In reply to RichardSIA :
Check out garagejournal dot com forums for floor builds. A lot of current threads with different systems. Some list costs. Some DIY, some pro installation.
Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
[Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]
Story by Tom Heath
Talk about the bedrock of human society: Concrete is the material behind such significant architectural benchmarks as the Roman Colosseum, the Hoover Dam and Alcatraz. This simple blend of sand, gravel and cement has been with us since at least 5600 B.C., with a few ingredients mixed in along the way for added strength and durability.
Of course, you don’t need to travel to Rome to come in contact with the stuff; most gearheads are old pals with their cement garage floors. This durable, easy-to-level material is a common choice for workspace flooring.
Although plain concrete makes a terrific construction medium, it still leaves a bit to be desired as a work surface. If poorly finished, it can be rough and dusty; it’s also cold to lie on, tiring to stand on, and easily stained by oil and grease.
Modern sensibilities demand something more luxurious and appealing to the eye, whether the garage is used for real work or simply showing off. Luckily, a variety of options are available to make decorative and functional improvements to plain concrete floors, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
Pros: Inexpensive and easy to apply, simple to repair, no special equipment required.
Cons: Slippery, doesn’t offer much stain protection, prone to lifting, flaking and scratching.
Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
Likely the simplest method for finishing a garage floor, an exterior paint suitable for masonry can provide the visual benefit of a more expensive floor product—at least for a little while. As with most methods, preparation is the key to good results. A thorough cleaning with trisodium phosphate will pay dividends in the finished product. Paint will do the job of covering the concrete, but it isn’t well suited to work areas or heavy loads.
Pros: Lots of color and finish possibilities, do-it-yourself capability, can be used on older floors.
Cons: Can lift if poorly prepared, difficult to repair, slippery when wet.
Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
Thanks to their low cost, easy application and durable results, epoxies have become a popular floor finishing solution in recent years. Epoxy coatings are also much thicker than most other finishes, making them a good choice for surfaces that are slightly uneven or have small cracks. This thickness can also allow for some neat design elements, such as grip-enhancing textures and visible logos suspended in the epoxy layers. Plus, the coatings come in a rainbow of colors to suit your space.
Pros: Multiple application options, permeates below the surface, can be used to create intricate patterns.
Cons: Intricate finishes are expensive, needs periodic resealing, can be tricky to clean up.
Photograph Courtesy Polished Concreate Images
Some of the most visually striking floor finishes are created using dyes and stains. They can be rolled, brushed or sprayed onto a concrete surface after it’s in place, and in some cases the concrete can be dyed before it’s even poured. The chemistry of dyes and stains allows them to be absorbed into the concrete, so the finish won’t ever lift or peel. The dyes don’t do anything to protect the surface, however, so the floor will still be at risk for oil stains unless it’s sealed regularly.
Pros: Easy to install and clean, fewer seams than tile, can go over any surface.
Cons: Impractical to repair, susceptible to heat and chemical damage, can trap moisture and mildew.
Photograph Courtesy American Garage Floor
Garage mat flooring is sold in rolls of various sizes, making it similar to rubber carpeting—although no adhesives or fasteners are required to hold the mats in place. There’s also no surface preparation needed, as the mat is simply cut to fit. Garage mats can be installed over nearly any surface, making them a tempting option for covering rough or cracked floors.
Pros: Easy to repair, simple to install and relocate, non-slip surface.
Cons: Susceptible to heat and chemical damage, can trap moisture and mildew, can be uncomfortable to kneel on.
Photograph Courtesy American Garage Floor
Snap-together tiles offer a ton of design possibilities thanks to their molded plastic construction. Most also feature slip-resistant textures molded into the tiles themselves. We’ve seen some tile floors that have been affected by oil stains, but most claim to be chemical resistant. Plastic tiles might not be the best surface if you plan on doing a lot of welding, but at least they’re easy to replace if damage occurs.
Pros: Marble-like finish, simple cleanup, won’t lift or chip.
Cons: Can’t polish freshly poured concrete, process can be labor intensive.
Photograph Courtesy Polished Concrete Images
Polishing a raw concrete surface is probably the most durable finishing treatment. The process isn’t all that different from polishing the paint on a car—the surface is ground with progressively finer grades of diamond-impregnated polishing pads, usually finishing with grits between 1500 and 3500, depending on the level of gloss desired. Nothing about the process is beyond the skill level of a dedicated DIYer, but equipment costs are high. Check to see if the necessary equipment can be rented in your area.
In reply to RichardSIA :
Check out garagejournal dot com forums for floor builds. A lot of current threads with different systems. Some list costs. Some DIY, some pro installation.
