New garage-floor covering....

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1973Barracuda

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ok, have done a fair amount of research, but still undecided.

Those with epoxy or over coverings, let me know how you feel about your covering still.

Ease of installation and durability.

BTW, I finally got it. Bought a house with an 1800 square foot garage.
 
ok, have done a fair amount of research, but still undecided.

Those with epoxy or over coverings, let me know how you feel about your covering still.

Ease of installation and durability.

BTW, I finally got it. Bought a house with an 1800 square foot garage.
nice!!!!
 
Painter by trade have done several garage floors with rustoleum 2 part epoxy floor coatings and they seem to last pretty good
You'll have to degrease it then etch it the better you prep it the better it'll stick
The kits come with flakes to sprinkle in the wet paint but it takes skill to get even coverage best method I've found is do about a 16 in stripe at a time and sprinkle the flakes like you're feeding chickens then do another 16 inch stripe so on and so on
If you don't want the flakes use a product called "shark grip" you'll want some kind of anti skid in the coating cause it'll be pretty slick when it gets water on it
Do it on a warm dry day, longer you can stay off it the better I suggest a week before you park on it
There's a new type of coating that looks like stone can't remember the name but its not a diy job and its pretty pricey(around a grand for a 2 car garage)
 
I went through this a few years back in my new home. It was just post surgery so I wasn’t able to do it myself. I hired a “pro” (All American Painting) who had supposedly handled all of the wal mart stores in the area. Though I questioned him quite a bit, he promised the results with the rustoleum would be great. Two coats of epoxy, two coats of clear. It yellowed in no time. It would chip whenever you drug a jack stand across it. You could actually hear the clear cracking as you rolled engine stands over it. I hated it and kicked myself every time I went into the garage. In my experience, polished or semi polished concrete is the only way to go.
 
I used a solvent based sealer,just to keep the dust down. Gas will eat most sealers,even the one i used. Two years and its still pretty decent i think. It soaks in and dust is only from the work i do.
 
I used the Rustoleum 2-part epoxy, then covered it in 2-part clear in my garage about 10 years ago. It was affordable an still looks great today.
 
I used a product called Rock Solid Floors. It's not an epoxy like the other stuff out there. Prep is pretty much the same and as is with anything, probably the most important step. I tell you, this stuff is durable. I haven't chipped it or scratched in the few years it's been down. My only complaint is that it seems to be VERY UV sensitive and it has yellowed pretty badly where light comes in from the windows. Honestly, even that doesn't bother me too much. The reduction in "garage dust" and ease of clean-up far outweigh the yellowing.....to me anyway!
 
I applied Rustoleum Industrial to my 1600 square myself. Took me two days. One coat of color, and one coat of clear. I used the silicon grit to make it anti-skid. No extra color chips needed (threw 'em away). I have been on this floor now for over 4 years. I drag jacks, my lift, stands, peal-out on it, push snow to the drains with a bristle brush or squeegee. Drag salt in off the daily drivers, work with tools on it (its a heated floor), walk barefoot on it. Stand my bikes & scooter on it.. It is still looks like a floor inside my house.

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I'd be more inclined to find a epoxy coater. I know U Coat It has some great sets. The more time to spend on prep, cleaning and actual dry time will have better results.

Riddler
 
I also used the Rustoleum Rock Solid 2 part product. I wanted something on my 25 year old bare concrete (with stains) floor before doing my engine swap with everything known to man spilled on it. Which was totally the case.

After a year and a half, and the environmental disaster that was the /6 removal and clean up of the car body pre 408, I would rate this product "OK+" for cost vs performance.

It is reeeeeally nice and glossy at the start, but does not stay that way under moderate use - starts to dull slightly.

Far from bullet proof - lots of minor scratches from dragging jacks and other tools across it. It has also picked up a few stains - most noticeably from a short length of 2x2 laying flat as a tire stop.

One area in particular where Hot Peel is becoming an issue, where the LR tire of my wife's Tucson winds up.

It does certainly clean up well. I frequently give my garage floor a scrub to remove road grime, the odd fluid spills etc. Other than the decline of the gloss already mentioned, I certainly enjoy being able to work on my car in my slippers, or lay under it in my everyday clothes as easy as laying on the hardwood in the kitchen.

I didnt use any sharkbite or their clearcoat nor did I use their prescribed crackfiller as those little add-ons drive up the cost exponentially. It does have the little color chips which add some texture but it can be slippery as hell if wet with the wrong shoes on.

