Garage Floor: Sealer or Epoxy

MotoSook · 10-23-2005, 05:57 PM

Before I start building on the foundation, my concrete company has offered to seal the concrete using "the toughest" sealer they have used. I've forgotten the brand, but I wonder if it's worth it.

Anyone seal their floor? The trend theses days seems to be an epoxy surface, but I am pretty tough on the floor. I'm afraid of peeling and lifting of the epoxy, then re-application will not yield good results.

Sealer may yield better results if I have to re-apply or seal.

Input?

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

I'm skeptical. For one, nothing is really going to stick until the concrete has really cured. The guy who did mine told me to wait 6 to 9 months, depending on the weather, before I attempted to apply anything to the slab.

Find out what the stuff is. For wall we know it may be like the 'rust proofing' that car dealers like to sell.

pwd72s · 10-23-2005, 06:31 PM

So far so good. Just a concrete floor garage for 3 decades. Hey, concrete beats dirt, right? (edit) My big tip would be to have the garaged floor sloped so water runs outside when you wash the car in the garage.

M.D. Holloway · 10-23-2005, 07:08 PM

Souk - before you paint it send me an e-mail with your shipping address. My company makes a product that will seal the pores of the concrete and allows for a complete through cure. Let me know your sq footage also.

rexav8r · 10-23-2005, 08:07 PM

I'm getting ready to have the same thing done and have been wondering the exact same thing !!

Thanks for asking the question SOUK !!

LubeMaster77,
I'll try to send you a message soon too.!! (with some pics,if that'll help.) Thanks in advance.

slakjaw · 10-24-2005, 05:12 AM

my .02

Dont do it

I used to work in a shop where the owner had that stuff put down. It was supposed to be "tough" but a drop of brake fluid or gasoline would lift it if you didnt wipe it up right away. It also was slippery to walk on when it was wet, or had some oil on it. Hard to keep clean as well.

The good thing about it is that it made the shop bright. He had really bad lighting in there but the floor made up for it.

in the time I was at that shop we re-did the floor 2 times with 2 diffrent brands. it never lasted.

Kyle

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Souk,

Since this is an ancillary garage, why not look into VCTile or Racedeck or something along those lines? Seems like all of these coatings tend to lift after some period of time. I know you'll not be pleased if/when it does. The tile is replacable...

Dantilla · 10-24-2005, 06:29 AM

I love having the solid color of a painted floor. Makes it so easy to see any nuts or washers that have been dropped. Amazing difference over a normal concrete finish.

Just make sure you apply it correctly, and use the stinkiest epoxy. The other garage floor paints won't last.

MotoSook · 10-24-2005, 12:00 PM

Thanks for the replies gang! OK, so it looks like I'll skip the sealer by the contractor.

Chris, I don't want to use tiles because of my lift. Rolling equipment over the tiles might also be less than ideal. I want a rock hard surface that will withstand the rollers of my lift, the floor jacks with drivetrain ont hem, engine stands with engine on it, etc... Yes, I'm dreaming

I still want to seal it to prevent chemicals (oil, gas, grease, etc..) from soaking into the concrete. I suppose re-application of the sealer after some cleaning might be better than the epoxy stuff.

SO! Mike H. I'll shoot you an address.

Paul, I had the floor leveled..as a level as possible. Better for suspension work. Sure, it's not zero degrees, but level enough that it my corner balance scales and camber gauge will still read w/in acceptable precision. I don't plan to wash the car in the garage as I'll have a nice pad just outside the door and shade is provide by the house and the garage itself so long as I don't wash the car between 11 AM and 1 PM

Tim Hancock · 10-24-2005, 01:27 PM

Souk, I have a large workshop hangar combo that I would love to have epoxy coated someday. If I were you, I would get it epoxy coated now once the bare concrete cures. If you seal it (like most concrete gets nowadays) for now, later you will have problems getting all the sealer back off to properly prep for acid etching then epoxy coating. Both Av gas and car gas eats into my standard sealed floors causing a nasty mottled stain. Oil though, typically cleans up pretty good. The professional grade epoxy aircraft hangar floors I have seen seem to hold up well to forklift and heavy aircraft tires, so I am convinced that with proper prep and application, epoxy floors are durable.

