POR 15 floor epoxy

[Value]

Thanks for the update on the root cause, Value. I appreciate the information.

I have another failure; this time in my bay. It seems the water (from our heavy rains) combined with the HOT tires causes the failure. When the floor is dry the hot tires do not cause a problem. But, when the floor is very wet and the hot tire sits on the floor for a few hours that causes "weakness" in my garage floor. I suspect the old epoxy is the root cause. However, after some others get their rainy/snowy season we will know more.

My solution is BLT car floor mats. I purchased one today in BLACK(heavy duty diamond pattern). This mat should provide a contrast with my beige floor which has some black chips mixed in. The mat should keep the wet floor and tires from contacting each other.

I will take a picture of the floor plus mat after I get it in a couple of weeks.

 

[POR-15 Chris]

Preperation is the key to good adhesion​

Without proper preperation there is a lack of adhesion. Note that the Floor Armor pulled up the remaining epoxy that was still on the CONCRETE. Floor Armor will pull up any old paint/Epoxy or any other coating on the concrete. Floor Armor however can not pull up CONCRETE. This is why preperation of the floor is so important.The POR-15 Floor Armor is made to bond and grab hold of concrete. If there is any thing else on the concrete were the Floor Armor is applied, Be prepared to see peeling and flaking.This is why we do not hesistat to stat that PREPERATION IS THE KEY.

 

[SteveL]

What about patching compound that is on top of the original concrete? Will this act as an old paint coating a nd peel?

 

[POR-15 Chris]

What about patching compound that is on top of the original concrete? Will this act as an old paint coating a nd peel?

No the patching compoud acts similar to the Floor Armor it penitrates the concrete and bonds to it. I see no problems occuring over this application.

 

[Value]

Preperation is the key to good adhesion​

Without proper preperation there is a lack of adhesion. Note that the Floor Armor pulled up the remaining epoxy that was still on the CONCRETE. Floor Armor will pull up any old paint/Epoxy or any other coating on the concrete. Floor Armor however can not pull up CONCRETE. This is why preperation of the floor is so important.The POR-15 Floor Armor is made to bond and grab hold of concrete. If there is any thing else on the concrete were the Floor Armor is applied, Be prepared to see peeling and flaking.This is why we do not hesistat to stat that PREPERATION IS THE KEY.

Really? This product is new. The jury is still out on claims of POR 15 being superior to a 20 mil Epoxy floor. Until a few dozen people can report about the durability of this product over a decent period of time any claim about POR 15 is more "marketing" than fact.

This product is expensive. Yet, it has no proven track record in tough climates under adverse conditions. Other people may yet report a problem with failure due to to excessive moisture plus hot tires.

Yes, preparation is the key but unsubstantiated claims about durability in the real world is part of any company's marketing campaign. Right now, we have more marketing than fact.

 

[Value]

MY wife asked me about the $1500 I spent on the garage floor. I told her the product was new but the corporate office said if I sanded the old epoxy down well with 80 grit paper then the POR 15 would hold. Not true.

The POR 15 must be on bare concrete. Any claims about putting this product over any other substance (it doesn't matter how much you sand) is false.
Again, marketing above the facts. The company does not STATE this in their instructions and therefore, is guilty of misleading information at best.

If I knew POR 15 was going to fail over my old Epoxy I would NEVER have purchased the product. Instead, I would have spent the money on race track; a product that would NOT fail over old paint/epoxy.

As for durability claims this may be more marketing hype as well. Only time will tell the truth. Without a long term track record the decision is yours.

Again, heavy moisture plus hot tires caused the problem. I am talking about a lot of water sitting on the floor with hot tires over the product. In Florida, this is our summer time. Up North your test will be melting snow from the car in the winter.