As mentioned in earlier posts, prep is everything. I scrubbed, degreased, and etched the concrete till I thought my arms were going to fall off, but still have the one area of hot peel. I'll see how things go after I take the Duster out to play. Those tires will come home a bit warmer then my wife's do, count on that!

My biggest pet peeve with this product is the contradictory - cover their *** every conceivable way - written by lawyers instructions. Examples: The box says 250 sq.ft. coverage per kit. BULLSHIT. I got 180 sq.ft. per kit and had to wring out the brush and roller just to get that, with the odd thin spot. I found that just cutting in the edges with a 2" brush at a semi-generous rate used product that I would end up needing to finish the main floor.

If I had to do my 3 car garage again (508 sq.ft.), I would evaluate based on 4 kits - double their recommended coverage.

The instructions were not helpful - stressing the importance of surface prep to ensure proper adhesion, which is great but as the surface becomes more porous their "advertised" coverage plummets. Heads you lose, tails you lose.

Also I had color inconsistencies in 2 of the 3 batches with the silly "mix it all in the one bag" method. Sure, you can keep kneading it and kneading it to get good mixing, but then you are cutting into the working time.

As I said, the instructions kind of suck. I did my floor in 2 applications and the second pour did turn out better with what I learned from the first pour. While expensive, it would be nice to practise on someone else's floor with their product, to really figure it out before blowing big dough on your own.

Like I said, it's Ok. Expected more for the price ($600) which I now know wasnt enough product to do it really right.

I will say that I still have the snazziest garage floor on the block a year and a half in.

A bit of a rant - hopefully this is helpful.

I've also posted lots of action shots in the "what are you doing to your car" thread.

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No polished is not all that great. You cant get the polished concrete bright enough. Period. If you want to optimize the lighting characteristics you have to go with a reflective color. How do I know? Well I have polished concrete here:

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And it still absorbs oil spills = never come out. They wipe right off the epoxy.
 
I did my oversized 3 car garage a year after my house was built. I rented a floor sander and bought 80 grit pads for it. After going over the whole garage for a day, pressure washed it and let it dry.
Then I used the epoxy product Lowe's sells with the grip additive and also put the flakes down. Did it all myself and I am happy with it.
I did not seal or clear it, just let it cure and started using it. It does stain if you don't keep it clean but I pressure wash mine about every 2-3 months. I would do it again.

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I applied Rustoleum Industrial to my 1600 square myself. Took me two days. One coat of color, and one coat of clear. I used the silicon grit to make it anti-skid. No extra color chips needed (threw 'em away). I have been on this floor now for over 4 years. I drag jacks, my lift, stands, peal-out on it, push snow to the drains with a bristle brush or squeegee. Drag salt in off the daily drivers, work with tools on it (its a heated floor), walk barefoot on it. Stand my bikes & scooter on it.. It is still looks like a floor inside my house.

View attachment 1715139847

How was the advertised square foot coverage for you? Everything I read is you need to almost double the advertised amount for coverage.

Thanks to all for the replies. I do love this board.
 
I bought WAY too much so I had (have) a ton left over. I actually did a 5000 sqft section in a 10k sq.ft work building of mine with it so I bought loads of it (it held up well under extreme conditions there for five years). Then years later I used gallons of the leftover for my home garage ~ as shown above. Now I STILL have some left over.
 
No polished is not all that great. You cant get the polished concrete bright enough. Period. If you want to optimize the lighting characteristics you have to go with a reflective color. How do I know? Well I have polished concrete here:

View attachment 1715139859

And it still absorbs oil spills = never come out. They wipe right off the epoxy.

Yes polished concrete will stain with oil
You could use a sealer or a concrete stain but anything that would scratch off the paint would also scratch the stain and gouge the concrete
As far as coverage, 2 gallons for a 1 car, 3 gallons for a 2 car provided you don't have a lot of excess area besides parking space
You can keep color consistency by making sure it all has the same batch # . On the top of each can will be a series of # make sure all # are the same that will mean it was produced out of the same batch and color inconsistencies are less likely( yes I have seen that especially the gray)
It does have a pot life once mixed so I'd avoid mixing multiple gallons together unless you have a lot of friends to help or can roll like the wind (cue the theme to "rawhide")
Temperature and humidity has A lot to do with pot life the hotter the day the less working time you have
Ideally a 70 degree day as little humidity as possible with no recent rain or forecasted rain
Degrease it scrub with a deck brush until you feel like your arms are going to fall off, etch it power wash it, wait at least a full day to dry before you coat it, don't park your car in the garage after you prep it, avoid even walking on it
Just like the paint job on your car, the better you prep it, the better results you will have
Also run tape along where the garage door rests so that it isn't painted outside you'll really notice the UV sensitivity if you dont
You have I believe 6 days to put on another coat or else you'll have to scuff sand the previous coat
Also if you use an anti skid additive stir often, very often or else you'll have it right at the beginning, smooth near the middle and 80 grit at the bottom of the bucket
Sherwin Williams and PPG make similar products, have used all 3 can't tell much difference, (PPG seems to be a little more UV sensitive)suggested the rustoleum because it can be found at your local Lowe's or Home Depot

