Clean, foam, AC, floor. Day by day, mostly DIY. Dad here until July 15.
Order of work: clean → grind + floor test → cut penetrations → FOAM → AC → floor stain/seal/topcoat → cure.
Everything after foam waits on the spray date, and good crews book out. Call them Day 1, take the earliest slot, and have all the prep done so you are foam-ready whenever they show. If foam lands later than Day 6 or 7, AC and the floor slide with it. The dates below assume foam by about Day 6.
The most important day even though you barely touch the barn. Everything downstream waits on what you book and order today.
Deadline: foam + electrician booked, every order placed today so it arrives by Day 3 to 4.
Empty + inspect + dry-clean, top-down. Haul everything out. Inspect for roof/window leaks, rust at beam joints, wiring, pests. Start the slab moisture test (tape a 2'x2' clear plastic sheet flat to the slab, read it in 24 h). PPE on, dry-clean ceiling, then beams, then walls, then floor.
Need: P100 respirators, gloves, goggles, boots, shop/HEPA vac, broom, trash bags, ladder, the plastic sheet + tape for the moisture test.
Degrease + de-rust + fix leaks + screw down rattles. Degrease the steel first, then wire-brush loose rust (degrease before de-rust, or you drive the oil in), spot-prime bare/rusty steel. Fix any roof/wall leaks. Read the moisture sheet (tells you breathable vs film sealer). Screw down every loose panel and piece of trim so nothing rattles once it is foamed in place.
Need: degreaser/TSP-substitute, wire brushes + Scotch-Brite, rust-inhibitive spot primer, leak sealant, self-tappers + driver.
Grind the slab + cut the shell penetrations. Pick up the grinder. Diamond-grind the open slab to an open profile so stain and sealer grip (never acid-etch). Vacuum every speck. Then cut + sleeve all shell penetrations BEFORE foam: the AC line-set + condensate hole, the power service entry, vent/fresh-air stubs. Decide windows (seal them as-is for the sprint).
Need: rented floor grinder + diamond pads, HEPA vac, crack-repair filler, hole saw / cutting tools, wall sleeves + conduit stubs + flashing + sealant.
Floor TEST patches + mask for foam. Run several 2'x2' test patches in a corner or under the future workbench, the full recipe through sealer + topcoat (you do not see true color until it is sealed). Test both looks if you have not picked. Then mask everything you are NOT foaming. Confirm the crew's date + the written re-entry plan.
Need: Direct Colors trial kit + ColorWave turquoise, neutralizer, sealer + satin topcoat, acid-rated pump sprayer + plastic sprayer, masking plastic/paper/tape, fans.
FOAM DAY. The crew sprays closed-cell, 2" walls / 3" roof. Nobody inside during the spray. Get the re-entry time in writing. After cure / re-entry: inspect coverage, then apply or confirm the fire/ignition barrier over any exposed foam if required (a listed intumescent coating for that exact foam, not random fire paint). If the crew can only come later, fill the wait evaluating the floor test + finishing prep.
Need: crew brings the foam. You bring the masking + the penetration sleeves already in place + the written re-entry time.
Inspect the foam + lock the floor recipe + order full gallons. Walk the sealed shell. Read your now-cured test patches, pick the final recipe, and order the full gallons (you only ordered the trial before). Optional: if you want the charcoal overhead look, spray the beams/ceiling dark now, before the floor finish, masking the AC penetration.
Need: full-size stain + sealer + topcoat order placed today so it arrives for Days 11 to 14.
AC circuit + start the mini-split. The electrician runs the dedicated 240V circuit + disconnect. You mount the MrCool head on the wall, set the condenser on its pad outside, and run the line-set through the pre-cut sleeve.
Need: MrCool DIY mini-split, line-set cover, condensate kit, condenser pad, surge/disconnect (electrician supplies the breaker + wire).
Finish + commission the AC. Connect the pre-charged line-set (MrCool needs no vacuum/charge), run the condensate drain, power up, test cooling + dry mode. The barn now holds temperature, which also gives you a controlled environment for staining the floor.
Need: level, drill, the MrCool fittings, a multimeter to confirm the circuit.
