What to use for garage floor "paint"

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I usually just end up covering it in motor oil and trans fluid ! :happy6:
 
Don't cheap out ! (ask me how I know ) use a good epoxy like U-coat it.
 
I used a garage paint I got at Lowes (came in a kit with flakes and everything, even had a dvd with it). For the life of me I can't remember who made the product (but I do remember it is a well known brand) and it turned out great.
 
It all depends on what you want to spend and what you want to do in the garage. I used Behr 2 part epoxy and its okay. Check out www.garagejournal.com for more threads.
 
Check out the line-x.ca website they do a polyespartics coating that really works great and looks great , if you have a dealer near you?? 0 voc's , is dry really quick , custom colors logos etc....
 
Having just coated the floor of my new 26' x 44' shop I can give you some pointers on this. I spent literally months researching the pros and cons of paints and all the various epoxy coating systems on the market. Here's the short course on what I found:
Enamel paint: Goes on easy but no where near the durability of a true epoxy, can be re-top coated when needed, messy clean up = thinner mineral spirits, ect. It bonds ok to new cement. Probably need to add sand or chips for traction as it may be slick depending on how thickly applied.
Epoxy coating: Garage floor kits promoted by the home stores use an inferior epoxy resin (profit margin on those inexpensive kits). Industrial quality epoxy is much more expensive. Epoxies are a multi coat system: base coat, color chips if wanted, top coat, so are a lot more labor intensive. Epoxy goes on thick (around 4 mils) and doesn't spread far = need more product = $$. When exposed to sunlight epoxy can/will yellow over time unless you top coat with a clear mixed with UV blocker. Epoxy will be slick unless you do the chip thing or add sand in a top coat for traction. Ever try to find that little one of a kind screw or spring clip you just dropped among all the color chips on the floor (although they do look sweet). The biggest draw back of epoxy for me was that it really does not bond that well with cement. It kind of lays on top and hardens into a huge plastic sheet. That is why you will hear alot of stories about hot tire lifting of the coating and why your always told to acid etch the floor to provide the best bonding surface you can.

I settled on a new coating offered by a company called Progressive Epoxy Polymers (epoxyproducts.com). They have an industrial quality, water based, epoxy paint system (WaterBond) which has all the pros of epoxy but goes down like paint (1 or 2 coats) and cleans up with soap and water just like latex paint. I bought the recommended amount for one coat and actually had some left over after the second coat so a little goes a long way. What sold me was that it has a superior bond to cement than a thicker epoxy as it is thin enough that it works down into the pores and once dry is physically locked in place. Even with two coats it was still thin enough that it kept the texture of new cement and isn't slick. I've had mine down for over six months and it's holding up very well to the abuse of steel wheeled floor jacks/loaded engine stands. It isn't cheap because it uses industrial quality resins but for ease of application and clean up I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a quality epoxy floor coating with half the effort of a standard epoxy system. I have no affiliation with this company or product, just a happy and satisfied customer. Their web site is loaded with info if you want to do your own research. Hope this helps, Rapom.
 
My son and I just did my garage with Epoxy-Coat. We had to remove the old Home Depot style epoxy that I put on the floor when new 10 years ago first. Found the Epoxy-coat to be easy to work with and it is definitely a superior product compared to what I put down 10 years ago. I bought the kit with the clear coat and have to say it turned out great, it is an incredible surface. As soon as I can find the cord to download the pics from my camera, I will post a few. Go to their website and/or the garage journal under the flooring forum and you will find all you need to know to make an educated decision. I dealt with Christine from Epoxy-Coat (she is Ruger-lady on the garage forum). I have to say they have tremendous customer service and will be there every step of the way if need be. Good luck...
 
I've used the inexpensive Rustoleum 2 part Epoxy with excellent results. Going on six years on a 20 year old concrete garage floor, complete with pits, cracks and numerous oil and paint stains. I'm quite abusive to the floor - dragging jack stands, rolling floor jacks, dropping tools, dragging wood, spilled laquer thinner and numerous other fluids and it's held up exceptionally well.

I've heard many stories about epoxy floor coatings (expensive and cheap) flaking, peeling, etc. and most failures can be attributed to poor surface prep. As with any paint or coating, a thorough cleaning goes a long way toward durability and satisfactory results. Before using the supplied cleaning agent in these kits, I first scrub and rinse real good with Simple Green. Zep Citrus cleaner or even CLR would work too I suppose. Let it dry, then use the supplied cleaner. Allow to dry thoroughly as well before coating.

Unless you're coating some major square footage, the 2 part epoxy should work fine provided you clean real good.
 
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