Am I the only one that hates Epoxy/Plastic Flooring?

[LegacyIndustrial]

It's called a guard or conditioner. It helps with stains but does not have the fortitude found in a good urethane or PAP. Great for ketchup and motor oil.

 

[Money2536]

Hate to break it to you but that looks more like a stain and epoxy sealed concrete rather than a polished floor.

As another poster said, polished concrete will not hold up to oils and stains very well.

You're right. After doing more specific research and working with a local concrete expert, I've learned quite a bit. I figured out that I was associating Epoxy only with a floor that has flakes. Forgive me, but those flakes make me think of my grandmother or every single retirees' driveway in FL.

All I need instead is to have the floor cleaned, sanded, prepped, and a few coats of clear epoxy topped with a Urethane for durability. Polishing isn't going to work in my garage as I do work on my cars often and have been told dumping oil on it will stain it rather easily.

My final decision is deciding to add and antiskid additive to the final Urethane coat to create a more "matte like" finish or stick to the "polished look" of a gloss Urethane.

I'll be sure to add photos. I'm guessing we are going to be doing the job in a few weeks!

 

[Money2536]

Ok sorry for the delay, I have a couple pics to post.
The first is a close up of a 3x3' area to show detail of polish look and the rest are just general.
One pic of the rest room/storage area.

Your floors look fantastic!

 

[thegarageguy]

You're right. After doing more specific research and working with a local concrete expert, I've learned quite a bit. I figured out that I was associating Epoxy only with a floor that has flakes. Forgive me, but those flakes make me think of my grandmother or every single retirees' driveway in FL.

All I need instead is to have the floor cleaned, sanded, prepped, and a few coats of clear epoxy topped with a Urethane for durability. Polishing isn't going to work in my garage as I do work on my cars often and have been told dumping oil on it will stain it rather easily.

My final decision is deciding to add and antiskid additive to the final Urethane coat to create a more "matte like" finish or stick to the "polished look" of a gloss Urethane.

I'll be sure to add photos. I'm guessing we are going to be doing the job in a few weeks!

For best results, get your floor grinded and honed to remove any grind marks and smooth it out. Then stain and seal with an epoxy and urethane. Here are similar pics to what you are looking for.

 

[AZ Glen]

I just sealed mine too...I do not like the colored epoxy.

 

[pro517]

Your floors look fantastic!

Thanks! I like the way it turned out, particularly for how the floor is used. For a "working"'garage floor I would definitely do something with a less slippery when wet surface, but for a "storage" floor it's great! Plus, it's very easy to clean up.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Pro, the floor looks great. Thank you for the pictures.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I'm not a fan of epoxy or plastic flooring either. It think it looks nice, but it expensive and not that durable, for various reasons.

My choice would be porcelain tile.

Jim

 

[Steves32]

I work in my garage.
Epoxys & plastic floors are ok for display but not every day work.
I grind, weld, drop **** & spill ****.
I'm not going to run around w/ welding blankets & drop cloths to protect my floor.
I stuck w/ bare concrete for about a year or so- then decided to install Porcelain tile.
Best decision I ever made.

 

[TeamTruett]

How do they finish the concrete floors at big box stores like Home depot/Lowes and BJs/Sams/Cosco clubs? They are smooth and have a gloss like finish if you ever took notice.

 

[Andrew LB]

I think I have it figured out. We aren't going to polish the concrete as it is very expensive and not so durable. I'm going to have a local company clean/lightly sand the concrete, put two coats of a clear epoxy, and then finish with a final coat of Urethane. It's going to cost me about $3.50 a foot total, so about $1,900. I'm excited to get it done. I'll post some photos of the process.

Who told you that? Everything I've read online and heard from a few contractor friends seems to agree that polished concrete (densifier + 3000 grit polish) is probably the most durable, long lasting, and lowest maintenance floor there is. It's a very popular floor in warehouses where they run forklifts across them all day long. Lets see an epoxy or urethane hold up to that kind of abuse. Heck, polished concrete holds up very well to welding slag.