Floor: final clean + the stain layers. Final deep clean of the ground slab. Run the dialed recipe: English Red base, then Desert Amber, then Coffee Brown, each 4 to 6 h dwell, keep the floor damp. Full recipe: the Verdigris Rust Floor section in the manual.
Need: the full stain gallons, sprayers, broom, gloves/respirator. Mini-split OFF while staining (do not pull fumes/dust through it).
Floor: turquoise patina + neutralize. Add the ColorWave turquoise patina in broken patches (20 to 30% coverage, lots of rust still showing), plus a few sapphire/blackish accents in the lows. Then final neutralize + rinse until the cloth comes up clean. Let it dry 24 h.
Need: ColorWave turquoise, neutralizer, mop/squeegee, clean rinse water, fans.
Floor: seal + first topcoat. After the 24 h dry: roll a thin even concrete sealer, let it set, then the first satin polyaspartic or concrete polyurethane topcoat. Roll toward the exit so you do not trap yourself. Lay solvent rags flat outside to dry (balled-up rags can self-combust).
Need: sealer, satin topcoat, rollers + trays + extension poles, spiked shoes if the coat needs them.
Floor: second topcoat. DONE. Second satin topcoat coat, plus fine anti-slip (Shark Grip) at the entry / work areas. The floor is finished. Then protect it 7 days before heavy traffic or rolling racks. Gentle use is fine sooner.
Need: satin topcoat (2nd coat), Shark Grip fine additive.
By July 14 the barn is sealed, air-tight, cooled, and the floor is stained, sealed, and topcoated. Baby the floor for about a week (light use) while the topcoat fully cures. Then move in lighting, furniture, treatment, and gear. After this, the next phase is the control-room walls, the cabling, and the treatment, all built on top of this sealed, floored base.
| What | Order / book | By when |
|---|---|---|
| Foam crew | 2 to 3 closed-cell contractors, earliest spray date | Today. Foam by ~Day 6. |
| Electrician | Mini-split 240V circuit + disconnect | Today, for ~Day 9. |
| Floor TEST kit | Direct Colors EverStain trial (English Red, Cola, Desert Amber, Coffee Brown, Blackish, Azure Blue) + ColorWave turquoise + neutralizer + concrete sealer + satin polyaspartic topcoat + Shark Grip | Today, arrives by Day 4 to 5. |
| Floor full gallons | Same products, full size. Order Day 8 after the test confirms. | Day 8, arrives by Day 11. |
| AC | MrCool DIY mini-split (size with their tool, ~24 to 36k BTU for the working zone after foam) + line-set cover + wall sleeve + condensate kit + condenser pad + surge/disconnect | Today, arrives by Day 8. |
| Grinder | Reserve the floor grinder + diamond pads rental | Today, pick up Day 4. |
| Penetration parts | Wall sleeves, conduit stubs, flashing, sealant | Today, arrives by Day 4. |
| Floor + finish | Cleaning | Safety + masking |
|---|---|---|
| Floor grinder + diamond pads (rented) | Shop / HEPA vac | P100 respirators, gloves, goggles, boots |
| Wet/dry vac | Degreaser / TSP-substitute | Drop cloths / plastic / paper masking |
| Acid-rated pump sprayer | Concrete cleaner / degreaser | Painter's tape |
| Plastic sprayer (water-based stain) | Wire brushes / Scotch-Brite | Fans + dehumidifier / air movers |
| Rollers, trays, extension poles | Mop buckets, scrub brushes, squeegees | Extension cords |
| Neutralizer + sealer + satin topcoat | Concrete crack repair | Self-tappers + driver (rattle screws) |
| Shark Grip anti-slip (+ spiked shoes) | Rust-inhibitive spot primer | Hole saw + cutting tools (penetrations) |
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| Foam + electrician booked, all orders placed | Day 1 (today) |
| Materials arrive | Day 3 to 4 |
| Barn clean, slab ground, penetrations cut (foam-ready) | Day 5 |
| Test patches dialed, recipe locked | Day 5 to 8 |
| FOAM sprayed | Day 6 to 7 (crew date) |
| AC installed + cooling | Day 10 |
| Floor stained, sealed, topcoated (DONE) | July 14 |
| Floor fully cured (heavy traffic OK) | ~July 21 |