Best garage floor finish?

[ErVikingo]

Going into permitting and starting to think about other parts of our new build.

Epoxy or polyurea/polyaspartic?

Will log into my Garage Journal also but would like to hear what has worked for you.

Thanks!

[redstrosekNic]

I enjoy my smoothish concrete. I do a Spring cleaning every year (stiff broom with cleanser + water) to remove dirt that isn't removed during my usual dust-mopping or wet-mopping. It has a slight shine, isn't too slippery, and cleans up quite nicely. This pic kind of shows the texture and look of my floor...

[jwasbury]

I have chance to rethink my flooring choice since the entire space needs to be rebuilt after 5' of seawater flooded my ground floor during SSSandy. Happy with the racedeck tiles in my workshop, so I am sticking with them.

[red-beard]

I used epoxy. I think no matter what you do you'll want to seal the concrete with epoxy first.

[ErVikingo]

What about siliconate sealer?

[ShakinJoe]

Juan,

I have not have luck in FL with floor sealers and I am not sure if it has to do with water tables we have here. I prefer them as they are easiest to clean and sweep with the sand here in FL!!

[gr8fl4porsche]

Depends on your budget and use of the floor.

Thin film coating standard is grind, epoxy prime, epoxy intermediate coat, urethane topcoat.

Fine for most uses and relatively chemical resistant as long as spills are cleaned up.

Thick film the sky's the limit. You can double broadcast with quartz for for a great look or polyurea for maximum protection.

Thin film should be fine for most applications.


If you have high moisture vapor transmission thru the slab, almost every coating made will fail.

[Iciclehead]

I have done epoxy twice and not sure if I am actually happy with it. The first time, water dripping from the vehicles got into the little imperfections and chips in the epoxy and over the course of 10 years the epoxy flaked in enough spots to ruin it and make me want to do it again. The floor was shot blasted before the epoxy was applied.

Most recent coating (about 3 years now), I had the floor levelled using the proper levelling compound as I was getting some pooling in the winter from water drips. That was done (after shot blasting it again) and epoxy re-applied (thin film).

It is now starting to crack slightly and I am worried about a repeat of the previous affair, so I can't fully endorse epoxy for a garage that will get water dripped on it in winter.

I think my next attempt will either be to tile the floor with some ceramic tile or use the thick film membrane material. Not sure which....

Dennis

[Scott R]

I have epoxy, it was professionally installed about seven years ago, bunch of base coats and a few top clears. It still looks as good as the day it was installed and I've done everything to it. I've torched it, dropped caustic chemicals on it, dropped an engine on it. Not a mark.

The downside was it took six days to install, and two weeks to cure.

[JavaBrewer]

How about a simple acid based stain and clear coat top.

[911_Dude]

I have a high end epoxy floor. I think If I did it again I would try to make it look like the ground and polished concrete floors in Lowes and Walmart. Looks like they stain it as well. I think thats about as indestructible as you can get. The only problem Ive had with the epoxy is it lifted some chips where my hot tires parked on it, which bothers me.

[onewhippedpuppy]

You guys are starting to make me rethink the epoxy floor kit that's sitting in my garage waiting to be applied.

[chocolatelab]

ive done the lowes/homedepot kit and also had it done by a pro service. Definitely better results if you use a pro.

Anybody have a good source for the racedeck tiles?

[OffCamber00]

Another vote for epoxy here. I have a full-broadcast, 100% solids floor with two coats of clear eurethane on top.

[M.D. Holloway]

I've heard good and bad about epoxies - you should be aware of using a primer coat, seems like some folks who do not prime the concrete floor proper experience paint lift from hot tires. I know one guy that used some cheap arse stain from Lowes and it looks great and wears like a mule.

[M.D. Holloway]

911 Dude - didn't see your thread...backs up my finding s as well!

[vash]

i love the look of 60 year old red paint, with old oil stains and a random spattering of carb cleaner..

go retro!

[biosurfer1]

Porcelain tiles...not joking either

[OffCamber00]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

I've heard good and bad about epoxies - you should be aware of using a primer coat, seems like some folks who do not prime the concrete floor proper experience paint lift from hot tires. I know one guy that used some cheap arse stain from Lowes and it looks great and wears like a mule.

All epoxies are not created equal. The "kits" they sell at big box stores are water or solvent based and have a very low percentage of solids. I would defnitely recommend nothing over these as every single one i have seen ends up looking like crap.

Priming the floor is not going to compensate for a cheap product. A good mechanical bond is ideal, achieved by sanding/scuffing the floor prior to base coat.

[Iciclehead]

I am always befuddled by the difference between my garage floor and that of a commercial parking garage or industrial shop.

For example, the parkade I park at for work has what looks to be a textured epoxy coating, seemingly very thick (perhaps as much as 1/8 of an inch) and it gets cars running over it, dripping on to it, slamming on brakes, grinding gravel into it and it still looks new every time they wash it down.

Where do I get THAT stuff? Can I just apply it over my epoxy? Should we be seeking more of a membrane than a coating?

D.