Covering Concrete With Posters + Poly

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MrBear

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Hello everyone,

Summary:

I have a detatched building built on a concrete pad that I'd like to turn into a recreational retreat from the world. The first project I would like to tackle is doing something fun with the floor itself. After looking at penny floors with an epoxy coating, I wondered if something could be done with posters instead - posters glued to the floor with a clear epoxy or polyurethane on top as a protectant.

About the building:

The structure has an interior size of 11.5x29. The concrete pad is slightly sloped with a bit of a dip in one corner. One end of the structure has a single garage door with two windows on one side. It is built out of treated 2x4 and has an attic.

The concrete itself is dry inside, but there has been some moisture damage on the exterior. To ensure it stays dry in the future I've installed a french drain on the two long sides.

The project:

I want a floor with a little personality. After looking at some articles about covering a floor with pennies and then sealing the whole thing with epoxy, I wondered if the same thing could be done with posters.

The end result has the potential to be really neat (I think - have you seen bar tops with this treatment? It's pretty cool), but I have never done this kind of a project before and I am looking for some advice and answers. Here's the plan.

1. Leveling the floor. I plan to use some simple QuickCrete here - it gets the job done. I will need to ensure that the area right under the garage door doesn't change much, otherwise I'll probably have to adjust that as well (and I'd rather not bother).

2. Preparing the concrete. I'm not sure what to do here. I do know that if moisture builds up under an epoxy/poly floor that all kinds of problems can develop, aside from ruining the posters themselves.

Should I use a moisture barrier paint/sealant, a roll product, or would some kind of built subfloor (or something like DriCore panels) be the best choice to allow airflow?

This is the biggest question for me - the concrete preparation and properly handling moisture.

3. Preparing the posters. The posters will need some kind of paste to keep them flat during application. I don't think the exact material really matters here. Searching around the internet, I've seen some people claim you can apply water-based poly directly over paper products; others say one should use a sealant of some kind first. I'll experiment.

4. Epoxy or Poly. This is the second major question. The area will be used for some arcade machines, a table, chairs, etc., not extremely heavy shop equipment or large vehicles. I understand that this may affect the treatment of the concrete floor as well.

Epoxy seems like a great choice, it's very hard and can self-level (depending on what goes on top of the concrete, could I just use a lot of epoxy?), but epoxy is also very expensive and I may need 25+ gallons for the 11.5x29 area. It is also a single pour, wait for it to cure, and then done.

Polyurethane also seems like a great choice. It is less expensive than a clear epoxy (by a lot, it seems), but requires multiple applications. I don't mind that, I can take a whole day to apply 3-5 coats. Would it be durable enough for moderate use described above?

I'm looking to keep the total cost of the project under $1000, but it doesn't seem quite doable. My current plan is:

Quikcrete: 5x 80lb bags: $21
DriCore Panels: 90 (6x15 will cover 12x30 area, larger than 11.5x29): $508.50
Prints: 60x 36x24 (estimated $5 a piece, some are as low as $2): $300
Adhesive: 1 gallon, wallpaper adhesive: $15-$20
Protective Coating: Unknown, $?
Polyurethane: 4 gallons, Minwax Spar Urethane: $200 (covers 2000sf, enough for 5 coats).
Tools to apply poly: Something about a pole and wool? I have no idea. $?
My Time: $0

That brings it to a total a bit over $1,000, plus coating and poly application tools. Not ideal but everything ends up being more expensive than I think...

The DriCore panels are the largest cost and the one I'm least sure about. I don't know if I really need the air flow provided by the panels. A simple moisture blocking paint would save a -lot- of money if that seems like a reasonable avenue.

I know this is an unusual project, outside of the realm of what sane people do, but I sing to my dogs so sanity is out the window anyway. I'd appreciate any advice and direction anyone can give me.

Thanks! (o:
 
Last edited:
1. The quik-crete needs to be mixed with a vinyl add-mix.
2. Most deck coating vendors have an easily applied surfacing product that is also mixed
with a vinyl add-mix. Life Paints is a product I use.
3. Most major paint mfg. offer products to achieve the results you wish to attain, DUNN
EDWARD'S, BENJAMIN MOORE and SHERWIN WILLIAM'S to name a few.
 
Since this is a garage - with no plumbing to speak of, and no heating system to worry about, the Dri-core might be a good choice. If there is a chance of flooding (i.e. a sewer backup or a broken pipe) the Dri-core could grow mold. Of course, you will have to figure out what to do at the garage door becuz the dri-core will add height to the floor and must not be exposed to weather. You may be better off with 6 mil poly sheeting and a simple subfloor.
 
1. The quik-crete needs to be mixed with a vinyl add-mix.
Could you tell me why you are recommending a vinyl-add to the quik-crete?

You may be better off with 6 mil poly sheeting and a simple subfloor.
This sounds like a better idea overall - it will probably be less expensive (the DriCore panels aren't cheap), and with a poly sheet down below if I need to pull up the whole mess it will be a lot easier.

Thank you for the responses, everyone!
 
"Could you tell me why you are recommending a vinyl-add to the quik-crete?"

The quik-crete is your choice, which I wouldn't use, and why I would use a deck surfacing product.

Vinyl add-mix creates a water resistant surface, and as the deck surfacing product, it's drivable.
 

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