Best option to cover cement floor in brew area

[Fidelity101]

What do you guys put on the floor? I've had a few batches in now and my 2 year old cement is starting to look pretty spotted. I've put down another coat of acrylic sealant but I would like to be able to not worry so much about spilling a little wort on the floor during brew days. I didn't plan the area around brewing beer so I have a cement floor. It's had two layers of acrylic sealant but that isn't helping too much. I'm thinking of raising the area a little, adding a floor drain and then tiling but that seems like a lot of effort and I'm wondering if someone has found a better solution.

 

[Jayjay1976]

What about one of those epoxy coatings for garage floors? Probably cheaper than tiling, though a drain would be nice.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Yep. Epoxy to protect the floor. Then a few of those rubber restaurant floor mats to prevent slips and sore legs and back.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'd be leary about tiles, depending on the type, and grouting, they can be very slippery. The grout can become a real eyesore after a while.

 

[IslandLizard]

Then a few of those rubber restaurant floor mats to prevent slips and sore legs and back.

True, although they and the floor become as sanitary as a slop sink.

I use large old towels on my wooden kitchen floor, but larger spills would pose a big, big problem there. And they're always a trip/tangle hazard.

 

[matt_m]

I looked into options when we did our basement 2 years ago.

• Epoxy would be great but don't DIY it. Its all in the prep and getting it wrong will be a mess. For my small area it would have been relatively expensive and wasn't really the look we wanted.
• I looked into staining and coating. Results were really mixed as you've seen.
• I went with relatively inexpensive tile. Very easy to do but I do already have several chips from dropped items. And yeah the grout has definitely gotten darker. I went with gray tile and gray grout so its not very noticeable. The one I selected doesn't get slick when wet.
• Edit: Also looked at floating vinyl plank. The field is waterproof but you cannot caulk the edges and a spill would likely seep under the floor. Not great if its water, really bad if its wort.

Adding a floor drain was impractical. I bought a good commercial mop and wringer bucket.

 

[sibelman]

@Fidelity101, the epoxy our predecessor put on the garage floor is starting to lose integrity where the car goes, but works well as a brewery surface -- very cleanable, and resaonably non-slip (with the little chips of stone in it). I've thought about restaurant mats for comfort, but they'd need cleaning. I don't know how the acrylic sealant you've been using might affect the epoxy's bond with the concrete. Best of luck.

 

[grampamark]

I brew on the bare concrete floor in my basement and, for me at least, that’s probably the ideal surface. It’s easy to clean up any spills as they occur so staining isn’t a problem. I’ve been brewing in the same space for 10 years and the floor there doesn’t look any different from the adjacent, also unfinished, areas.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I'd be leary about tiles, depending on the type, and grouting, they can be very slippery. The grout can become a real eyesore after a while.

they also tend to pop off if you have a lot of moisture in your basement.

 

[hotbeer]

2 part epoxy. Not the one part stuff that for the most part is just paint with some epoxy added too it.

 

[Zemillard90]

I covered my cement floor with sheet vinyl flooring. Put vinyl base around the walls and sealed so any spills are contained.

Has a wood pattern, is cheap and cleans super easy. Works for me, cheers!

 

[brewNYC]

Tile, epoxy and sealers are generally your 3 options. +1 to making sure they are applied correctly. Any water-tight coating (tile, epoxy, sealant) is only as good as the substrate. If you don’t have the budget to hire a certified professional, or the time to make sure the slab is prepared correctly, you are much better laying down some rubber mats or something. A “quick fix” tile or epoxy is likely not going to last too long.

 

[Jayjay1976]

If you're not wanting to do something permanent, the sheet vinyl option sounds pretty good. Together with vinyl cove base all around and sealed up with caulking, it basically creates a watertight tub the size of the room. Mop and bucket for cleanups, should be pretty easy to care for as well. If you decide to move be it can all be reversed and the only evidence of brewing will be the spots you already have.

