I joined recently and I can’t stop reading all the threads thank you guys for all the extensive knowledge you share. I own a 4 bay SS and every time I paint the bays look like crap again within 4-6 months. I can’t do the panels because of my set up. I was looking at something like grey shield or the equivalent. It’s a rubber that seals block walls,made for waterproofing basements. Do you guys have any suggestions on paints or sealers? Painting constantly is getting old fast.
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Painting/sealing walls in a SS
- Thread starter Mr.Turtle
- Start date
Been building for 42 plus years ..... lots of questions before I can suggest a numbered solution. Substrate .... what are you covering? Condition/age ? What is behind it - how is the wall built? Are you doing it yourself or ? Budget ? What area of what country/region .... climate/use matters. Your profile has no location .....
For us epoxy is one of the few ways to go if you are covering a stable concrete style material in our area. Pain in the butt, more costly, prep has to be perfect but if you do it right the results are great. We usually do 2 - 3 coats at a time. Not all epoxy products are the same and you want a good one ..... we often use swimming pool rated epoxy products .... lots of other ideas n chat around this ....
For us epoxy is one of the few ways to go if you are covering a stable concrete style material in our area. Pain in the butt, more costly, prep has to be perfect but if you do it right the results are great. We usually do 2 - 3 coats at a time. Not all epoxy products are the same and you want a good one ..... we often use swimming pool rated epoxy products .... lots of other ideas n chat around this ....
First off thank you for taking time to respond. My wash is in central California. The walls are made of cinderblock filled with concrete. Its very old probably like 25-33 years. I would like to do it myself but if there is a proven company that can show results I'm open to that option. Where I'm located freezing isn't a problem but heat is (Fresno California area, didn't think to update my local will shortly). My wash has been family owned and we get HIGH usage. Up until about 5 months ago I always paid a service for the things I didn't understand. They were not taking care of the business the way it should be and by default I was letting my business down, so now it gets every free moment I have. There are so many moving pieces and I am very grateful for a place like this. Every thread ive found so far i have not been able to find a consensus on the best thing to do with a carwash bay other than "DONT PAINT IT", unfortunately that boat sailed long ago. I have the will and the desire to do what needs to be done I'm just greatly lacking in the knowledge. Cant seem to paint it fast enough so I'm hoping some of you veterans can drop some knowledge on me.
After 40 years in the car wash business the best thing you can do is to cover the walls with Extrutech paneling https://epiplastics.com
paint DOESN’T stand up to the extreme environment of the car wash.
paint DOESN’T stand up to the extreme environment of the car wash.
MEP001
Well-known member
There are paints that will hold up for a few years, and epoxy will last significantly longer, but I suspect your problem is a build-up of paint and/or a layer or more of bad paint. If you want to continue painting, you're going to have to get back down to the original surface. I know one guy who hired a neighborhood kid and gave him an angle grinder with a wire wheel in it. It must have taken him days, but it was cheap and effective. He painted it himself with white epoxy and it's held up for over a decade.
MEP001 is right. All paints are beholding to the layers under them. You will need to get all the old paint off before you can get any paint to hold up.
Just out of curiosity, what type of setup is preventing you from using panels? They are a lot less labor intensive and hold up well.
Just out of curiosity, what type of setup is preventing you from using panels? They are a lot less labor intensive and hold up well.
Ok with that being said perhaps the better questions are..... 1 are you trying to protect the block from further decay? Is the block starting to show signs of wear ... pitting, discoloration, loss of mortar, roundness, etc? If so and you are trying a quick fix by covering the problems then you have some work to do.... exterior finishes ( paint/spray on ) will only work if the block is intact and not degrading significantly. If the block is wearing then there are a ton of things that you may be able to do to save it but all will require some testing .... if the block face is getting soft but will not rub or brush off with a wood tool or something similar than it may be intact enough to put an/or a series of interior skim coats on. Not necessarily all the same product. This will protect it from further water absorption/degredation and give you the ability to add a lasting finish to it should this be economical/viable ..... tons of products are available from some common ones like Mapei plantipatch and additive ( easy to use and quite forgiving if you go slow and can use a trowel/putty knife - some can be sanded smooth after they r set producing a perfectly smooth clean wall which should be protected with the right products ..... many of these are colorable as well with simple color systems such as stucco colorant) to a ton of specialized paint on/roll on coatings from Ardex, Mapei, Flextile, etc . Dont just read data and instructions but talk to the guys who use it in your area ... they will be specialized. If you are going to epoxy over it then I would not sand it smooth. Lots more to this.
If you decide to cover the block with a strap n screw on product (there are many good ones ) then I would still do at least the water remediation steps on the inside walls before strapping anything ...... this will protect the block from continuous water saturation/degradation... If the block is soft n you can dig into it with simple tools than there are solutions as well but each step gets more technical and potentially costly. At the end do the math and the tests or rather the tests n then the math n see what you are comfy with .... the lowest blocks are often in the worst shape ..... Check your mortar too to make sure that it is not a critical weak spot. Prep is everything if you are going to add anything to the wall .... if there is paint/residue on it - it has to come off to make almost anything else work .....
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
I prefer FRP panels to Extrutech for the Following reasons. 4 x 8 Panes go up quickly. Less likely to dent since not a hollow product. Pebble finish in Bays deters graffiti "Scratchers" .
I really appreciate all the feedback guys. I’ll get some pics of the stalls and update in the next day or two. The bricks are good just build up of paint and wear over time. My concern with the panels is my wash is located in a not so good area( if I don’t chain it up or bolt it down consider it stolen 
). Kinda sounds like the epoxy is the way to go but i will keep u posted. Thanks for yr time.
). Kinda sounds like the epoxy is the way to go but i will keep u posted. Thanks for yr time.