since others may read this thread in the future, its still important to mention the issue here
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Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
Edited 2/14/2006 9:28 pm ET by rjw
Hi,
I did the exact thing in my 154 year old home. All the old tiles lifted right off. Floor had gotten wet repeatedly from leaking plumbing.
I also looked into epoxy, but the prep (for a 1,100 sq ft basement rec room) was too much.
I just washed (mopped) the entire floor a few times, and rolled on two layers of concrete stain from Benjamin Moore (it won't peel or lift like paint). Complete w/ some older area rugs from upstairs (dw wanted some new ones anyway), looks great. Everyone loves it, easy maintenance, water can't hurt it, dirty boots, or kids muddy shoes not a major headache.
Has been 5 months (and three parties) now, and only one minor wear around the pool table, but considering the time and effort saved, I don't mind rolling over high traffic areas once in a while.
One day I plan to redo it w/ ceramic tile, and carpet around the pool table, but until then..................this was a reasonable fix.
>>I tore up the 3 layers of tile on the floor ... My concrete floor in the basement is COVERED in old paint adheasive from the old tiles. If I wanted to use this EpoxyShield product I would assume I need to clean the surface.
Any of them 9" tiles? You might have created a problem:
Could well have been VAT - Vinyl Asbestos Tiles
From the EPA web site:
"Where Can I Find Asbestos And When Can It Be A Problem?
"...until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions which may release fibers, include:
"RESILIENT FLOOR TILES (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on VINYL SHEET FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers. So may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal."
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html
In the plant that I work in, the new owners wanted the walkways in the plant "painted" with a white epoxy antiskid product.
As part of the prep after power washing(to remove oils and machining coolant), they Shot Peened the floors to clean/roughen the surface. The machine is self contained and looks a bit like a floor sander. It "cleans" a swath about 10 inches wide per pass and can go to the edge of the wall.
The same is being done to the entire floor in the 65000 square foot plant expansion before the milling machines go in.
I mention it because it would work perfectly for your basement providing you can find one to rent.
Interesting - is that the sort of machine that requires a darn good set of hearing protectors?
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"is that the sort of machine that requires a darn good set of hearing protectors?"I can't say for sure because when they did the walkways, it was done when we weren't around to keep the oily boots off.
On the new side they worked along side the other trades with the area roped off. With the Epoxy being spread when everyone else went home.(The Epoxy stinks big time while it cures!)
I did see a real cheap pair of ear protectors hanging off the handle when they weren't there one night. But that isn't an indication of the noise, only the willingness to provide the minimum required by Workmans Comp.
Edited 2/14/2006 10:52 pm by QCInspector
"The Epoxy stinks big time while it cures!"LOL, there's the understatement of the week!
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Do you have any views on the asbestos issue?
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When reading this please keep in mind I am not a professional. Would it be possible to pour a layer of concrete over the "problems." A thin mix of concrete might find it own level. I know there is a product used to level low spots on concrete floors in preperation for tile flooring. I just don't know how an additional layer could resist cracking. Possibly wet the floor to keep down dust and chisle in keyways.