 

[bobx]

Preperation is the key to good adhesion​

not to be picky, but when your representing a company as large as POR 15 is, and your explaining why a product you sell has failed a customer, it might help your credibility to at least spell the words in your claim correctly.

preparation. with an A.

the company continually sends out the wrong product,wrong color, etc, etc..

and now one of the first guys on here uses the product and it doesnt hold up to the companies claim.

on top of that their spell check is broken.

sounds like POR 15 should be spelled POOR 15.

 

[KnightFire]

Value,
I'm sorry to hear about your problems, I'm guessing I was VERY lucky in the fact I had a virgin floor to work with, the pad was poured 6 months prior to my application of the Floor Armor and it wasn't used at all, until after the product was allowed to cure for a couple of weeks. To date I have not had any lifting issues...I've been watching it very carefully. Please keep us updated.

 

[Value]

Value,
I'm sorry to hear about your problems, I'm guessing I was VERY lucky in the fact I had a virgin floor to work with, the pad was poured 6 months prior to my application of the Floor Armor and it wasn't used at all, until after the product was allowed to cure for a couple of weeks. To date I have not had any lifting issues...I've been watching it very carefully. Please keep us updated.

My floor is repaired. I have enough material for several more repairs. Chris is correct in stating that the POR 15 did separate from the concrete because it had old Epoxy underneath. POR 15 on a "bare/virgin" surface will probably be several times less likely to peel off.

I have no issues when the garage floor is dry. But, when warm water is allowed to sit under the hot rubber tires it creates a reaction which results in much more "tire-pick-up" than my floor can handle. As long as I keep the floor dry where the cars are parked then there are no issues. That is why I have ordered a garage mat from BLT.

POR 15 needs to have a statement in BLACK or RED That product failure is extremely possible if POR 15 is applied over ANY type of pre-existing paint or Epoxy. THis is where I was mislead. But, you all now know NOT to use this product over anything other than concrete.

I fully expect that POR 15 over bare concrete would wear well. For the brave-hearted among you here is what I propose. GO wet your floor down real well with warm water. Then park a car over the wet area after it has been driven hard for 30-45 minutes. Allow the car tires to cool for several hours. This will test your POR 15 floor. If your floor holds up then the product should work well over the long haul. Please look closely for any cracks in the paint. This is what happens prior to peeling off the floor.

Value

 

[Value]

My wife is using her bay and I am sharing it while mine dries for 36 more hours. I have no more problems to report and believe the mystery has been solved as far as my floor's failure.

The hot tires combine with the warm water to result in a extra adhesion to the floor (as the tires cool). Then, when I move the car (now with cool tires) the floor peels/cracks. This "glue like effect" only happens when the tires are extra wet and they are given time to cool.

Today, my wife arrived with wet tires after a rain. I back the car out and let the tires cool. This solves the problem. Other than a car mat (which is on the way) what else can I do? Extra clear may not solve the problem but I do believe the grit increases adhesion between the tire and the floor. So, for my reapirs I don't add the sand/grit material.

Any ideas how I can avoid a car mat in my bay? I could sand my floor and apply a new coat of clear WITHOUT The grit and see if that works. Do you think it is worth a try? Maybe, Chris would show some pity on me and send me a gallon of clear with activator for my troubles. I would coat the floor and report back if it solved the problem. But, I need a gallon of clear with activator to try my solution. At this point, I don't want to spend more money on a dead horse.

Value

 

[SteveL]

There is no way that I could ever convince my wife to leave the car outside until the tires cool, especially if it's raining! And she comes and goes mostly when I'm not here to keep a watchfull eye on things. I wish you all the luck in getting your situation fixed. I know that I'm going with a different brand as I have a previously coated floor and can not take the chance.

 

[Value]

There is no way that I could ever convince my wife to leave the car outside until the tires cool, especially if it's raining! And she comes and goes mostly when I'm not here to keep a watchfull eye on things. I wish you all the luck in getting your situation fixed. I know that I'm going with a different brand as I have a previously coated floor and can not take the chance.

Steve,

Witha previously painted floor the POR 15 product is not the best idea. You will need to remove every last drop of old paint/epoxy where the cars are parked. Otherwise, you will end up like me.

