Suburban heroes needed…
We rent a small hangar with an underlying asphalt floor. Perhaps 30 years ago a previous tenant painted this floor with what seems to have been a lot of sand mixed in (for anti-slip?). Now this coating is disintegrating and every time we go into the hangar there is a seemingly huge amount of sand to be pushed out with a broom and/or vacuumed.
Sand plus airplane is a bad combination because people walk up on the wing to get in.
Keeping in mind that we are renters and don’t want to invest a huge amount of $$, what can we do to seal this floor? We don’t care about aesthetics. It would be okay, for example, if the floor were to show tire tracks. Note that the airplane parked inside is somewhat lighter than a typical car, roughly 2,500 lbs. when fully fueled, but there are only three tires and they are not as wide as car tires.
Home Depot sells epoxy floor paint. If we were to clean up and dry the existing floor, would that likely work to seal in the remaining sand? Customer reviews are not promising, with dire tales of peeling and flaking.
If we want to “seal” asphalt, why not “asphalt sealer”? Example 1 and Example 2. Is this stuff too goopy? It will stick to everyone’s shoes and then end up on the wing and the carpet of the plane?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
https://sanitred.com/slip-resistant-floor-covering/
Liquid rubber is supposed to be very hard wearing, and I imagine it would handle the sand.
Around here people are obsessed with having jet black driveways and they’re out applying sealer every other year. When the sealer dries it doesn’t stick to shoes. It’s like walking on dry asphalt.
Two fragmented thoughts and a prize at the end.
one) if the current paint is disintegrating and leaving a sand residue, the paint on top of it will not properly adhere to the underlying asphalt. You probably need to first strip that old paint.
one and a third) Over time, the sand itself may have a scouring effect, especially if it is subjected to heavy vehicle traffic, and even if it is ‘fixed’ in the paint. Over time and under the pressure of traffic, that sand has enough movement to act as an abrasive on the paint it is embedded in.
one and two thirds) So you probably will want to get rid of that paint and the sand. Ironically, a (rented) sand blaster may be the best way to properly strip that sand-infused paint. Then you must remember to wash that sand away so you are repainting a clean surface
two) Before repainting completely, make a test application, let it dry, and then walk and drive over it. Does it hold up?
two and a third) At least one review on Lowes.com for the Blackjack Ultramax, mentions the importance of following the application directions carefully.
two and two thirds) this is the kind of work that strengthens young men’s backs and cripples old men. Hire someone to do the heavy work. Your back will thank you.
The prize) May your gear work and your weather be fair, but if you find yourself in a jam, Happy Landings!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5562497/Pilot-kisses-ground-surviving-crash-landing.html
Parting thoughts on the kissable ground — after you strip the old paint, do you even need to apply anything to the existing asphalt?
Step 0: ask the owner/landlord before doing anything. The gap between what tenants think they can renovate and what owners allow is often sizeable.
I used an epoxy coating (Rust-oleum like) on my garage floor about 15 years ago. It has stood up to the hard use and still looks like new. Should work in a hanger. Floor prep is critical. Follow the directions. Allow a weekend for the work and drying.
Note that the epoxy coating and epoxy paint are two different things. The epoxy coating costs about 2-3 times the paint.
anon: That’s great advice to ask the landlord… except that the landlord first wants to know what we are planning to do before deciding whether to approve, which leads us back to the question of the original posting.
Reha: Thanks. I talked to a guy recently who had the floor of a small hangar (similar size to ours) in New Jersey epoxy coated. It cost $9,000! That’s a full year of rent at our airport. We don’t need something that will last 15 years because the landlord might decide to demolish and rebuild these hangars in less than that!
Mmm. Well, this won’t be welcome news, but I think that old sandy paint has to come off, first.
G C: Now that I look at this more closely, I am not sure that there was sand in the paint. The sand in the hangar is maybe coming from concrete, from holes, and from winter sand put down by the airport folks fighting the Massachusetts winter. The paint flakes just look like paint.
$9k for a small hangar is outrageous. I have had a lot of epoxy put down with local people (in the US Southwest) and it was like $1.50-$2.50 a square foot installed (depending on epoxy and whether old material needed to be removed) and they ground and polished the concrete first with big machines to get good surface prep. Turned out very nice. Was a guy that had great yelp reviews and does this as a hobby / second job. Would think you could get a hangar done for $1-2k if can find someone similar in your area.
I have a very worn out asphalt driveway – about 30 years old. When I sweep it with a broom I get large piles of concrete looking dust. I started putting that asphalt sealant over it every two years which fixed the problem. Worn out asphalt sheds all by itself and asphalt sealant seems to fix the problem. Hire a day laborer to apply it. Its not skilled work.
If the substrate has no vapor barrier, then vapor pressure will start popping an epoxy coating off pretty quickly. But, if you can do it (epoxy) cheaply enough, it may still be an improvement. If you do it yourself, take the ventilation and respirator warnings very seriously.
Not the solution you asked for, but what I did for that problem was buy a roomba and leave it in my hanger. In addition to the floor sand problem I have wind carried sand that comes in through the roof vents and small holes in the sealing around the door.
+Alan for the win!
Probably not what you want, especially on price, but for chuckles check out the zany world of decorative and stamped concrete with acid staining. You can simulate any surface you can imagine
All,
Phil says his surface is asphalt. Not concrete. That’s two vastly different subjects.
Phil,
I’d go with someone simply sealing your asphalt just as they would an asphalt driveway. We have our asphalt driveway sealed every few years and it’s aesthetically pleasing and has no residue after it dries thoroughly.
Mark: But will the sealer work over top of the cracked paint? What happens on a painted parking lot? If they have a big painted area do they strip that first before sealing?
or for $50 just put some adhesive non-slip “step here” strips on the wings and be sure to educate naive passengers to use them.
I’m surprised no one suggested the obvious solution — just go out and buy a high-wing airplane!
also, invest another $50 in two high quality door mats (or $10 in thick carpet samples) and use pre-boarding. Hang the mats up upon return to keep them nice and clean.
Bonus tips: (1)Regular use of ample door mats along with removing shoes upon entering house will eliminate almost all dirt that would otherwise enter house. (If you have a dog that goes in and out, your floors will still get dirty.). (2) Rid your house of bar soap and never ever have to deal with soap scum again in showers and sinks–liquid shampoo, dish detergent, and “body wash” does not leave residue.
Phil,
I’d think the paint must be stripped before applying sealer. An asphalt company should be able answer your question re the paint removal before sealing.
Mark (the 2nd): The high-wing airplane idea is a brilliant one, but what about the floor mats?
Raleigh: Low-wing four-seaters already do have “wing walk” on top of the wings near the fuselage. But people aren’t perfect when it comes to staying on the wing walk. We do have door mats, near the wings but they are now covered in filthy sand!