So I'm in the midst of a large, detached garage build project. The building will have a 1 bedroom apartment as well. Virgin concrete pad for the entire thing. The apartment floor is getting concrete stain with sealant. But I have not decided what to do on the garage floor. That portion is just over 24' wide and 32' deep. What is the most desirable option these days? I plan on doing wrenching out there, but nothing super hardcore, so it doesn't need to be industrial levels of protection. Thoughts?
I've used this with good success. After 9 years it still looks good.
POR15 Floor Armor:
https://www.por15.com/FLOOR-ARMOR-BASIC-KIT_p_108.html
STM317
SuperDork
3/30/18 6:55 p.m.
There's a flooring specific section on garage journal that has enough info to overwhelm a person. I've gone back and forth a couple of times on what to do with my floor.
The most important thing is good prep work. Acid etching is acceptable for most coatings, but diamond grinding is preferred. Most products will do better with a good primer first.
The GJ guys seem to prefer products from Armorpoxy, Legacy Industrial, and Garage Flooring llc. They all have strong reputations for good customer service and high quality products. They're not cheap, but the product is miles ahead of the stuff at your local box store. They usually offer a decent discount to members of garage journal.
Seems like the 2 major categories for coatings are epoxies and Polyureas. Epoxies are thicker. Because of the increased thickness, they hide imperfections in the floor and tend to have higher abrasion and impact resistance. Polyureas are thinner than epoxies, so they'll show more surface imperfections, but they're usually a bit more chemical resistant than epoxies and they don't yellow over time like epoxies are wont to do. Polyureas can require less prep work than epoxy, and less time to cure as well.
How important are looks? Solid color? Flakes? Clear?
racerdave600 said:
I've used this with good success. After 9 years it still looks good.
POR15 Floor Armor:
https://www.por15.com/FLOOR-ARMOR-BASIC-KIT_p_108.html
Thanks! I'll check that out.
STM317 said:
There's a flooring specific section on garage journal that has enough info to overwhelm a person. I've gone back and forth a couple of times on what to do with my floor.
The most important thing is good prep work. Acid etching is acceptable for most coatings, but diamond grinding is preferred. Most products will do better with a good primer first.
The GJ guys seem to prefer products from Armorpoxy, Legacy Industrial, and Garage Flooring llc. They all have strong reputations for good customer service and high quality products. They're not cheap, but the product is miles ahead of the stuff at your local box store. They usually offer a decent discount to members of garage journal.
Seems like the 2 major categories for coatings are epoxies and Polyureas. Epoxies are thicker. Because of the increased thickness, they hide imperfections in the floor and tend to have higher abrasion and impact resistance. Polyureas are thinner than epoxies, so they'll show more surface imperfections, but they're usually a bit more chemical resistant than epoxies and they don't yellow over time like epoxies are wont to do. Polyureas can require less prep work than epoxy, and less time to cure as well.
How important are looks? Solid color? Flakes? Clear?
I dipped my toe in the water over in that section of GJ. I noticed that Legacy is in FL, not too far from me, so I sent them an inquiry today and will see what they recommend. I'm hoping that the floor won't need much in the way of prep, given that it is brand new, and currently covered to prevent marring. We plan on being in this house for a LONG time, so I'm willing to spend the money to cover the floor right.
Based on your description of epoxy vs polyurea, the latter sounds more like what I'm looking for. As for color and flakes, not sure yet. I've seen pictures of solids that look cool, but so do the super flaked floors!
STM317
SuperDork
3/30/18 8:09 p.m.
Polyurea is more of a high tech product than epoxy if you ask me. And it's way easier to apply in most cases for a DIY installation. I filled my expansion joints with Legacy's ExtremSet 100, and it's crazy stuff. Their NOHR-S Polyurea is on my short list for a coating as well.
Even a brand new floor needs proper prep work, but that will vary some depending on the product. The surface profile of the floor should be scuffed (mechanically or chemically) enough that the pores of the concrete are open to accept your coating more easily. I'd suggest a moisture test too just to be sure that the slab is dry enough for the coating to properly adhere.
Moisture test:
1. cut a few 2ft X 2 ft pieces of plastic sheeting and place them in random spots across the floor.
2. Duct tape the edges of each sheet completely
3. Wait a few days
4. If any moisture is present on the underside of the plastic after a few days that can indicate a problem. Or it can mean that the slab is still curing a bit.
If you really want a 'no prep' coating, I think rust bullet claims to be one. As far as I know, it's only available in metallic silver though. I honestly haven't looked into it much.
About 20 years ago I put down Rustoleum two part epoxy, flat gray. The paint is still in good condition, the floor has seen maybe 100+ plus cars through the shop including a number of part outs and three different fires and countless welding project's. You can see some fading in the walk ways but no real loss of paint from the floor.
https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/epoxyshield/garage-concrete-floor-coatings
Now I you want to waste your time and money buy the Drylock brand "epoxy" it will come up if you look at it wrong, no worries about hot tire pick up but a snow blower tire will pull the paint off the floor, sitting still.
Paul B
My 50 yr. old uncoated cement floor in the garage is doing ok. Sweep it out in the spring and it looks fine.
iceracer said:
My 50 yr. old uncoated cement floor in the garage is doing ok. Sweep it out in the spring and it looks fine.
That is how I roll. Nice, grey concrete with burn marks, hammer chips and oil stains.