Just a quick googling turned this up Utility Room Vinyl Flooring | Better Life Technology

 

[micraftbeer]

I reviewed a product about 3 years ago, called Brew Floors. My buddy and I both had bare concrete floor brewing areas, but I didn't want the hassle of moving all of my shelves/tables/etc out of my brew area to do the floor. He did, so we used his floor as the test bed.

For some reason, the link to the review isn't working, and it looks like I can't attach the Word document write-up, but I've attached a few pictures.

Super easy to do (clearing out the brewing area was the hardest part), and it took 3.5 hours:

• Acid wash, water mop: 2 hours
• Wait for water to dry: 30 minutes
• Mix and epoxy floor: 45 minutes
• Clean up: 15 minutes

I checked in with him recently, and he says it still looks great and he still loves it.

For me, I still love my unfinished cement floor. It's not slippery, I don't freak out when I inevitably spill something, and clean up at the end of brew day (or several days after if I missed a spot) is simple. I just use warm water and a sponge if it's beer/wort that's spilled, and if it's water I just leave it. That said, my basement does have a very gradual slope it it with a small (~3" diameter) drain. So I can direct any larger water spills to follow a path to that drain.

 

[InspectorJon]

Epoxy on concrete is a great product. As someone else said, preparing the concrete is a critical part of the process that DIY folks often shortcut.

As an inspector I often see DIY projects a few years later. It is readily apparent which people followed the instructions and which did not. If you carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions it should go well and last a long time. This goes for any product.

 

[Gozie Boy]

Floors on brew day often get wet (at least mine so), so make sure if you epoxy the floor (DYI or professional) you use an anti-slip agent on it (e.g. Shark Grip, but there are several), otherwise you may find yourself working on an ice rink with a fall very likely in your future...

 

[grampamark]

How do people manage to turn brewing into an activity which creates as much stray moisture as a Super Soaker shootout? Do you epoxy coat your kitchen floors, as well? Brewing is a form of cooking and, in my experience at least, doesn’t have to be any messier than preparing dinner. Am I an outlier? In 10 years, and approximately 160 batches, I can’t recall having a spill which couldn’t be wiped up with an old towel.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I did the floor of my brew area with a waterproofing paint product that I found at Lowes. I has sand in it already so it provides plenty of grip, wet or dry. I did it last fall and haven't been able to brew much due to my work role/situation so I don't know how long it will hold up.

 

[pvpeacock]

Why not use shag carpet? Soaks up spills and with patterns like this, you'll never notice any stains! Win, win.

 

[InspectorJon]

Why not use shag carpet? Soaks up spills and with patterns like this, you'll never notice any stains! Win, win.

View attachment 730101

You do need to rake it periodically to keep it looking nice though.

 

[grampamark]

You do need to rake it periodically to keep it looking nice though.

If one is a really messy brewer an occasional light rototilling might be needed to raise the nap.

 

[Golddiggie]

How do people manage to turn brewing into an activity which creates as much stray moisture as a Super Soaker shootout? Do you epoxy coat your kitchen floors, as well? Brewing is a form of cooking and, in my experience at least, doesn’t have to be any messier than preparing dinner. Am I an outlier? In 10 years, and approximately 160 batches, I can’t recall having a spill which couldn’t be wiped up with an old towel.

IMO, if you have a floor drain in your brewing area, having floors that won't be impacted by having wort sitting on them is a benefit. It has a lower PH than water, so it could (with enough volume and contact time) damage concrete.

IME, I get more spash water from cleaning up than much of anything else. With brewing outside (under a canopy) that's no big deal. When I move to indoors, I'll make sure the area won't care. There is some spillage when moving hoses around between kettles and pumps. But we're talking about small amounts. Or overspray from cleaning out the kettles.

 

[odie]

i'd leave it bare concrete. no slip when wet.

 

[balrog]

in my experience at least, doesn’t have to be any messier than preparing dinner

I've had plenty boilovers making dinner (I am the designated mashed potato guy for holidays, and that involves all the important "B"s -- BrotherInLaw, Beer, Boilovers).

