Polished vs Sealed vs Shiny Concrete???

[MAYOR28]

My wife and I are trying to figure out what to do with our new garage floor. The house is brand new, so nothing has ever been parked in the garage. Floor looks good, a few small cracks, nothing bad. I have been researching a great deal about epoxy and polyurea floors......But I ran across some posts and horror stories of epoxy installs. Plus, the cost of an epoxy floor is a little more than we may be able to afford after just purchasing the home.

So, I want to finish the floor to protect it from anything that may drip from my 35 year old car......aka all auto fluids.

Can I get a polished floor look (ie shiny...) without diamond grinding the floor?
What happens if you just wax the floor (sorry if this is a stupid question)?
What about just a clearcoat over top of the concrete? Do you need to etch the floor and do all the prep for epoxy the same to do just a clear coat?

Any other suggestions for getting a protected, nice looking floor on a budget????

Thanks for the help.

Here is a pic of garage ( I am really looking forward to having a real garage space )

 

[redlinetoys]

What are you going to do with the space? Is it an "everyday" garage, or is it your play space for a workshop or just for mainly storage of show type cars??

 

[jkeyser14]

Can I get a polished floor look (ie shiny...) without diamond grinding the floor?

Nope, unless you just put down a clear coat of epoxy/polyurea.

What happens if you just wax the floor (sorry if this is a stupid question)?

First you will probably fall and bust your **** when it gets wet. Secondly, on top of the sore ****, you'll find yourself constantly needing to re-wax it. Thirdly, depending on the wax and it's additives, it will prevent you from being able to apply epoxy at a later date without major fish eye effect in the epoxy, unless you grind the floor really well and clean it thoroughly after.

What about just a clearcoat over top of the concrete? Do you need to etch the floor and do all the prep for epoxy the same to do just a clear coat?

Yes, but since the floor is new, at least you won't have to grind it. The etch and rinsing really shouldn't take much time.

Here is a pic of garage ( I am really looking forward to having a real garage space )

That's an awesome garage, be sure to update us with more pictures whatever you decide to do.

 

[MAYOR28]

What are you going to do with the space? Is it an "everyday" garage, or is it your play space for a workshop or just for mainly storage of show type cars??

This will be a normal everyday garage for the wife's car, but a wrench turning space for my vette....I do not have a welder, but would like to get one, one day. I do a lot of other projects as well, woodwork, etc.

Definitely not much of a showroom, as my cars are not showroom worthy, but something nice-looking would be good.

I would like to have a wet-look floor, that will resist the drips of oil and coolant from the vette.

I have also thought of getting racedeck or the like for the area around the bench or work space, but not for under the cars.....

Any ideas for an easy to maintain, easy to apply, cheap to buy, gloss floor?

Thanks for the help so far.

 

[MAYOR28]

Any suggestions for a wet-look, easy to install, cheap-ish floor coating?????

 

[redlinetoys]

My preference would be to go to your local Menards or other such hardware store that carries it and buy the Rustoleum 2 component solvent base epoxy with colored chips in your choice of colors. Follow the directions for applying. Then use their showroom gloss clear over the top, again following directions. I have found that it makes sense to put this last coat on fairly wet and heavy so that it flows out and provides even gloss.

I am sure other epoxy companies have similar products that provide similar protection.

You shouldn't be welding on the floor when it is done, but you could set up a weld table or some other such protective area.

 

[MAYOR28]

My preference would be to go to your local Menards or other such hardware store that carries it and buy the Rustoleum 2 component solvent base epoxy with colored chips in your choice of colors. Follow the directions for applying. Then use their showroom gloss clear over the top, again following directions. I have found that it makes sense to put this last coat on fairly wet and heavy so that it flows out and provides even gloss.

I am sure other epoxy companies have similar products that provide similar protection.

You shouldn't be welding on the floor when it is done, but you could set up a weld table or some other such protective area.

Except, that the cost of this is more than I wanted to spend........
Plus, as stated above, I am a little leery of epoxy floors since seeing some of the issues some member here have experienced.....
And, I am not really a fan of the single color epoxy with chip coating....

I really like the look of a nice shiny bare concrete floor.

