Painting: Galvanized Steel Floor

[Timelord]

The basics are tossed down below, but the long and detailed process with the many pictures I took along the way can be found on my bus blog http://bus.tardis.cc/?cat=13. This was far more labor intensive than I ever imagined it would be, the between-step work that was found to be necessary were incredible.

So. You've torn up that nasty floor and rid your bus of the stink. Now you are faced with a galvanized steel floor that ranges from factory new to crusty chunks of rust. Not the most ideal painting surface. While there are many ways to do it, after much research and conversation here is what I came to know as the 'ideal' process to insure best results. A note that as this is a quick by-memory summary, the above link is more exact and posted as I did it.

1. Remove the seats, floor, bolts.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
2. Sweep, spray/hose out, let dry.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
3. Grind out all rusty screw nubs, bolt heads, and anything that doesn't belong poking out of your floor.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
4. Sweep, spray/hose out, let dry.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
5. Wire brush the floor. Remove all loose rust, rust flakes, and anything that will come loose. Use a hammer to smack the floor where necessary to loosen the rust chunks. Don't half-ass it.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
6. Sweep, spray/hose out, let dry.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
7. Generously spray on warm solution of TSP (TriSodium Phos*phate) and scrub the hell out of the floor. Spray more if it starts to dry.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
8. Spray/hose out until every last bit of TSP, debris, and anything else is gone. If here is any gunk left, repeat step 7.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
9. Let dry completely.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
10. 'Ospho Rust Treat*ment for Metal' is to be sprayed down as instructions direct, be generous on the rusty areas though be aware pooling is to be avoided as you can for various reasons.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
11. Leave on 24hours, untouched.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
12. Come back to a powdery mess and blackened rust.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
13. WEAR A GOOD DUST FILTERING MASK. Given all the grinding you have been doing, I do hope you've figured out (as I did) that a real filtered mask is important by now. If not, whatever you do, get one now. They are $20. Zinc oxide is NOT your friend! While you are at it, wear safety glasses. All that grinding metal is liable to take out an eye.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
14. Wire brush the floor again, the full floor, focusing on removing all the loose powder and mess left behind. You are basically only after the white powder at this point. If you become ill, get to fresh air and shut down for the day. Expect suffering to follow.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
15. Spray/hose out the bus fully and complete, removing the mountains of powder around. You will want to allow the dust to escape through windows and what not, possibly even using fan.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
16. Let dry fully.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
17. Apply one thick coat of Rust-Oleum Pro*fes*sional White Clean Metal Primer. Be careful to not leave gaps in the rough parts of the floor as well as not to puddle.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
18. Let dry. Active air ventilation and heat are your best friends. Vapor pressure is your greatest enemy, even with the windows and doors open![/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
19. When ALL PARTS (sadly some puddling of paint will occur due to the nature of the surface no matter how careful you are) are dry and pass a minimal fingernail-poke test, go to the next step.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
20. Put on topcoat of Rust-Oleum Pro*fes*sional Paint, ideally of a color that isn't the primer coat. Repeat 19 again if you wish to do more than a single coat.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
21. Expect to let dry a minimum of a month before you do any significant work. Even months later that 'drying paint smell' will be present in your bus as it continues to harden. Three months later, the paint (even in certain dips that pooled significantly) is hard as the steel below it, and it passes the full fingernail test despite the lingering drying paint smell.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]

Various things of note that I have learned:

• When paint*ing the inside, forced ven*ti*la*tion helps a /lot/ in the beginning. Ven*ti*late the hell out of the bus once it is no longer tacky (bugs won’t stick to it).[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
• Do not put the fan atop the paint, even if it is 'dry'. It takes a LONG time to reach full hardness, fan vibrations will kill it.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
• Think it is dry? HAH! Lies and slander. Come back to me in several more weeks when your fingernail makes no impact and it feels hard as the steel below it.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
• Let it dry prop*erly! No mat*ter how long it ends up taking. You really don't want to damage it and start over.[/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
• Zinc Oxide is NOT your friend. DO NOT BREATHE IT! You will very much come to regret it![/*:m:2d1fjw4t]
• TSP is NOT your friend. Do not expose your flesh to it! Wear gloves at very least![/*:m:2d1fjw4t]

While you are at it, wear hearing protection (it is less than $1, folks!) or all the hours of grinding in an enclosed metal environment will leave you deaf as can be!

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by Timelord

... You've torn up that nasty floor and rid your bus of the stink.

Why does your bus stink? And speak up I'm still wearing my nifty purple earplugs!


The mention of ear plugs reminded me... that and the idiot with the mobile boom box that lives behind the RV park somewhere just drove by...
If you pavement park... buy your earplugs from Lowes/Home Depot in the 80 ct tubs. That way you don't have to listen to the boom box on wheels as it cruises around you at night while you are trying to sleep (but you still feel the vibrations).

[Timelord]

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

Why does your bus stink? And speak up I'm still wearing my nifty purple earplugs!

The mention of ear plugs reminded me... that and the idiot with the mobile boom box that lives behind the RV park somewhere just drove by...
If you pavement park... buy your earplugs from Lowes/Home Depot in the 80 ct tubs. That way you don't have to listen to the boom box on wheels as it cruises around you at night while you are trying to sleep (but you still feel the vibrations).

Save for the paint fumes that still linger, it doesn't stink anymore. I tell you what, that 'school bus smell' the floor was putting off got old real fast! As for the boombox troubles; well, that's why the bus has wheels, eh? ;)