Finally got the old basement floor sealed after three tries

I started this project last spring when I first saw the damp spots after heavy rain. The first two sealers I bought from the hardware store just peeled up within a week. Last Saturday, I spent the whole day grinding the floor with a rented machine, then used a two-part epoxy kit. It finally dried clear and hard, no more sticky spots. Has anyone else had to try a few different products to get a basement floor to hold up?

3 comments

3 Comments

henry18928d ago

Three tries is actually pretty good for a basement floor. You hear about people going through five or six products before they give up and call a pro. That two part epoxy is no joke though, you really have to commit to the full prep work. I can't believe your neighbor just sealed right over old oil stains. What was he thinking? Now he's got a fancy floor that just shows off his old mess forever.

quinn_barnes628d ago

That epoxy process sounds like the real deal. My neighbor went through something similar with his garage floor, but he had a whole other layer of trouble. He didn't get all the old oil stains out before he sealed it, so now the stains are just permanently locked in under a shiny coat. It looks good from far away, but up close it's a mess. He says he'll just throw a rug over it.

harper_cooper2128d ago

My uncle's basement floor in Toledo took four different products. He kept getting that milky, sticky film until he did exactly what you did, the full grind and two-part epoxy. @quinn_barnes6 that story about the oil stains is the final boss of floor sealing. It's like you do all that hard work and then you're just putting a museum display case over your old mistakes. That's why I'd be on my hands and knees with degreaser for a week first.