I've had one beer boilover on the stove and moved to the garage where I've had two small boilovers.

I never plan them.

Really.

There is no timeslice area on my carefully crafted brew day check sheet for boilover.

 

[Fidelity101]

Thanks for all the ideas! Apparently I'm a bit messier than most of you because I always spill something during the brewing or transfer or cleaning process. I've spill boiling wort, cleaning solution, hops/yeast that came out of the fermenter...lots of mishaps.

I'm not looking for a thousand dollar renovation to the floor but epoxy may be an option down the road. In the meantime, I'm thinking about going with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/DogBuddy-Silicone-Placemat-Washable-Waterproof/dp/B07SYC8PLK
Maybe even something with sides on top of the placemat to catch a bit more spills from the Spike 20 gallon system.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001N4700
What I'd really like is a large 6' x 6' rubber pad that's pitched towards the center with a lip around the edges. That way, any mess gets directed towards the center and I can sweep it up and/or drag the rubber mat outside when I need to hose it down.

 

[matt_m]

When my brew area was on the concrete next to furnace I used to toss set up for a brew day with several "pee pads". They were relatively inexpensive at Costco. Turns out they are great for oil changes too.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

How do people manage to turn brewing into an activity which creates as much stray moisture as a Super Soaker shootout? Do you epoxy coat your kitchen floors, as well? Brewing is a form of cooking and, in my experience at least, doesn’t have to be any messier than preparing dinner. Am I an outlier? In 10 years, and approximately 160 batches, I can’t recall having a spill which couldn’t be wiped up with an old towel.

I don' t get a huge mess when I brew, but with a multi-vessel rig and hose connection changes as you work through the process, it's hard to have no drips. While you are essentially cooking, the use of pumps, hoses and quick connects mean there's quite a bit more risk of spills. I had a silicone hose spring a leak during the whirlpool phase, for example. It's really hard to disconnect the hose from the pump to the whirlpool return to connect the hose to the fermenter without any spillage. The biggest I've had is probably a half a cup or a cup, but I see that pretty much every time I brew due to hose changes.

I'd love to hear how others manage that.

I keep paper towels and old kitchen towel rags around to clean that kind of stuff up. After a brew day, I mop with hot water and a little bit of soap.

 

[Spartan1979]

I put these under my connections to catch the drips:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0732PFZNW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[DuncB]

A thin layer of wort works well for me. Ever changing floor then with ants and flies coming in, keeps me well grounded as well, in case I get a loss of " gravity " in the brewery!

 

[Fidelity101]

A thin layer of wort works well for me. Ever changing floor then with ants and flies coming in, keeps me well grounded as well, in case I get a loss of " gravity " in the brewery!

Ok, I’m going to guess that you’re an engineer and a father because that was awesome as well as lame.

 

[DuncB]

Surgeon and older kids.
Just an injection of dry wit.
Or is that a pun?

 

[fragged]

I did epoxy flooring for a living for a while.

If you have bare concrete, 100% solids 2 part epoxy is impossible to beat. $150 USD or so per gallon, about 125 sqft per gallon. Anything cheaper and you should just use something else. Other epoxies may work, but are mich more finicky, some downright questionable.. Definitely don't use a 1 part, it's just paint at that point.

If you can't get it locally, you should again use something else. It's extremely dense. No chance shipping would make sense.

If I couldn't do epoxy, then I think I would go old school - VCT tiles and wax.

Idea behind epoxy or tiles for me is the same - I want to be able to squeegee it to clean up.

 

[Saunassa]

Thanks for all the ideas! Apparently I'm a bit messier than most of you because I always spill something during the brewing or transfer or cleaning process. I've spill boiling wort, cleaning solution, hops/yeast that came out of the fermenter...lots of mishaps.