I doubt any coating will hold up to our lift's steel rollers, but you could glue down some thin stainless strips where the lift typically folls on the floor. If I ever get some extra cash to due my shop/hangar, I will have a tough time of it due to the sealer that will have to be removed.
Good luck.

David · David's Garage

This is on my to do list right after finishing the never ending 930 project. I think one of the biggest reasons for coating the concrete is dust control. Concrete seems to constantly sluff off dust.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 10-24-2005, 06:35 PM

Epoxy is the way to go. In our new garage, the concrete has not fully cured yet, once it does, we are going to coat it all with epoxy. (not looking forward to moving all this equipment around)

I've used sealers in the past and they really dont hold up well to chemicals in my opinion.....

Some shots of "The shop" Very excited about finishing this

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Souk,

Why not use the VCTile and then get some 1/8" or 1/4" steel plate from your boy and let the rollers run on that... I'm struggling with the same question... I guess in the end you can reapply after a few years it's okay. I'd be cool with it if it lasted 10 years... reapplying every 3-4 would be a drag!

MotoSook · 10-25-2005, 07:49 AM

Boy you guys make decision making difficult

I hate dust, and I sweep my garage floor at least 3 times a week. I hate bare concrete because sweeping yields less than perfect results

So! Here is the plan. Tile in the engine room after I seal it (for easy of replacement if I happen to drop an engine on the floor

). Pergo (or similar) in the office/poker lounge after I seal it. Industrial epoxy and steel plate in the parking area.

Thanks for the posting gang...

Tim, do you have a name (brand or service) of the coatings they use in hangers? I've been to some hangers and the stuff looks a lot more durable than the stuff one can buy at Home Dispose.

Tim Hancock · 10-25-2005, 08:05 AM

Souk, I found these after a quick search, it looks like Polyurethane is used also.

http://www.primepolymers.com/Epoxy_Coatings/Poly/poly.html
http://www.generalpolymers.com/archbinder/index.asp
http://www.florock.net/

The last link is Chicago based, check it out!

M.D. Holloway · 10-25-2005, 02:08 PM

Souk - we have both. The thing is, you can't have this cake and eat it too. You have to choose. If you go with the sealer, the floor will not hold the paint. The paint gives it a cleaner look and will help will some spills but our sealer is silicate based and will seal up the pours producing a calcium silicate pore seal. Oils and dirt will not penetrate and also the sealer provides additional strength and durability - I see this with forktruck traffic. That normally tears up floors but with the silicate sealer it seams to increase the urability dramatically.

BTW - best way to apply the epoxy is with a lambs wool applicator. Best way to apply the sealer is with a pump sprayer or a floor squeegie. In either case, it is important to have a clean, dry floor. My reccomendation is to use a solvent with butyl in it and follow with a wet vac. I know it sounds like work but your only doing 500sq feet. Not a big deal. Why when I was a boy, I hand painted 30,000 sq ft with a tooth brush and a broken hand...

Your call my friend - let me know which way you want to go. I will send you over some tech info as well.

David · David's Garage

It sounds like the sealer is easier to apply. Does the sealer keep the concrete from sluffing off?

M.D. Holloway · 10-25-2005, 02:27 PM

yes, it does.

motion · 10-25-2005, 02:43 PM

I think I'm going to go with an acid stain for my garage floor. Gives you that old-world-artsy look and you don't have to worry about chipping the finish. Anyone have any experience with the process?

http://www.acidstainconcrete.com/options.html

http://www.decosup.com/acid_stain.html

http://www.concrete-stains.com

JonT · 10-25-2005, 02:48 PM

If you spilled oil on an acid stained floor wouldnt it just create a big dark stain and be difficult to clean up since the floor is still porous?