I have the top of the line BLT garage mat coming for my wife's bay. She only needs to help me out with the wet tire/rain situation for two weeks. Then, I will have a thick BLT mat in place for her.

I will wait on my bay. Perhaps, Chris will send me a gallon of clear so I can try my experiment. It may work. I won't know until I try. The adhesion of the wet tire over a smooth, non-grit floor is less. This may do the trick. I hope POR 15 depot steps up and sends me the gallon.

For those of you with a bare floor and who applied POR 15 please report on my POR 15 wet tire test. You might as well face the music now. Will your POR 15 floor hold up against a hot tire on a wet floor? Again, allow the tire to cool for a few hours after parking on the wet floor. You vehicle should be driven for at least 30 minutes to get those wet tires nice and hot.

I am willing to bet a bare floor will "pass the test." But, we won't know until someone reports back.

Thanks,
Value

 

[Value]

I e-mailed Chris and asked him to send me a gallon of POR 15 clear plus activator for my experiment. I would apply the CLEAR very thick without grit/sand over one car spot. Then, I would test the floor in 72-96 hours using my hot tire on a wet floor POR 15 failure test.

I would appreciate any support from you guys on this issue. PM Chris and tell him to give me one shot at attempting a solution to this problem. It would help sell more of his product and alleviate a lot of concern. If it fails the net cost to POR 15 depot is negligible in terms of money.

Value

 

[Value]

I have some other interesting observations about my project/floor.

First, my bay was in great shape with only one small spot 8" that had any peeling with the old water based Epoxy. My bay was holding up very well.
So, by SANDING off the majority of the old epoxy with a machine sander I actually made things worse. You see if I had just lightly sanded my bay with 80 grit paper and not reomved 90% plus of the old epoxy my POR 15 floor would be sTRONGER. Because the old epoxy was holding well the POR 15 on top of it would have made it nice cosmetically but still left a strong bond of the old epoxy to the floor. Instead, I sanded off most of the old epoxy only leaving a very thin layer in some areas. Bad idea. WIth POR 15 it is either ALL or none (actually just a little sanding).

My wife's bay was more of a mess but again I could have sanded off 100% of the old epoxy in the bad areas and left it 90% plus intact in the good ones. THis would have made my floor STRONGER and more resistant to peeling.
If I was to do it all over again with POR-15 here would be my approach:

1. Purchase One quart of POR-15 paint and one quart of clear with grit. (any color would work)
2. Lightly sand your old painted floor with 80 grit paper
3. Apply POR 15 product (one coat) then 8 hours later apply clear with grit.
4. The POR 15 is applied to the spots where the tires will be parked leaving room for error
5. Wait 72 hours and Perform the ' hot tire on a wet floor failure test' as described in previous post.

If the floor holds up well after this test purchase more product and follow point number 2 above. If floor fails you can remove the product with epoxy paint remover (sold at Lowes) and sand paper. Then, look for another solution.

Also, if Chris sends me a gallon of clear I will report back the results of a heavy coat of clear with no grit/sand on the hot tire on a wet floor test.

 

[Value]

My bet is that POR 15 will hold up extremely well on a bare, well prepped floor like Fast Cop.

I was hoping someone would report back about the hot tire on a wet floor scenario on their POR 15 floor. Anyone try this or run into the situation?
If the floor holds up to this test then it won't most likely fail. A true test of POR 15's strength on bare concrete.

My repairs continue to hold up well and no signs of any problems. But, I don't park hot, wet tires on my floor.

Chris has agreed to send one gallon of clear for my experiment; if it works I owe him the cost for that gallon. I would like to give this one last try before giving up my bay for a BLT mat. Any comments?

