Will anything hold up to metal casters?

[Pugs10]

I want to do something with my brand new garage floor, mainly to avoid oil stains and reduce dust. I've read a thousand pages about each option and am still stuck between an epoxy/poly floor, Hellfire, or just a simple spray on sealer.

I think any of them would repel oil fine, but what happens when I need to drag a motorcycle lift table (on metal wheels that generally don't swivel) or move a 4 post lift on casters? Can anything but bare concrete manage that?

Mostly just doing light repairs and general maintenance (oil changes, brakes, wheel swaps etc, not a fab shop but also not just a parking garage.)

Im in the NorthEast so we see salt and snow, and I have radiant floors if that matters.

 

[Shea]

I want to do something with my brand new garage floor, mainly to avoid oil stains and reduce dust. I've read a thousand pages about each option and am still stuck between an epoxy/poly floor, Hellfire, or just a simple spray on sealer.

I think any of them would repel oil fine, but what happens when I need to drag a motorcycle lift table (on metal wheels that generally don't swivel) or move a 4 post lift on casters? Can anything but bare concrete manage that?

Mostly just doing light repairs and general maintenance (oil changes, brakes, wheel swaps etc, not a fab shop but also not just a parking garage.)

Im in the NorthEast so we see salt and snow, and I have radiant floors if that matters.

Metal casters should not damage high-performance coatings as long as they roll and swivel properly. The front wheels of floor jacks don't swivel, but they rarely leave a mark if they skid a bit when moving them around. However, if the metal wheels of heavy tables, toolboxes, lift tables, etc., don't roll or get dragged across a coating under load because they don't swivel, then damage of some sort is likely to occur.

 

[Skellyii]

I've had the poly on my garage floor for the last two winters (professionally installed) and it' s holding up well, even though we have winter salt and my floor jack gets dragged on the floor quite a bit.

I have a couple of 4 post lifts with casters in my shop, but the wheels on those (EFP9) are some kind of synthetic, not metal so it wouldn't scratch the floor if they were in my poly garage.

 

[Pugs10]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like Ill be OK as long as its a quality coating. Still unsure which one to choose though! Garage Flooring LLC etch and seal seems like a nice choice as well now. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Garage Flooring]

Two coats of clear polyurea + anti skid in top coat.

 

[Kaizen]

I'll go the other way. My floor is dark and i can see every single scratch from just about everything. Its tough as heck but if a wheel on my big jack has crud on it or a little stone or whatever it def will scratch. Just something you need to deal with. The other 2/3 of my garage where i do bodywork and woodwork are not that bad. Best money i ever spent. Same as you wanted to protect the new concrete. I have everything in my entire shop on wheels.

 

[Shea]

I'll go the other way. My floor is dark and i can see every single scratch from just about everything. Its tough as heck but if a wheel on my big jack has crud on it or a little stone or whatever it def will scratch. Just something you need to deal with. The other 2/3 of my garage where i do bodywork and woodwork are not that bad. Best money i ever spent. Same as you wanted to protect the new concrete. I have everything in my entire shop on wheels.

I can believe that. Dark colors will highlight every bit of dust, dirt, and scratches. They look nice, though! That's why traditional garage colors are light grays and tans.

 

[Pugs10]

I'll go the other way. My floor is dark and i can see every single scratch from just about everything. Its tough as heck but if a wheel on my big jack has crud on it or a little stone or whatever it def will scratch. Just something you need to deal with. The other 2/3 of my garage where i do bodywork and woodwork are not that bad. Best money i ever spent. Same as you wanted to protect the new concrete. I have everything in my entire shop on wheels.

what is your floor coated with?

 

[Kaizen]

what is your floor coated with?

This goes back 8 years so not sure what is available now. I used a primer, high solids blue epoxy, and i think two gloss top coats with antiskid and flakes. The primer helped keep bubbles out of the epoxy. I used brand name "epoxy-coat" and applied single handed after grinding for a whole day. Back then everything was like 1500 for 1050 sq ft garage. Best money I've spent. No regrets and no sign of failure. I've had things fall and chip the concrete and it was still hanging on by the epoxy. As Shea points out the dark color and gloss top coat show. I like the dark color even though i've lost 3 months of my life looking for nuts and bolts i've dropped. This is a pic showing reflection of wall after epoxy was fully dry.