Epoxy Floor-Tips,Tricks, & Experience

[gregs]

Hi All,

I am in the process of getting ready to put down an epoxy floor using a product similiar to the SW 1000HS. I have done a lot research and got a lot of information here.Now I am looking for any tips,tricks or experiences that would help any of us get the best job done. If you have anything you did that you wouldnt do again or wished you did, I would like to hear it. My plan is to do 2 coats (1 thinned, 1 regular) per mfg's directions, light gray color with no chips, and no top clear coat. Thanks in advance

 

[04 Navi]

Here's a tip. Use color chips and a clear coat. I've had both floors and the one I have now with chips and a clear coat is hands down better than one without. The reason being, unless you has absolutely smooth as a babys bottom cement, with the type of floor you want to do, you will see every ripple and imperfection. You will even see some that you didn't know were there.

The reason for the clear coat is durability. The minimum that I would do in your case is to at least do a couple of coats of clear with some grit in it, if your worried about traction, otherwise I would have done a non solvent based product, but then I am biased. Good luck.

 

[Jabberwalk]

Here's a tip. Use color chips and a clear coat. I've had both floors and the one I have now with chips and a clear coat is hands down better than one without. The reason being, unless you has absolutely smooth as a babys bottom cement, with the type of floor you want to do, you will see every ripple and imperfection. You will even see some that you didn't know were there.

The reason for the clear coat is durability. The minimum that I would do in your case is to at least do a couple of coats of clear with some grit in it, if your worried about traction, otherwise I would have done a non solvent based product, but then I am biased. Good luck.

Couldn't have said it better!
Also-prep-prep-prep! Make sure the product you use is compatible with the temperature of your area.

 

[SC-Eric]

I'd use what Navi used!

 

[gregs]

Heres a simple question. After mixing the epoxy, how did you apply it? Did you pour it out a little at a time and spread it with a roller? Or did you work out of a roller pan? Thanks

 

[FFPL]

Heres a simple question. After mixing the epoxy, how did you apply it? Did you pour it out a little at a time and spread it with a roller? Or did you work out of a roller pan? Thanks

I did both. The primer and top coat I did out using the dip and roll method. The colour I just poored out in ribbons and rolled it until even.

 

[JD in DFW]

I'd stay away from epoxy all together.... Their are much better garage floor coatings on the market then epoxy today. Epoxy is great for many applications...but not for a garage floor...in my opinion. I know many here have epoxy floors and many swear by them. Thats great, but let me know what the floor looks like in 5 years and how many touch up spots you had to fix...I know I have been there myself as well.
My suggestion would be to leave the floor coating duties to a professional that will come in and diamond grind the floor to virgin concrete and then apply an industrial grade poly coating product. The good stuff the pros use cost well over $100 bucks or more a gallon...you get what you pay for. And the DIY kits are really a joke in many cases...don't waste your money or time.
If you do decide to DIY I would spend alot of time on the prep and I would grind rather then acid etch...you'll get a better bond.
To each his own, just my .02
I have put three floors down myself in two of my houses and one for a buddy, this last time I hired a professional....after ward I wished I had hired a pro for the other 3.

Again to each his own, I do wish you the best of luck with your floor though with which ever direction you go.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I'd stay away from epoxy all together.... Their are much better garage floor coatings on the market then epoxy today. Epoxy is great for many applications...but not for a garage floor...in my opinion. I know many here have epoxy floors and many swear by them. Thats great, but let me know what the floor looks like in 5 years and how many touch up spots you had to fix...I know I have been there myself as well.

My rust-oleum has been on for 5 years of welding/torching/plasma cutting/grinding/dragging steel/fabricating on the floor. I have NO chips, NO touch up spots, period. There have been many pieces of steel dropped, it won't chip the finish.

Prep, prep, prep, prep. I started with a 55 year old grease covered floor. I spent 13 hours, 6 gallons of purple power, 2 boxes of tri-sodium-phosphate, muriatic acid, and a 1500 p.s.i pressure washer with 110* or so water, and a VERY stiff bristled broom.

It sucked, but 5 years later, it is all still stuck. Tires haven't pulled up one tiny part of it, and if I mop the floor, you can barely tell where the vehicle sits. I put a little bit of sand down on top of the first coat, and covered it with the second. It's still easily swept and mopped, and doesn't hurt to kneel on. It's great not slip-sliding around on snow, oil, etc. I used no clear coat. The only thing that has happened, is the spots where oil has sat for a month or two, it is slightly yellowed when cleaned.

When I build my shop, the entire floor will be done with the same. I also coated all my shelves and benches with the stuff.

 

[ersatzs2]

I've lived with my Epoxy-Coat (tm) floor for a year now and really swear by it. I've managed to chip it just once, when I sawzalled off a piece of 3" angle iron and the end fell point first onto the floor. But a routine dropped tool, even a brake rotor haven't dented it.
In my case the key to getting a nice floor was not being stingy on the coating thickness. I used about 3X the recommended amount. My 40x30 floor would've cost ~$6K to have done professionally and I used about $1500 of Epoxy-Coat. Key to getting it right were: spiked shoes, big rollers with extensions, and industrial sized squeegies.

I did not use flakes because I thought it would be easier to find dropped fasteners and to keep clean, and I'm also glad about that decision.

 

[gregs]

Yeah I am still on the fence about adding the color chips or not. I have a shop where I like to work, not really a garage where I store and show my cars. Although it looks like the chips would make it a little nicer looking for very little money I still havent decided. And its definately "to each his own", I have seen some floors that would cost far more than I would consider reasonable but are beautiful. In the end its your choice as to what you are going to do and spend no matter how many different people tell what product is the best.

 

[connorB]

Hey new member,

I'm NACE certified as a coatings inspector level 1. Concrete floors is my career passion. So fire away with guestions. My floor is black, it looks like glass and airplane hanger tuff. It can be seen at www.garagefreaks.com

Glenn

 

[Scorelow]

I agree with JD, do not use a "big box" product. It is not that epoxy is bad but there is different levels of epoxy. I do agree with him on diamond grinding vs any wash or acid washing out there....it is a set-up for failure! Prep is important but also equal to quality of product choice. Also I agree that you should put chips and a top coat on your floor. As stated before 99% floors have flaws and chips hide them and the top coat protects them. Professional services will cost $3-6 per sq ft. Remember Epoxy takes 2-4 days to complete you may want to look at a pro to install a polyurea based floor. Has the look of epoxy but non of the problems and it can be done in a single DAY. Drive on it in 24 hours. Must be applied by Pro's because of the cure time....quick, quick quick...good luck

 

[bmwpower]

Hey new member,

I'm NACE certified as a coatings inspector level 1. Concrete floors is my career passion. So fire away with guestions. My floor is black, it looks like glass and airplane hanger tuff. It can be seen at www.garagefreaks.com

Glenn

I need some bigger, better picts of that floor, Glenn. Closer shots, too. I'm interested in black...