Value

 

[Fast Cop]

Value, thanks for your info. Now that the weather in South Carolina has cooled down tomorrow I will be doing half the floor. My plan is to get up at 7am and put down the 1st coat. The area I am doing is 9 ft 6 iin wide by 19 ft 3 in deep, this is half of my garage. This area is 185.28 sq ft which means a half gallon for each coat. I am going to mix up 1/2 gallon and do the first coat around 7 am. I will wait till about 4 pm and mix up another 1/2 gallon for the 2nd coat and also broadcast the chips. I will than wait till Sunday around 10 - 11 am and do the clear coat. My mix for the 1st and 2nd coat will be 1 1/2 quart of part A and 1/2 quart of part B. That is a 3 to 1 mix which I believe is the correct ratio. Please correct me if I am wrong. After complete I am going to wait about 2 weeks before I transfer everything from one half of the garage to the other half in order to complete project "Bedroom for the Corvette" as my wife calls it. Little does she know I am planning 4 speakers and a 42 in flat screen on one wall. Progress reports and pics will be in my thread tomorrow.

 

[Value]

Value, thanks for your info. Now that the weather in South Carolina has cooled down tomorrow I will be doing half the floor. My plan is to get up at 7am and put down the 1st coat. The area I am doing is 9 ft 6 iin wide by 19 ft 3 in deep, this is half of my garage. This area is 185.28 sq ft which means a half gallon for each coat. I am going to mix up 1/2 gallon and do the first coat around 7 am. I will wait till about 4 pm and mix up another 1/2 gallon for the 2nd coat and also broadcast the chips. I will than wait till Sunday around 10 - 11 am and do the clear coat. My mix for the 1st and 2nd coat will be 1 1/2 quart of part A and 1/2 quart of part B. That is a 3 to 1 mix which I believe is the correct ratio. Please correct me if I am wrong. After complete I am going to wait about 2 weeks before I transfer everything from one half of the garage to the other half in order to complete project "Bedroom for the Corvette" as my wife calls it. Little does she know I am planning 4 speakers and a 42 in flat screen on one wall. Progress reports and pics will be in my thread tomorrow.

Still no clear from Chris. Thus, I can't do my experiment. I do like the product and the floor looks good. No problems with dry tires or damp tires as it relates to floor damage/failure. The floor looks good but extreme wetness/water combined with hot rubber tires that are alowed a few hours to cool on the floor is the main issue. Anyone try this scenario on their POR 15 floor? We need feed-back on this scenario on a POR 15 coated floor which has bare concrete underneath.

Again, Chris has not sent me any Clear Coat to try my experiment. Thus, I am left to "deal" with my situation by AVOIDING hot wet tires on my floor or pay for a BLT mat (which I did for my wife's bay). I hope Chris will send me that gallon because I would like to give my "solution" a try.

Value

 

[Value]

Chris informed me via PM that my gallon of clear is on the way. I hope to get the clear on real heavy this weekend on one car spot and follow-up with my experiment next week. I am hopeful it works but the odds are not in my favor.

Regardless, POR 15 Depot has been honest and fair. The product SHOULD hold up well on a properly prepared concrete surface. I expect that POR 15 on such a surface would last 10 years.

For those looking for an alternative to EPOXY the POR 15 product is an option.
But, POR 15 CAN NOT be used over old paint or epoxy without increasing the risk of floor failure.

Stay tuned. Expect the results of my experiment next week.

Value

 

[Value]

There is no way that I could ever convince my wife to leave the car outside until the tires cool, especially if it's raining! And she comes and goes mostly when I'm not here to keep a watchfull eye on things. I wish you all the luck in getting your situation fixed. I know that I'm going with a different brand as I have a previously coated floor and can not take the chance.

Well,

It rained real hard here yesterday. My tires were very hot from a 30 minute drive. I opened the garage door but did NOT park my vehicle in my bay for one hour. This allowed the wet hot tires time to cool off. This morning there is no peeling or cracking of my floor. I parked my vehicle in the bay after the one hour cool down time. The result is it worked for me.

