DIY Garage floor coating recommendations

I am closing on my first home in a couple of weeks, and I want to put down some sort of coating on the garage floor to protect it, and also make it look better too. Does anyone have any recommendations on what products to use? I was looking at buying this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...angId=-1&keyword=garage+coating&storeId=10051

Also, if anyone has any tips on cleaning the garage floor, and applying this stuff that would be great too!

Thanks

 

anyone?

 

i used the stuff from lowes what ever you use get the two part and mix per instructions.
the prep is the most important part. and let dry for a day or better two before applying. i didnt and the egdes came up. you will be real happy with it if you do it right. so easy to clean oil, fluids when your tinkering with your truck. it took me two and a half boxes for a 20x20 i put two coats though. i didnt add flakes. it is slippery when wet. im used to walking on surface's like that but the flakes would add grip.

 

It comes with instructions. Just make sure you clean it good. Good prep will help it last a while.

 

We put a thick coat of Epoxyshield on all the floors in the shops at work, and after six months it's already wearing through in some of the shops. If you do decide to go with it, I would highly advise not using the pixie dust colored sprinkles that come with it. They look good, but they tend to make it hard to find dropped hardware.

Honestly though in the long run aside from a few rooms that could have been done towards the end of the supply I like it a lot and I would recommend it. The majority of it is holding up nicely, so I guess just make sure you have enough and clean the floors really well before you apply.

Hope this helps.

 

I have done 2 of my own floors and about 3 of my buddies over the years. The rustoleum has been the best. They make a professional kit. You want that one it covers thicker and harder. I also suggest buying an extra kit and plan to return it. If you run out in the middle of the job you will always be able to tell. If you like the flake buy an extra pouch that can be returned if need be. It takes more than it looks.

It is all about the prep work. Rent a floor buffer or grinder and scuff the concrete. Get all oils and spills to where water will not beed up on them. If the floor is older I suggest getting a higher grade concrete etcher then what comes in the kit. Power wash down if possible. Let everything dry at least 24 hours before painting. Once painted let sit a week before driving on it and try and keep minimal sunlight on it for that week.

They also make a clear coat that mixes sand into it. Gives a great gloss and grip to the surface.

This is a product that you get what you pay for and the effort you are willing to put in. If you are planning to be there more than 5years I would really recommend looking into spending the extra dollars and get professionally done with a warranty. I did all the prep work and the clear coat. Aside from normal driving in and out I am not abusive to the floor. After 5 years I have a couple chips and definitely have some wear areas you can see. My buddy had his floor professionally done and beats the crap out of it dragging jacks around and spilling solvents on it. Still looks brand new. When I add up cost and my time I should have gone that route and will be in the future.

Hope this helps. Any questions let me know and good luck!

 

Great points Troy, I totally agree on all counts.

 

Thanks for all the tips!

Troy, you may be right about getting it professionally done. I think I will look into going that route.

 

If you are open to other options for your garage floor I used VCT in mine and it has been great. All the materials cost just under $400 and I put it down in one day by myself. Very little prep work is needed and it looks very impressive when complete. Here is a picture of my garage.

 

That does look really good. How well does VCT hold up?

I use my garage quite a bit for various projects around the house, and for general car repair. Can you put a car on jack stands in the garage without ruining the floor? Does it clean up easily from paint spills, oil, or solvents? Any details on how it holds up would be great!

 

Where did you get the tile from?

 

I have had it in my garage for about 4 years now and it has held up fine. I use my garage quite a bit too. I use squares of plywood under my jackstands and usually put a piece of cardboard under the floor jack to protect the floor. The tile's finish hides any scuffs or scratches from sliding things around very well.

After you install the tile you need to seal it. This amounts to pouring the liquid sealer in a mop bucket and mopping the floor with it. I try to re-seal about every 2 years to keep it in good shape. Oil, paint, grease, etc are very easy to clean off of the flooring and because it is sealed it just sits on top of the tile until you clean it. My oilpan on the truck started leaking a few weeks ago and I just used some windex and a paper towel and it wiped right up.

I got the tile and the glue from Lowe's. The white tile is kept in stock, but I had to order the black tiles. It only took about 5 days to come in and they have a lot of different colors you can order.

 

which lowes you go to, i work at the pearland one

 

Painting the floor yourself with cement paint is darn easy (easier than painting a wall). Same with linoleum tile (with extra glue applied). With each, lots of color options available.

Of course, as you seem to know, cleaning the floor well is very important. Few things will stick reliably to dirty, oil-soaked, cement. I used a pressurized steam cleaner, with oil spots soaked with oil cleaner (nothing special, just stuff picked up at Lowes) for several hours beforehand.

Seven months later, the floor still looks great - which isn't the case on the back patio painted by the landlord (didn't clean it well, with oil spots apparently from a barbecue grill now showing through).

 

Don't know if you have pulled the trigger on this but the epoxyshield is what I put on my garage floor. Put it down back in February and it is holding up really well. Prep is ultra important. If you get the epoxyshield, get it at Lowe's and they can tint it for you. When I got mine, Home Depot could not do different colors but Lowe's could and it was the same price. Post up some pics when you finish!

 

Just a tip to anyone who lives in a humid environment or has high ground water and wants to try this stuff, monitor moisture in the slab. Typically, there will not be a vapor barrier under a garage floor because it is not conditioned space. This means if you have a high water table, the moisture will wick up through your slab and can break the bond between the epoxy and the concrete. For high moisture areas, concrete is a moisture wick, buy one of those cheap moisture test kits and make sure the concrete is dry enough for the epoxy application. This is especially true if you pressure washed it! The advice about the grinder or something to scarify the surface is an excellent suggestion. A lot of professionals will shot blast the surface in preparation. Lastly, I know this isn't possible in a lot of cases, but if you can saw cut down where you want the epoxy floor to terminate to create a thicker edge, this helps keep the edges down.

 

Subd

 

X2!

A Vinyl Composite tile is probably the best and safest route to go in garage floor covering...... IMHO

When it comes to simply sweeping the floor, the tiled floor is the easiest to clean. The speckled epoxy floors are not smooth and can be a bitch to sweep on.... trust me.

 

If you are open to other suggestions, why paint and wait for it to dry, or have to use harsh acids to etch the floor. Install some racedeck tiles. They come in many colors and finishes and are easy to install. I use them in my garage finishing business here in nh.

 

This is from my personal experience, YMMV.

I had my garage epoxied when I bought it. It's one of the biggest mistakes I made with regard to home improvement.

If you do any sort of work in your garage, I would advise against it. My floor is beat to hell, with the random tool drops, jackstand holes, etc.

I'm assuming you have a truck, and if you park it inside, the heat from those big tires will soak into the floor, and it will end up peeling off so you have 4 nice big spots in your floor. And they will end up getting bigger and bigger and bigger

Tax return time I intend to redo my floor, but this time with Racedeck or something similar, or vinyl composite like someone else mentioned above.