Reloading Room Floor

[GregLaROCHE]

Six weeks ago I finally got my dirt floor covered with concrete. And I thought everything was going to get better, but it hasn’t.

The pad was poured over a plastic vapor barrier with a steel reinforcing grid. The concrete had way too much water in it and it took until 4:30 am for it t set up and finished with a power trowel. The temperature was around 50*F.

A week later it looked OK. I left it alone for five weeks so it would completely cure and dry and I could paint it with epoxy paint. Now I’m ready to paint and I a lighter color, but full of almost black patches. What can this be? I’m worried if the epoxy will adhere properly.

I have a rat problem and vacuumed up the poop before taking the pictures. I have been going through a lot of poison, but they seem to thrive on it. Is there any chance it could be from rat pee? If so what do I need to do before I get paint it. Unfortunately, there is no drain, so large amounts of water will be difficult to use.

Any ideas

[toallmy]

Just a guess , but I'd think it's trapped moisture , try ventilation and heat .

[tomj44]

I did concrete construction for 30 years. Your concrete looks fine. The dark spots happen more often when there is a vapor barrier.
Not rat pee, just the concrete drying. The slab maybe a little thicker in some areas, or wet ground under the slab, will cause uneven dry/ cure.

[GregLaROCHE]

I did concrete construction for 30 years. Your concrete looks fine. The dark spots happen more often when there is a vapor barrier.
Not rat pee, just the concrete drying. The slab maybe a little thicker in some areas, or wet ground under the slab, will cause uneven dry/ cure.

So I guess I still need to wait for it to dry more before I paint. It’s funny but the dark spots seem darker than when the concrete was just finished. Maybe it’s just an illusion because the rest is much lighter.

[Brass&Lead]

In the barn I use the old-style rat traps – no bait as you do not want to feed the critters.

Set the traps at the most sensitive setting and put them anywhere they go. I use a bench vise to hold the traps while setting as it saves the fingers.

Put out lots of them. Wait about 3-5 days and they will start chewing on the release and you collect the critters.

You need to close up any holes or gaps where they can get in or you will have more.

[Chad5005]

put a small fan and space heater on it,my shop did that for months

[Geezer in NH]

Add a dehumidifier to the room also.

[JimB..]

Where are you, I’d love to test a new NV setup on some rats! Suppressed 22 or airgun as you wish.

As with many things, I know nothing about the specifics of your problem, but look at the temp requirements for your epoxy, I would expect it to adhere better at higher temps. I’d also wait longer given the excessive moisture in the mix and that the moisture couldn’t escape to earth. To be clear, I don’t know if these matter, just what I’d do given my level of ignorance.

I also understand that rat and mouse feces can carry some nasty respiratory diseases, so wear protection and or sweep vs vac.

[GregLaROCHE]

I am getting ready to get some traps. It seems like since I started putting out the poison, the amount of rat poop increased. Also, I used that basement for reloading for more than five years. I never saw anything there that suggested rats. Some small mouse turds now and then, but a few packages of poison would take care of them. I’m now on my third half gallon tub of paste type poison and I added a box of small block type. Yes it’s time for traps, but those rat traps ain’t cheap like little mouse traps.

[onelight]

So I guess I still need to wait for it to dry more before I paint. It’s funny but the dark spots seem darker than when the concrete was just finished. Maybe it’s just an illusion because the rest is much lighter.

Yup I would wait to paint as long as you can , try to avoid getting oil on it.

[toallmy]

I live surrounded by fields , so I run a trap line in the house every fall hahaha .
Also at work I asked the boss for some more rat food , he didn't get it at first asking me why I was feeding the rats , I told him it was so I could track them following the poo .

[Shawlerbrook]

Ditto on the dehumidifier and waiting a while for curing. I remember hearing that concrete takes months to fully cure.

[onelight]

I live surrounded by fields , so I run a trap line in the house every fall hahaha .
Also at work I asked the boss for some more rat food , he didn't get it at first asking me why I was feeding the rats , I told him it was so I could track them following the poo .

Do you have a bunch of little hides stretched and drying in the sun
I have had a great time hunting rats over bait with air guns . Even got 2 with one shot a few times when they lined up for me.

[RU shooter]

Get some big snakes for pets .

[MOA]

Ya Rats are bad news. Moved into a new residence. Put one of my mounts out in the storage building overnight... Big mistake. A big Rat lived near by.
After seeing what he did I got 4 big Rat traps and screwed them to the floor and baited them up.

[MrWolf]

The poison takes awhile. I use traps first then poison to maintain. I would use traps and a heater and dehumidifier then paint.

[Winger Ed.]

Most folks say wait 60-90 days for it to cure before painting.

To be sure you're not trapping moisture-- which will make the epoxy bubble and turn loose,
lay a piece of heavy plastic on it in a few places. Wait a day or so and lift them up.
If there is still moisture coming out, you'll see it as a damp spot under the plastic.

[Brass&Lead]

Order 12 of these traps. They have been working good for several years:
https://store.doyourownpestcontrol.c...-rat-size-m326

[Drm50]

People get in hurry to paint concrete and pressure treated lumber projects. I tell them to put off painting concrete for at least 2 months and in summer longer.

[GregLaROCHE]

People get in hurry to paint concrete and pressure treated lumber projects. I tell them to put off painting concrete for at least 2 months and in summer longer.

Why longer in summer?