My wife doesn't like this solution. So, she gets a BLT mat in her bay. I will try a heavy coat of clear if and when I get more product. Then, the ULTIMATE test of the floor- wet, hot tires on POR 15 which are allowed to cool for several hours. For now, I will "live with" my current solution.

 

[Value]

Chris sent a gallon of CLEAR for my experiment. I will apply ONE thick, heavy coat of clear on my POR 15 floor (NO GRIT/SAND) and then allow to dry for 72
hours. I will try various HOT TIRES on a wet floor experiments next week.
Stay Tuned.

For those of you looking at Epoxy vs. POR 15 I can tell you that POR 15 is easy to apply, easy to repair and it looks great.

There is ONE issue with the floor that MAY only apply to previoisly painted concrete floors: Peeling when hot, wet tires are allowed to cool off on the POR 15 floor. I DOUBT this problem applies to BARE, VIRGIN Concrete floors.


Value

 

[Value]

I received the gallon of Clear Coat from Chris today. I used 1/4 gallon and applied the product liberally to my bay. My plan is to start "testing" this extra heavy clear coat on Monday night. I will start with very warm water applied over the floor and then parking my car with hot wet tires over that area. The next morning should answer a lot about this "experiment" on previously coated garage floor.

If Phase 1 works out then full clinical real world testing begins. Stay Tuned.

Value

 

[Value]

My thanks to Chris for sending me a gallon of Clear Coat plus Activator for my Deluxe POR 15 Floor. Phase 1 is now complete of my trial.

The results are POSITIVE for me. The floor held up well with the HOT TIRES on a wet floor with NO signs of failure (no peeling or cracking). Thus, HEAVY Clear with NO GRIT/SAND does DECREASE adhesion between the floor and the hot tires. I will move to the next Phase after the next heavy rain. I plan on DUPLICATING the condition which caused my floor to previously fail. I expect that this time my floor will hold up.

One last thing there is a small chance that the use of PINESOL floor cleaner increased the probability of floor failure. I will NOT be using this product anymore on my garage floor. Instead, I will use dilute car cleaner to wash the floor or dilute DAWN liquid.

Only time will tell how the product will hold up to the HOT TIRES on a wet POR 15 floor. YOu can count on me to continue to report in over the next 12-18 months. However, I am now optimistic that POR 15 CAN BE USED CAEFULLY over a previously painted concrete floor.
Thanks again Chris.

 

[POR-15 Chris]

My thanks to Chris for sending me a gallon of Clear Coat plus Activator for my Deluxe POR 15 Floor. Phase 1 is now complete of my trial.

The results are POSITIVE for me. The floor held up well with the HOT TIRES on a wet floor with NO signs of failure (no peeling or cracking). Thus, HEAVY Clear with NO GRIT/SAND does DECREASE adhesion between the floor and the hot tires. I will move to the next Phase after the next heavy rain. I plan on DUPLICATING the condition which caused my floor to previously fail. I expect that this time my floor will hold up.

One last thing there is a small chance that the use of PINESOL floor cleaner increased the probability of floor failure. I will NOT be using this product anymore on my garage floor. Instead, I will use dilute car cleaner to wash the floor or dilute DAWN liquid.

Only time will tell how the product will hold up to the HOT TIRES on a wet POR 15 floor. YOu can count on me to continue to report in over the next 12-18 months. However, I am now optimistic that POR 15 CAN BE USED CAEFULLY over a previously painted concrete floor.
Thanks again Chris.

Glad to hear that the test/experiment is under way and going good keep up the updates and remember we love PRETTY PICTURES. Even if they are of my product failing.........I would like to know why the floor armor peeled up and will be conducting many experiments myself to find out some results.

 

[Value]

Chris,

The PINE Sol may have INCREASED the adhesion of the hot tires on a wet floor (when tires cooled down). Also, I used a lot of grit/sand on my POR 15 floor per my wife's request (we have kids and she wanted as much NON SLIP product as possible). These factors played a role in the floor failure.