 

[redlinetoys]

There isn't a cheap way out.

The way I mentioned will cost you roughly 500-600 dollars and will look like a million bucks for a long time if applied correctly and if you do it yourself.

Putting clear coating only on the floors is going to make them dark with soak in and will have all of the same potential problems as any other epoxy coating.

You have probably noticed that many Home Depots and Lowes stores have just gone with polished concrete. That eliminates a LOT of potential problems with tile or paint, but it also costs a lot of money in up front polishing of the concrete and ongoing maintenance.

I have a friend that had a major contract with hundreds of Lowes stores and we actually priced his concrete polishing service in our Labs where I work. It was as cheap or cheaper to lay tile or coat with epoxy.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Except, that the cost of this is more than I wanted to spend........
Plus, as stated above, I am a little leery of epoxy floors since seeing some of the issues some member here have experienced.....
And, I am not really a fan of the single color epoxy with chip coating....

I really like the look of a nice shiny bare concrete floor.

Stain and clear or clear alone.
Hit our link to check out some real solutions.

 

[bochnak]

Look into VCT. You might be able to score left over tile from craiglist.

 

[rsanter]

Any suggestions for a wet-look, easy to install, cheap-ish floor coating?????

wet look no
but, if you want cheap and easy I just use the regular big box store garage floor paint. waterbased stuff
it does not have the pretty look but is prevents oil spills from getting into the concrete and it makes it easier to sweep up.
if I scratch it (which has happened several times) I just clean the area really well and do a spot paint there
ove time the hot tires will pick up the paint a little but thats the same deal, clean and a little more paint.
I think its like $20 a gallon so no big deal, I think I bought 3 gal for an oversized 3 car and used a roller to apply it

look in my album for pictures of my mill/lathe and you will see the floor

bob

 

[MAYOR28]

So, I was reading another thread, but wanted to keep all of my information together so that if someone else is looking for some ideas it is easier to find them all in one place.....

Anyone put Lapidolith on their floors???? BASF hardener/densifier & sealer......

Any pics????

 

[MAYOR28]

Stain and clear or clear alone.
Hit our link to check out some real solutions.

Scotty,
I saw in another thread (didnt want to hijack...) that you stated that legacy has a replacement/identical product to BASF Lapidolith.....

Can you give me a quick rundown to the sealers that you have?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Scotty,
I saw in another thread (didnt want to hijack...) that you stated that legacy has a replacement/identical product to BASF Lapidolith.....

Can you give me a quick rundown to the sealers that you have?

PM being sent, don't want to clog the threads.

 

[kingston]

Seal.

 

[zogo12]

I know this is an old thread, but people to come along them and I thought I would drop my two cents.

I get calls all the time from people wanting to do something to there garage floor, but don't want to spend more than a few hundred dollars. Since I can't afford to drive to their house and spit on it for $300, I often give this advice.

I understand you don't want to spend a lot of money on this, it's understandable. The only thing you will put on your floor for $300 dollars or less will just create a problem, and you will be forced to spend much more than your budget.
Best thing to do:
1. Nothing and be as careful as you can not to create stains.
2. Save the money to do it right.
3. Put a siloxane sealer on the floor, or a water based sealer to keep stains off the floor.
4. Learn to acid stain the floor. You will have much research to do, but it could be done for around $300 given you have some of the basic supplies on a 2 car garage.

 

[thegarageguy]

cheap-ish floor coating?????

I love that....where else can one ask for something "cheap-ish" and not be frowned upon?

Can you repaint my car but I want done cheap-ish

I'm looking for cheap-ish cabinets for my kitchen

I need a new roof but I need it done cheap ish

just busting chops MAYOR28, good luck on whatever you cheap-ishly choose

 

[dcs Inc]

Scotty,
I saw in another thread (didnt want to hijack...) that you stated that legacy has a replacement/identical product to BASF Lapidolith.....

Can you give me a quick rundown to the sealers that you have?

Did you say this scotty???

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

I checked my past posts and I did note that it is marketed as a hardener/densifier and we have one too. Nothing more, nothing less.

I think Lapidolith has a magnesium additive which we don't have nor do we need.