Interesting topic. Porcelain tile is a compelling option too. Sounds like you need a top notch installation and a careful selection of tiles to avoid cracks and slipping. I anticipate doing some significant wrenching, welding etc in my garage but also parking a daily driver in there with salt and snow drippage. Skeptical that epoxy will hold up long term.
My GRMsearch-fu is weak so I figured I'd ask my question in here.
Does anyone know of a good "filler" for a shop floor? I have an expansion joint that runs horizontally across my shop. I don't care that it's there but they put it at such a point that I'm ALWAYS rolling over it with my roller seat. It's right at the front of the lift about where the front bumper is on most cars and the wheels always get caught in it. I don't care if the seam is visible or not, or even if the filler cracks which I figured it would. I'm just looking to soften the blow everytime I roll over it.
Ideas?
In reply to iansane :
The joints in my house are filled with Sikaflex over enough sand to mostly fill the opening. Someday I'll do it in the garage, too.
In reply to paddygarcia :
Ooh, I have cases of that stuff at my work. Noice.
Garage flooring LLC of Colorado. The owner is super helpful and has you covered in all types of coatings. I used Rust Bullet (now called trualloy) for my current garage. I may use it again or go polyurea on the new garage. It's about a $1k difference for a 3 car garage. Check out his website or contact Justin the owner.
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GRM moved its offices into an art deco-era building a few years ago, and the 50-year-old concrete floors had seen better days. After reviewing available floor finishes, we decided that epoxy coatings seemed to occupy the sweet spot in our cost-benefit analysis.
We had seen a UCoat It epoxy floor in Jay Leno’s shop, and figured that the product was more than suitable for our new display area and storage room. The entire process didn’t take too long, and we’re happy with the results. As an added bonus the UCoat It materials were on the lower end of the cost scale for an epoxy floor coating.
Photography Credits: Tom Heath
Step 1: We started the process by filling in the low spots on the floor with a self-leveling underlayment. This step isn’t always necessary, but underlayment is cheaper than using a thicker coat of epoxy to achieve a level finished floor.
Step 2: Before mixing any of the epoxy coating components, we carefully read the instructions and safety information. We found out that weather conditions are an important factor in applying the coating; ideally the temperature should be around 68 degrees Fahrenheit with less than 75 percent relative humidity.
Step 3: Once the floor was roughly level and cured, we began preparing the surface by cleaning it thoroughly. After taking care of the dust, oil and debris, we washed the surface with a muriatic acid and water solution and a stiff-bristled brush. This step reduces the alkalinity of the concrete itself, allowing it to bond more successfully with the UCoat It materials.
After the acid wash, we rinsed the floor to neutralize the acid. If rinsing isn’t an option, a baking soda and water mix can be mopped onto the floor as a substitute.
Step 4: Mixing the UCoat It materials is simple. In a plastic bucket, we combined a can of activator, a can of the base color and a bottle of the co-plastimer additive. As soon these components came together, the epoxy mix began to thicken.
Working time with the mix is about an hour under ideal conditions, but elevated humidity can shorten that time. Don’t dawdle or your epoxy could harden in the bucket.
Step 5: The first coat is called the bond coat, and we applied it to the still-damp floor with a roller, just like paint. The stuff isn’t intended to create a uniform color, but it does penetrate and seal the floor, preparing it for the finish coat.
If you’re shorthanded, work in sections so you can cover the area evenly. The seams between these sections won’t be noticeable after the finish coat has been applied. Additional coats of the epoxy will bond with this first coat easily—that’s why it’s called the bond coat. The bond coat should be dry to the touch after four to six hours.
We applied the top coat within 72 hours after the bond coat, but you can apply the finish coat as soon as the floor is dry to the touch. If more than 72 hours elapse, the bond coat must be scuffed, vacuumed and wiped with a tack rag. The top coat goes on just like the bond coat, although the co-plastimer isn’t required this time around.
Step 6: We wanted to give our floor some extra visual appeal, so we also used a UFleck-AF kit. This kit includes a high-gloss urethane and decorative flakes; the latter adheres to the epoxy to give a terrazzo-like appearance. To ensure even and random distribution of the flakes, we used a technique vaguely similar to that of feeding chickens on the farm.
Step 7: Finally, we used the UGloss-AF to seal the flakes and further enhance the shine of our finished floor. Using the kit requires the same basic steps that we followed for the bond and finish coats. The result? A highly reflective surface that really adds visual pop to the end product. It also smoothed the flakes that we applied in the previous step.
We let the gloss coat dry for 12 hours before we started walking on it. According to the instructions, the floor cures to full strength in five to seven days, so don’t ruin your hard work by dragging parts across it too soon.
Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
Conclusion: The The UCoat It floor gave us a durable finish that matches the rest of our art deco building.