By NOT using Pine Sol and placing a heavy coat of clear without the anti-slip material the POR 15 floor is slippery to both feet and wet, hot car tires. This means the tires do NOT grip the floor as well decreasing stress adhesion on the POR 15 floor.

I WOULD purchase this product again but NOT use ANY anti-slip material on the floor AND avoid PineSol. In addition, on my water based epoxy coated garage floor I learned that POR 15 is an ALL OR NONE product. Either apply the POR 15 on a completely bare concrete surface (this works best) or OVER a lightly sanded (80 sand paper) painted floor. Sanding 90% of the old paint is actually worse than sanding just 10% because the POR 15 will NOT penetrate old paint. Thus, you are relying on the old paint to mainatin the adhesion to the garage floor. Of Course, all PEELING old paint must be removed completely but those areas of the garage floor which were holding up well should just be lightly sanded.

Thanks again, Chris. POR 15 Depot is excellent for customer satisfaction.

 

[462gilley]

Hey Chris

What are you findings on using the floor armor over a previousely painted floor with some paint peeling up?

What are your recomondations for prep of a previously painted floor?

Mike

 

[BreBar21]

Ok, my brother just got back. It's been raining and his tires are hot. I applied POR-15 over a bare concrete surface, so I should know in a few hours how the floor holds up. I'll report back.

 

[POR-15 Chris]

Hey Chris

What are you findings on using the floor armor over a previousely painted floor with some paint peeling up?

What are your recomondations for prep of a previously painted floor?

Mike

On previously painted surfaces i would recommend removing the prev paint to ensure maximum adhesion and penitration to the concrete, or you can simpl y sand with some 80 grit to put some good scratches in it to get some kind of traction.

On previously painted floors i have found that the Floor Armor tends to chip off and scratch very easly but this was results from painting over a prev painted floor with NO prep done to it at all.

 

[v8garage]

I have personally put down epoxy floor coatings in two auto parts stores that are owned by my wifes family. Just make sure that you clean the floors extremely well and use the etcher that comes with the kit. When painting it on don't try to do too big of an area at a time. We did about a 10' x 10' area at a time. Spread the flakes on top of the epoxy. There is no way that I would put a clear coat on an epoxy floor. The reason is that if you need to repair a spot or want to repaint the floor you will have to strip the clear. The epoxy is a durable finish as it is and I can see no benefit in adding a clear coat. It stated very plainly on the product that we used that you cannot apply epoxy over clear. There is also no way that I would pay someone the prices that have been quoted on this list. Anybody with minimum construction skills and a couple of helpers can do this. The first store we did was 2000 square feet and we did half one day and half another.

 

[Value]

Phase 2 Complete- No Failure. It has been raining real hard here the past two days. I tested my bay at LEAST twice with hot, wet tires (soaking actually) which were allowed to cool over night. No Failure whatsoever.

I must conclude that the PINESOL was the culprit. In addition, the extra CLEAR COAT without any grit/sand is less "sticky" to my tires. I find that my tire marks are SIGNIFICANTLY less using clear coat WITHOUT the grit.

Again, POR 15 Depot has been great and provided the product which allowed me to conduct these experiments. I now have a 100% functional POR 15 floor. What do I do with my brand new BLT garage mat?

One more thing POR 15 is NOT an Epoxy. It is a Polyurea based paint and the use of a THICK Clear Coat enhances finish and durability. This weekend I will use the rest of the CLEAT COAT (sent by Chris at NO CHARGE) to re-coat my wife's bay.

 

[Value]

Hey Chris

What are you findings on using the floor armor over a previousely painted floor with some paint peeling up?

What are your recomondations for prep of a previously painted floor?