I'm in the process of doing a polished garage floor. It's been ground , sealed with a siliconate densifier, and right now it feels like a piece of 2000 grit sandpaper. I'll be posting pictures when I get more done and the color added.

 

[XpEdItIoUs]

I just sealed mine too...I do not like the colored epoxy.

That is awesome

 

[Hingebird]

I work in my garage.
Epoxys & plastic floors are ok for display but not every day work.
I grind, weld, drop **** & spill ****.
I'm not going to run around w/ welding blankets & drop cloths to protect my floor.
I stuck w/ bare concrete for about a year or so- then decided to install Porcelain tile.
Best decision I ever made.

Hello,

Which type of porcelain tile you used? I have a painted floor with some cheap coating the previous owner did, and it is peeling off. Additionally, I live in Phoenix, AZ and the garage in the summer after cars are parked gets to 140F.

Thank you,

Conrad

 

[RaceDeck1]

Money2536 " Am I the only one that hates Epoxy/Plastic Flooring?"

Why yes you are lol

 

[sputz]

What a neat, well organized garage! Very nice! What are you using for holding your spray bottles, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Money2536]

What a neat, well organized garage! Very nice! What are you using for holding your spray bottles, if you don't mind me asking?

They are from Griot's Garage.

 

[Money2536]

Money2536 " Am I the only one that hates Epoxy/Plastic Flooring?"

Why yes you are lol

To each is own, but stuff like this looks so goofy. That being said, most people also love a C5 Corvette with chrome wheels. Not my bag.

 

[Iowa Mark]

Every time I see one of those garage floors that look like an entrance to 5 star hotel or a WPA federal building, I have to question whether any real work gets done there. Most of the time you can't even see much of my shop floor because of the parts, tools and machinery all over it. Any lazyboy recliners would be subject to combustion from welding sparks. If a man-cave is what you want, then go for it. If it is about what comes out of the garage, then stop worrying about how the shop looks and get the work done. Put me on the side of a spotted up bare concrete shop floor. I believe we are calling that look patina now days.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Every time I see one of those garage floors that look like an entrance to 5 star hotel or a WPA federal building, I have to question whether any real work gets done there. Most of the time you can't even see much of my shop floor because of the parts, tools and machinery all over it. Any lazyboy recliners would be subject to combustion from welding sparks. If a man-cave is what you want, then go for it. If it is about what comes out of the garage, then stop worrying about how the shop looks and get the work done. Put me on the side of a spotted up bare concrete shop floor. I believe we are calling that look patina now days.

I have to disagree. It is completely possible to have a nice looking functional shop, and many here do!

Sorry if my garage is not messy enough to qualify as a "working garage"!

Jim

 

[ct71rr]

Here's my stained floor using Legacy Industrial "Shifting Sand" and "Cola" stain with matte water based acrylic sealer:

 

[RaceDeck1]

To each is own, but stuff like this looks so goofy. That being said, most people also love a C5 Corvette with chrome wheels. Not my bag.

Touchy touchy, I was not knocking your garage, it looks nice and as you say to each his own...was just teasing with your headline. There is no need to call others choices and tastes 'goofy'. I am sure there are a whole slew of people who think trailer queen high production show cars are goofy too, not me I get most of what people like about their cars and garages.
As for working garages, we have 1000's & 1000's of customers both residential and commercial who not only work in their garage, but the build what they drive.
One example is Kirkhams, who build the worlds finest aluminum body roadsters and have been doing it on the same RaceDeck floor for over 11 years. I myself have a working RaceDeck garage where we work on a vintage 65 Corvette racer and other toys.
Bottom line, some people like paint or epoxy or raw concrete or stain or ceramic or wood or carpet or modular flooring...

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[Will S.]

I just sealed mine too...I do not like the colored epoxy.

Looks fantastic, and I am ready to do something with mine. What sealer did you use? How did you etch?

 

[OzCop]

Most shops I have been in have some type of epoxy coated floors, including working garages and dealerships. You can tell which one's use the water based, cheaper stuff as compared to the industrial product...I saw one a few days ago that had been down for 10 years and still looked great...this guy works on BMWs and stays busy. For my home shop, that is what I want, something durable and will look good 10 years down the road...