I'm not looking for a thousand dollar renovation to the floor but epoxy may be an option down the road. In the meantime, I'm thinking about going with something like this: Amazon.com
Maybe even something with sides on top of the placemat to catch a bit more spills from the Spike 20 gallon system.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001N4700
What I'd really like is a large 6' x 6' rubber pad that's pitched towards the center with a lip around the edges. That way, any mess gets directed towards the center and I can sweep it up and/or drag the rubber mat outside when I need to hose it down.

I have to say, the XXL one would work perfect below my propane burner.

 

[JAReeves]

Having been a Line Cook and Chef, let me say that the bare concrete in my garage is great for a 6 hour brewday, 1/week. Any more than that and my knees aren't too happy with me. As for clean-up; if I spill H2O, it's a towel, and if it's wort, then it's StarSan and a towel. I use the same shop towels that we use for car restoration, so there's that.

As much as I love the rubber mats over tile/epoxy we used in kitchens, please realize that they get chemically cleaned and hosed down at the end of every shift/day/night (depending on the quality of the restaurant), and so dragging them into the driveway for cleanup would be part of your brewery day. As for the tile/epoxy underneath, it's mostly an aesthetics call. If SWMBO (or the equivalent) doesn't mind the cost of coating your concrete floor, then go for it. If it's the garage and no one cares, then...no one cares, save the $$$ or time or hassle (or all of the above).

Maybe this is a special situation, but my 1/4 of the garage for brewing is shared with the laundry/pantry/extra refridge (it's a 7 human house), and keezer. The other half is the classic car restoration area. If guests don't like hanging out between my brewing setup and the washing machine, then they don't get no beer/cider/wine/mead.

 

[Bobby_M]

How do people manage to turn brewing into an activity which creates as much stray moisture as a Super Soaker shootout? Do you epoxy coat your kitchen floors, as well? Brewing is a form of cooking and, in my experience at least, doesn’t have to be any messier than preparing dinner. Am I an outlier? In 10 years, and approximately 160 batches, I can’t recall having a spill which couldn’t be wiped up with an old towel.

If brewing is like cooking, it's like cooking in a large restaurant that makes house made soups every day. Once you add multiple vessels and a couple pumps, now you have plumbing that dumps liquids during disconnects. Yeast dumping and general cleaning of conicals can make a big mess too. The closer your process mimics pro brewery stuff, the more a floor drain is almost a necessity.

 

[grampamark]

If brewing is like cooking, it's like cooking in a large restaurant that makes house made soups every day. Once you add multiple vessels and a couple pumps, now you have plumbing that dumps liquids during disconnects. Yeast dumping and general cleaning of conicals can make a big mess too. The closer your process mimics pro brewery stuff, the more a floor drain is almost a necessity.

This hobby is many things to many different people. If the important part of the hobby is “mimicking pro brewery stuff” then I suppose a floor drain is a necessity. If the hobby is about making good beer with a ghetto quality system, then it’s unlikely that cleaning up massive amounts of spillage is going to be a high priority. Different strokes, and all like that.

 

[matt_m]

If I couldn't do epoxy, then I think I would go old school - VCT tiles and wax.

I never thought about that option. There's a multitude of colors, tile patterns, and layout patterns there too if look is important.

 

[Knightshade]

My whole garage is covered with this stuff, but perhaps is a little more multipurpose than most? But it also gets vacuumed, so maybe I'm just odder than most.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Traffic...n-Carpet-Tile-10-Tiles-Case-NCVT002/204594243
Have a giant PVC mat on one side, which is where the car goes. Other side is motorcycle parking / workout mats / food freezer / laundry sink. Brew area is a small section in front of the car to the front of the garage. When any specific square starts to look a little gnarly, pop in a replacement, done. I definitely don't spill a whole bunch while brewing though, so if you do, this probably wouldn't work.

 

[balrog]

How do you deal with rain/snow schmutz on carpet tiles in the garage?

 

[Kharnynb]

I'm going with sheet vinyl myself, bit of insulating rolled foam under it, cheap, quite comfy and easy to clean.