Mike

Mike,

Please read my previous posts. The areas that are "real bad" should be sanded COMPLETELY off the garage floor. Bare concrete on the areas where the HOT TIRES will be contacting the floor will enhance durability and decrease the risk of failure. The "other" parts of the garage should be sanded with 80 sand paper or a floor sander (I rented one from Home Depot for around $200). You will need to blend in the areas where bare concrete meets old paint. A VERY important detail is NOT to leave any "edges" of the old paint peeling up off the floor. These edges must be sanded down so the POR 15 can adhere to the floor.

I would AVOID PineSol on POR 15 floors and NO GRIT/SAND on previously painted concrete. These 'tips" will INCREASE the probability your previously painted floor will hold up to hot, wet tires. Finally, you need a DELUXE kit because the clear is essential for durability on a previuosly painted garage floor.

 

[tampascl]

PineSol avoidance tip is a good idea..but any thoughts on what specifically in the PineSol is the problem. I'm considering POR 15 floors but if it is a simple household ingredient causing issues..I'm not sure its worth it.

 

[Value]

If POR 15 is APPLIED over bare concrete the ADEHESION is MUCH stronger than if applied over pre-existing paint. Thus, Pine sol is much less likely to cause failure in floors that have no preexisting paint.

Second, the PINE SOL seems to INCREASE the adhesion of the wet, hot tires to the floor. When the tires cooled down and dried the PINESOL made them extra "sticky" to my floor. This "stickiness" combined with a lot of anti-slip material allowed my tires to really GRIP the POR 15 floor. Then, when I moved the car the POR 15 peeled off the floor. In my case, the POR 15 had OLD epoxy paint underneath and those areas where POR 15 was applied over bare concrete there was NO FAILURE.

So, if you have a previously painted garage floor and want to use POR 15 then AVOID PINESOL and NO ANTI-SLIP material. The result will be a NICE looking floor that should hold up well.

If you plan on using acids, bases, etc. in your garage then POR 15 MUST be applied over bare concrete. However, most people like me just want to park cars, bikes, junk, etc., in their garages. For this type of use POR 15 can be used over pre-existing paints.

Thanks Again to POR 15 Depot. Excellent Customer service.

 

[BreBar21]

Ok, a day later and I believe I have a failure. My brother backed his car out of the garage today and I notice several spots where the POR-15 had pulled up. Probably 4 or 5 spots ranging from the size of a dime to the size of a quarter. Remember, mine was applied to bare concrete and cured for almost 3 weeks before a car was parked on it.

This concerns me since, like Value, I live in FL and it rains damn near every day this time of year. I used the Basic Kit with no clear. I wonder if I was to do a heavy coat of armor without the anti-slip aggregate like Value did with the clear, if I'd be better off. Thoughts??

Here is a pic of a few of the spots that came up...

 

[Value]

Ok, a day later and I believe I have a failure. My brother backed his car out of the garage today and I notice several spots where the POR-15 had pulled up. Probably 4 or 5 spots ranging from the size of a dime to the size of a quarter. Remember, mine was applied to bare concrete and cured for almost 3 weeks before a car was parked on it.

This concerns me since, like Value, I live in FL and it rains damn near every day this time of year. I used the Basic Kit with no clear. I wonder if I was to do a heavy coat of armor without the anti-slip aggregate like Value did with the clear, if I'd be better off. Thoughts??

Here is a pic of a few of the spots that came up...

Your PROBLEM is IDENTICAL to mine. The ULTIMATE test of POR 15 is the wet, hot tire test which your floor failed.

My previous floor failure was identical to yours. I too had a few spots which peeled off. But, with the use of a HEAVY CLEAR COAT and NO GRIT/ANTI-SLIP the problem is solved.

 

[bobx]

por 15 = poor 15.

 

[mhoffm911]

That failure looks like putting latex paint over oil based paint. When you can SEE the edges coming up (where there's no adhesion), that's NOT good. This looks like you could take a paint scraper to it and go right down the floor easily scraping it off. The bubbling in the coating bothers me too.

Was the floor acid etched?

Was it sealed after pouring (and the sealer not removed prior to Por-15 being applied)?

What was the surface preparation?

