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Workshop floor is slippery

I am about to move into a workshop that was previously used as a car spray shop where silicone polish was used. The floor has been painted but feels slippery. Could this be silicon contamination? What can I put on the surface to stop it from being slippery? Many thanks, Philip

Philip Hawkins
- Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, UK
August 31, 2008

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Hi, Philip. "Sand paint" is available. This is epoxy floor topping with grit, that is quite useful to minimize slipperiness. If the existing paint is sticking to the floor, there is probably no silicone between it and the concrete.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September , 2008

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Philip
I would be very careful carrying out any metal finishing operations in a workshop where silicone is present. Silicones are superb 'release agents' and can cause endless problems with plating or painting processes. Being insoluble in water, they are exremely difficult to get rid of.
If the risk of silicone contamination is acceptable, you might consider one of the plastic grid matting products available from many industrial suppliers.

Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
September 3, 2008