Concrete wash pit?

[ACE]

I’m building a small shop in the fall and want to have a dedicated area rug cleaning area about 15 x25. I will be pouring concrete and am wondering if I should make a concrete wash pit or set up a mobile pit? I am concerned about the effects of acetic acid on concrete.

 

[The Great Oz]

For a wash floor that's going to get serious use I'd want concrete. I would recommend using a penetrating sealer as soon as it has cured long enough.

If you want a concrete wash floor to do double duty you're going to have to coat it with epoxy or rubber. After 25 years of heavy use our concrete floor was starting to get rough. Since every epoxied floor I've ever seen has to be chipped, sanded and recoated on a continuous basis, we coated ours with Rhinoliner. We're in year 7 with no issues other than area of poor prep work by the applicators.

PS: Which is why I can't recommend the Rhinoliner company for this purpose, since they say up front that everything is guaranteed, then say the local applicator is responsible for the guarantee, so go sue those guys.
Good product, but given the choice today I'd probably use Line-X.

 

[T Monahan]

Check this clean look out:

There are no curbs to bump into. Lot's of wash floor area. Drains well positioned. This owner studied many plant layouts before he committed to this layout. It's really practical for what he does. Good job Rodney!

 

[Jeff Madsen]

That is a sweet looking shop! I wonder what that set Rodney back between the equipment and the floor. Whatever the amount - that sure is pretty to look at!

 

[roro]

While we would love a set-up like Tom shows this works well for us, especially that ability to hold the rugs in solution for extended periods.

roro
http://www.fabricare.co.nz

 

[Mikey P]

I don't quit get the flat floor option...

why isn't the water going all over?

 

[T Monahan]

I don't quit get the flat floor option...

why isn't the water going all over?

Rodney says, "The floor is slightly higher in the center so the water flows all four directions to the drains of the wash floor."

Robert Mann in Denver has his entire floor sloping the same direction to an in-floor drain system at one end of his shop. Others I have seen, make theirs more like what Rodney just completed. I have a curbed concrete pit that slopes all one way to a drain that is under my wash tub. The curbed pit was already made before I started Centrum Force and made wash tubs. Otherwise, I would have done the flat floor with drains cut in the floor as pictured.

A curbed concrete wash pit is real easy to form and pour on top of an already existing floor. (I credit Randy Hyde for that tip) That is what I did. I prefer that over rubber types.

This is my curbed wash pit:

 

[rhyde]

Our wash floor is 20 x 30 during the summer I wish it was much bigger I wash as many as I can fit on the floor at a time sometimes that's 8-10 rugs or one really big rug there are also 4 rugs I can't wash for customers in town the smallest being 28 x 35 ..suck mopping doesn't cut it!

I can't take credit for the floor idea I got the idea from Talisman in Santa cruz

View attachment 989

 

[T Monahan]

Not only is it interesting to talk about wash floors, but also the tools to be used on rugs while on the floor.

Time honored ones featured here:

 

[ACE]

I bet I could buy a few of those guys for way less then your centrun force eqt.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

lol, and the building.

 

[trojancarpetcare]

All these look great cant wait until i get a office.

 

[T Monahan]

Here is another concrete floor with perimeter in floor drains:

This company uses a sloping concrete floor down to an in-floor drain:

This picture was taken by me when I was at Woven Legends in Turkey. They have a sloping concret floor to an in-floor drain too:

 

[Nate The Great]

Hey Tom, can you tell me more about that siphon metering device?

 

[T Monahan]

Hey Tom, can you tell me more about that siphon metering device?

It's a simple pump. 125 p.s.i. draws pre-treatment chemistry out of a pail and allows you to spray on rug. Contain in a nice wall mount cabinet to finish things off well.