 

[Value]

I think the main problem with POR 15 is too much marketing and too liitle fact.
The company wants you to believe POR 15 is "revolutionary" in that a good floor prep is NOT required and a thick Clear Coat is "optional." Both claims are false.

The floor needs a good prep and I doubt any "paint" (even POR 15) can hold up to extreme heat and moisture (like in Florida) without more coats like two CLEAR COATS on top of two base layers.

But, this does not mean that POR 15 doesn't work in the CORRECT situations.
This means a good floor prep on bare concrete, two coats of base paint, followed by two heavy coats of Clear (without anti-slip). If POR 15 is applied that way it WOULD hold up to just about anything.

In my situation I have OLD PAINT on the floor. This means THREE coats of clear (on top of two base layers)without the anti-slip aggregate and a good sanding of the old paint prior to application of POR 15.

The Clear COAT is a THICK RUBBER like substance when dry. It is also extremely slipperly even when dry (you will slide like crazy on a wet floor without aggregate). THus, NOTHING sticks to a heavy CLEAR COATED POR 15 floor without aggregate.

POR 15 simply needs to stop the false claims and return to the basics of any decent garage floor paint system: Good Prep followed by a THICK (high mil) floor paint system.

Value

 

[BreBar21]

That failure looks like putting latex paint over oil based paint. When you can SEE the edges coming up (where there's no adhesion), that's NOT good. This looks like you could take a paint scraper to it and go right down the floor easily scraping it off. The bubbling in the coating bothers me too.

Was the floor acid etched?

Was it sealed after pouring (and the sealer not removed prior to Por-15 being applied)?

What was the surface preparation?

The floor was not etched. As far as I know, the floor was not sealed, but this house is 6 years old and I've only owned it for a few months, so I cannot be certain. Based on the quality of worksmanship around the house, I'd be very surprised if the builder took the time to seal the floor. Surface prep was as set forth in the directions. I neutralized the stains, filled the chips, and thoroughly removed dirt, debris, etc.

The "bubbling" is the anti-slip aggregate. The aggregate gives the floor a texture and I believe that's what you're seeing.

I'm going to send an email to Chris and see if I can get another gallon of the armor and activator. Like Value, I might try and apply it relatively thick and without the aggregate. I still think this is a good product, these are just things that POR-15 should have thought of before offering it for sale instead of having the customers troubleshoot.

I'll get with Chris and try and get everyone updated soon.

 

[BreBar21]

Well, in between this post and that one I backed the car out of the garage. I had the window down and I could acutally hear the armor peel up with the tire. When I got out of the car, I saw a CD sized chunk of the floor missing. I wonder if you must have the clear to avoid this issue and the basic kit isn't enough. I'm really at a loss now.

 

[Value]

Well, in between this post and that one I backed the car out of the garage. I had the window down and I could acutally hear the armor peel up with the tire. When I got out of the car, I saw a CD sized chunk of the floor missing. I wonder if you must have the clear to avoid this issue and the basic kit isn't enough. I'm really at a loss now.

I hate to say this but POR 15 isn't ready for "prime time" yet. The product needed more "field testing" and we were the guinea pigs.

The wet, hot tires which are allowed to cool on the floor is TOO much for the product (at least here in Florida). I hope my THICK coat of clear without the anti-slip aggregate will get the job done; but, only time will tell.

For now, I can HOPE my garage floor will hold up. I have the BLT mat as a "back-up" measure for my wife's bay. I plan on FIELD testing the product under real world conditions over the next few months. If I get more failures I will take a picture and post.

My NEXT failure will result in the use of the BLT mat for my wife. I plan on allowing the tires to cool down (when it rains) outside my bay for the next few months (this assumes more product failure).

Again, POR 15 isn't ready for the market place yet. Anyone buying this product needs to realize the "data" simply isn't there for long term use of this product on a garage floor. FAST COP will start his real world testing soon and we will have more data about how his floor holds up.