mikefrommaine said:
I am getting ready to build a boiler room. Looking for things people would do differently or have done. It is going to be about 8 by 15 and adjacent to the existing boiler room in a daylight basement.
I plan to completely sheet rock the room and use exterior doors. I will add an outside make up air vent with a built in heat trap. Thinking a 12x12 vent will be enough?
The floor is concrete but very dusty. What have people done to keep from tracking footprints through the house? I was thinking just to use an epoxy kit from lowes but am not sure that it is non combustible or would hold up to embers.
AFA your floor this should work fine;
First: Clean it very well & I do mean very well, when your done you should feel that you could drop your lunch anywhere & sit down & eat it. We use a 6.5 hp shop vac & assorted grinding/sanding tools for ridges, etc (assuming a machine finish on the floor). A good Hepa filter & bag in the shop vac keeps the dust in the shop vac instead of recirculating it through the exhaust port of the shop vac.
Second: Buy some muriatic acid, safety glasses & rubber/latex gloves, mix a minimum 10% solution & acid wash the entire floor you wish to coat. Using a stiff bristel brush that will accept a screw in handle will allow you to stand & scrub fairly hard with the acid solution. Note always add acid to water not the other way around, always wear your safety gear glasses/gloves, you do not want this stuff in your eyes. After you have acid washed the entire floor allow to dry. Note: The solution should create a foam when it contacts the concrete don't worry this is normal & a good sign that your solution is not too weak.
Third: Once dried you will need to wash again (yes again) with water to neutralise the acid in the first solution. You can use the same brush. Allow to dry.
Fourth: You/should now notice that your once clean floor is.....dirty again.....proof that the acid worked etching the surface & lifting contaminants to the surface, trouble is now you have to vacuum again (yes again). You will need to use that brush to agitate/loosen the dust so the vacuum can suck it up.
Fifth: Buy some acrylic latex concrete floor or masonry sealer (depending on how it is labeled at your local store). You will need a brush for edges & tight spots & a roller for the main floor area. It is hard to put this product on too thick. Roll/brush on at least two heavy coats allowing drying time between coats. It will be apparent when you have a good seal on the entire floor as it will have a uniform sheen/shine. Any dull spots will need further coats. Please note the older the concrete the more coats/work this will be, also true of low quality concrete & finishing.
Once this is done & dried you can place any kind of floor covering you choose over it no more cement dust ever.
Not sure of your plans for getting the wood in but if you are hauling manually I would suggest a coating of sealer with sharp sand sprinkled in to provide a safe walking surface with full hands & snow covered/frozen boots on the area you intend to walk from the outside door to the boiler.
That's about it. I know this process sounds like a real PITA, in over 30 years this has never failed us, no chips/cracks/flakes, etc ever. A true once in your life & you are done. If you are doing this after work by yourself you could start monday night & have the boiler room ready to occupy friday night. Given an average floor. If you have a helper or 2 all the better as you can progress on several fronts at once.
Almost forgot...acrylic latex is non flammable & will not be greatly affected by embers as it absorbs into the concrete rather than just laying on top as a paint would.
Hope this helps.
