Painting concrete floor at gun range.

[shortylickens]

Its needed it for years and the board of directors is getting sick of us dragging our feet. I was asked to take charge because its similar to all the chipping and painting I did in the Navy,

Floor is concrete, poorly covered in grey paint and coming off in large chips.

I know we need to chip it all up first, I was planning to use a pneumatic needle gun if I can find one. Power sanding would be unnecessary and messy, its already coming up in flakes. If I cant rent something from Home Depot or Lowes then I guess we have to buy a bunch of scrapers.
Paint is so old nobody even remembers what kind it was, so to be safe we'll also be using goggles and dust masks.
When we get it all off I intend to put a layer or two of primer down, then paint in multiple coats. I havent taken measurements yet but am sure the whole area is well under 1000 square feet, even if we include all the little closets and the kitchen area. The main area is susceptible to water damage because the building is not fully sealed. Also it gets terribly humid in the summer and the industrial dehumidifier can only do so much.
Its a high traffic area, usually gets several dozen people each weekend.


Do I need to do anything special before priming?

What kind of primer should I use and how much?

Will a sprayer work for the primer or does it need to be rolled on?

What kind of paint do we need? How many coats are advised?

Can the paint be sprayed on or does it need to be rolled?

Any considerations I may have missed?

 

[cabri]

Some of your answers should be available from a concrete supplier.

 

[highland145]

So old......lead based......bio hazard. Keep this repair under the radar even though it's a gun range.

My .02

 

[shortylickens]

I dont know its so old that its lead based, but it didnt have primer and so the paint is now coming off easily.

 

[DrPizza]

If lead based, you want something better than typical dust masks. Most dust masks that you buy at box stores are for nuisance dust.

Perhaps a pressure washer for removing paint.

I'd go with an epoxy based paint. There are specific paints for concrete; primer not needed.

If it's peeling off, it's because the surface wasn't prepped, or it wasn't the right type of paint. You may also want to clean the surface with myriatic acid after removing the paint (hydrochloric acid).

 

[highland145]

ecific paints for concrete; primer not needed.

If it's peeling off, it's because the surface wasn't prepped, or it wasn't the right type of paint. You may also want to clean the surface with myriatic acid after removing the paint (hydrochloric acid).

Or people can't shoot.

I'd say +1 for the epoxy but is it worth trouble considering people will still shoot it?

Call a new range and see what they did. I have on local one if you can't find one.

 

[boomerang]

Why not just bare concrete? It will never need to be refinished again.

 

[cabri]

Why not just bare concrete? It will never need to be refinished again.

You should only need to finish the area where people are, not the complete shooting range to the backstops. At most 15-20 ft from back wall to the shooting rest.

Or are there other areas beside the actual shooting area that is used for social activities?

The inside range building when I was a kid, had 2/3 of the area that acted as a social center for members

 

[shortylickens]

The board of directors wants it painted and they havent changed their decision in over a year.
Its going to happen. I may as well try to do it properly so we dont have issues later on.

I think I will look into concrete suppliers, they probably know what to use.


Thanks for the acid tip.

 

[boomerang]

If it must be done I heartily second an epoxy finish. Far more durable and long lasting than any paint will ever be. More costly though. And there is a range of products and it is difficult for the layman to know what's best. Commercial coatings like car dealers use for their service areas could be a one time do it and it's done solution in that environment. Although if something hard is dropped on the surface it will chip.

A story for whatever it's worth. Some of you may be aware that I once owned an Anytime Fitness franchise. As part of the build out of the leased space, flooring in the cardio area had to be selected to stay within the guidelines of the franchise. I went with an epoxy coating. Non-absorbent and easy to clean were part of what swayed me in that direction.

There is a prep involved and the epoxy application is a two part process. The color and the next day a clear coat. The contractor warned me that the clear coat was nasty smelling stuff. OK, I thought. On the day they put it down, the other subs had to clear out, the stuff is that overpowering. There is no way a human could stay in an enclosed space and breath it without the proper breathing apparatus. When it's dry there is of course no odor. The next day I came in to find that the odor had attracted literally hundreds of flies. It not only attracted them, it killed them. Their dead bodies were all over the epoxy floored area. My first concern was that their dead bodies were embedded in the clear coat, but it had evidently flashed over before they kicked off and their dead carcasses were easily swept up.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Rustoleum makes some very good products. I have used a lot of their heavy duty epoxy, but it is an entirely different application. They do however make some products that you would be looking for. I have also found their technical support to be excellent. You should give them a call.

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/industrial-brands/concrete-protection-systems

 

[Ban Bot]

The Rustoleum single application Epoxy for garage floors looks like a winner. Good reviews, simple, good results. Affordable at $100.

 

[skyking]

We did that in our garage 10 years ago. It sticks great everywhere it is properly prepared.