Garage Floor Epoxy Coating Help

Hey guys,

Anybody here epoxy coat their garage? I'm trying to get some feedback on the types and brands out there.

I picked up a 2-coat epoxy from Home Depot (Behr brand) but want your opinions and feedback please.

 

I've been going back and forth on this for 2 years.
Cement paint with prep or epoxy with prep.
I know a shop that has epoxy coating with professional installation. Still lifted..

I figure if i use the cement paint and it lifted it would be easier to touch up.
but that's just my mind thinking of the day it happens.

 

Hmm I never thought of it like that. Now I need to figure if I should do paint now lol.

 

I have never seen a garage done with epoxy or paint that didn't lift from hot tires.

This is why I used VCT for my garage. Costs just over $1/sq ft including glue and roller rental. I installed it in one day, and could drive on it two days later. It has been very durable and it looks cool.

 

you may want to consider the U-coat system. got a couple buddies that did it to their shops. may have cost a lil bit more but looks fantastic and no bubbles or even trying to lift. one of them does A LOT of welding in his shop and the floor still looks great the other builds dirt track and drag cars, no telling how much oil and other stuff has been spilled on the floors not to meantion how many times he has come flying back in after taking "a hot lap around the neighborhood" to test out a new mod on a car..... or to just burn off the tires to make him feel better. I am very impressed and when i get my shop built this will be what i go with.

 

What's U-coat? Might be worth the extra penny to not have problems. That VCT looks good but how much did it cost? My garage is same size just don't know the sq footage.

 

my bad its actually called ucoat it. i forgot about the "it" part. here is a link
http://www.ucoatit.com/2011web/main.htm

 

I recommend H&C concrete stain. It's not epoxy or paint. The problem with epoxy is that moisture can get underneath and it can start to bubble up over time. Paint starts to chip or wear off over time. I've used H&C stain in two garages and no wear at all. I put two coats, and then one coat of clear coat (also H&C) and I can even pressure wash it and it looks like new again. I even had an oil spill and it wiped up completely. It adhears to the concrete instead of just coating it, and it repels any moisture.

I purchased it at Sherwin Williams. My brother who's in the commercial paint business is the one that recommended it.

 

By the way...you can get H&C in any color you want...they'll mix it just like paint colors.

 

I did the rustoleum 2-part solvent based kit about a year ago. I haven't had any hot tire lifting. The only failure I have had is when I accidentally dripped some wood glue on the floor and let it dry, when I chipped the glue off, it took a spot of paint with it (maybe the size of a dime).

From past experience, solvent based is the way to go. The water based stuff won't hold up.

PREP PREP PREP! Go above and beyond their directions.
Here are the steps I took:
1. Blew out all the dust
2. Pressure washed with an 1800 psi electric PW, then scraped up any glue, tape, paint etc with a putty knife.
3. Scrubbed the floor with purple power degreaser, rinse thoroughly with the PW
4. Etched the floor with muriatic acid then nuetralized with baking soda then rinsed thoroughly with the PW.
4. Scrubbed with purple power again and rinsed thoroughly again
5. Cleaned it using the cleaner/etcher that came with the kit.
6. Rinse thoroughly with the PW a few times.
7. Squeegeed all the water out.
8. Setup 4 box fans in the garage blowing the air in a vortex then Let it dry for 24 hours.
9. Follow directions and mix the paint, do your edges & sides first with a paintbrush, then roll the middle.

Here's a pic right after I finished.


I clean it every 3-4 months with some dawn dish soap and water using a deck brush then squeegee dry and it looks brand new. I think I may do the acrylic clear coat this spring on it just for added protection.

 

Aggie was there a lot of prep work needed? I'm looking for a solution that doesn't require extensive prep like muruatic acid etching etc.

 

My garage is right at 400 sq ft. This is fairly standard for residential garages. The total cost for everything was around $450.

The prep is easier than paint/epoxy too. Basically just sweep, mop, let dry and start laying tile.

 

Hardly any at all. The first time I did it, it was with tan(ish) color, the second time, it was with a bright white. I wanted to brighten up the garage as much as possible so I did the floor white, and put up white peg board for walls (garage was unfinished).

I rinsed out the garage a couple of times and let it dry for a day or two. That was it. I literally rolled the stain (white mind you) over oil stains, and anything else staining the floor and two coats completely covered and brightened up the floor. I put a stuff called shark skin (gritty material) in with the clear coat to give more traction. Otherwise, if you have smooth floors, it will make them very slippery when wet. You just pour a little of the Shark Skim in the clear coat can and have them mix it for you.

I've had it on my floor for 6 years now, and floor holding up great. It's dirty right now but you can pressure wash to clean it and the stain holds up fine to it.

 

Total cost was about $120 for the H&C stain...

2 cans of color stain
1 can of clear coat with Shark Skin added
Roller
broom stick handle

I'd buy/rent/borrow a good mask (not just the flimsy material ones) because this stuff is VERY strong in odor. Smell will last a day or two. To me, odor is way stronger than oil based Kilz to give you an idea.

 

http://www.hcconcrete.com/products/solid-color-stains/solvent-based-sealer/index.jsp

 

H&C sells a shield-crete epoxy coating system as well. Wonder if that's any good too.

 

Never used the epoxy. As a general rule, my brother said to not use epoxy if you have a detached garage as moisture will eventually cause it to start coming up. He said epoxy might work well in an attached garage with less moisture.

 

Aggie do you have any photos of your garage floor?

 

This is my biggest concern. Especially with the plow dripping on it along with the cars during the winter.

 

That's why I like the stain. Obviously where I live, snow is not an issue but moisture certainly is with the amount of rain we get and the very high humidity here.