PS don't skimp on the roller cover, epoxy is hard on a cover and a cheap cover will fall apart half way through, also wind masking tape around the cover several times before you start, it'll get rid of all the "fuzzies"
 
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I may go with the better, rustoleum, not the cheaper stuff. Read some decent stuff about.nand I get 10% off at Lowe’s or the depot.

Everything I have read says prep is the key.
 
Go with the industrial grade epoxy that isn't rustoleum brand. I did my shop in it and I can't find anything wrong after ten years. I don't do anything to it like pressure wash it. Just mop it with little bit of dish detergent... looks like the day I put it down. You can't buy it local like at lowes. I bought it over the net. They use this stuff in airport hangers and the like where heavy equipment rolls on it.
Prep work determines the final out come as mentioned. You want the concrete to feel like 80 grit sandpaper.
If you use flakes it's better to throw it up in the air and make is snow. You won't get a patchy look doing it this way.
 
Sorry I keep thinking of more tips
When it comes to the flakes, before you start, lay down a piece of heavy plastic about 4x8 and practice laying down the flakes, that way after you get the feel for it you can pick them up, because when its painted once they're down, they're down, I've thrown them in the air, I've even heard of using an old parmesan cheese container like a salt shaker
If it has cinder block foundation around the edges of the floor, and you don't want flakes on the block, mix up a gallon, paint the cinder block first, let it dry, then do the floor
With a garage that size I'm sure there's plenty of expansion joints, cut and roll one section at a time putting plenty of paint in the expansion joints
When you etch the floor, mix the solution up in a 5 gallon bucket, if you have oil spots on the floor, scrub those spots first, with the floor dry, then wet the entire floor , and scrub it, you can also use a rag MOP to distribute it then scrub, don't just dump the bucket on the floor, and before you rinse it, wet down your driveway good first, and keep wetting it down as you go, otherwise you'll etch your driveway also, and you don't want that, rinse your garage floor well, you cant rinse it too much, but you can not rinse it enough
Once its all dry(at least a day) right before you start, use a leaf blower to get rid of any dust or debris that may be hiding, close the garage door all but about 2 or 3 inches, ( this will keep out most blowing leaves, stray animals and neighborhood kids) open the windows, and use a respirator, epoxy is some strong stuff, and the price of a respirator($30) is worth the brain cells you'll loose otherwise
Tomorrow I'll ask my boss what we use in heavy duty industrial jobs, machine shops, heavy forklift usage etc and let you know
Again sorry for so much info and tips but that's what I do for a living (general residential and commercial painting for the past 30 years) and I've done probably 30 garage floors and a couple factories
 
I applied Rustoleum Industrial to my 1600 square myself. Took me two days. One coat of color, and one coat of clear. I used the silicon grit to make it anti-skid. No extra color chips needed (threw 'em away). I have been on this floor now for over 4 years. I drag jacks, my lift, stands, peal-out on it, push snow to the drains with a bristle brush or squeegee. Drag salt in off the daily drivers, work with tools on it (its a heated floor), walk barefoot on it. Stand my bikes & scooter on it.. It is still looks like a floor inside my house.

View attachment 1715139847

Mike, do you remember how many gallons you used? You are close to me in square footage, I am not close to you in toy inventory!

I am trying to do it all at once and will need to order a bunch, don’t want to get caught short.

Again, thanks to all for the input!
 
From what I have read, the sand grip stuff better than flakes, thoughts? As I understand the flake can inhibit cleanup a bit.
 
From what I have read, the sand grip stuff better than flakes, thoughts? As I understand the flake can inhibit cleanup a bit.
The flakes are more for looks. They don't do a whole lot for traction. They can make finding a tiny piece of hardware tough, but it's entirely it's not too bad. It's all preference at that point. I used the flakes as well as added the abrasive sand for traction.
 
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