Newbie with new garage

[mforce]

We finished our 24x28 garage and the concrete has been sitting about 45 days now. Is it OK to go ahead and seal it up? Budget is tight since I am still working on getting it wrapped up. Should I wait longer to let it cure or is it OK to seal it? What product would you recommend as I have read several on the big box store kits and it sounds like I better run from them. My parents had a local company here in Cincinnati do theirs and it scratches easily. They were told that is just the nature of the beast... guess I better not use something named like gorilla since it don't perform like a beast! I plan to do some woodworking and automotive things in the garage as well.

 

[SolarColumbia]

The normal recommendation is allow a month before applying a product so you are good there. Now your mission is to decide whether you want a coating, either colored or clear; a densifier and/or penetrating sealer; concrete stain prior to a sealer, etc. Browse this forum, Google topics pertaining to concrete, and keep your concrete surface free of stains, oil, and grease in the meantime.

 

[CJDave]

If you are interested in RaceDeck tiles my garage is done in the Free Flow style and I live in Fairfield. Come look if you want. I don't know much about the various chemicals that are named in the above post. CJDave.

 

[funnybunnyvj]

Wow, looks neat.

 

[RPH]

First, what are your plans for the garage?
Parking?
Fabrication?
Gym equipment?
Wood shop?
Auto repair?
The function of the building has as much if not more to do with the product. Wrong product with the improper function equals disappointment. Think about what you want to do now and where you would like to go with it. Then locate the product. Too many ways to make the floor look nice and work the way you want it. 45 days is plenty of time, standard is 30 days. The

 

[CJDave]

Wow, looks neat.

Thanks for the compliment, funnybunnyvj. I have received many positive comments and after 5 years I have no complaints about my RaceDeck.

RPH makes a valid point about what the garage will be used for.

CJDave

 

[Fulcrums]

If you are interested in RaceDeck tiles my garage is done in the Free Flow style and I live in Fairfield. Come look if you want. I don't know much about the various chemicals that are named in the above post. CJDave.

That kind of a floor really does change the entire look of a garage. I need to seriously look into getting that done.

 

[Garage Flooring]

We finished our 24x28 garage and the concrete has been sitting about 45 days now. Is it OK to go ahead and seal it up? Budget is tight since I am still working on getting it wrapped up. Should I wait longer to let it cure or is it OK to seal it? What product would you recommend as I have read several on the big box store kits and it sounds like I better run from them. My parents had a local company here in Cincinnati do theirs and it scratches easily. They were told that is just the nature of the beast... guess I better not use something named like gorilla since it don't perform like a beast! I plan to do some woodworking and automotive things in the garage as well.

Just seal the floor: Ghostshield 4500/8510 single flood coat. https://www.garageflooringllc.com/siloxa-tek-8505-concrete-sealer/ in the alternative you could get a nice high gloss clear floor using a single coat of our clear polyurea

Of course we have full coating systems, tiles etc. We also have a basic epoxy system that can be lightly sanded and used as the 'primer' if you go to upgrade later.

If you are interested in RaceDeck tiles my garage is done in the Free Flow style and I live in Fairfield. Come look if you want. I don't know much about the various chemicals that are named in the above post. CJDave.

NICE! RaceDeck does pretty well with chemicals. The concern is they are going to fall through tiles so we'd probably want to treat the floor first in a garage where chemical spills were expected.

First, what are your plans for the garage?
Parking?
Fabrication?
Gym equipment?
Wood shop?
Auto repair?
The function of the building has as much if not more to do with the product. Wrong product with the improper function equals disappointment. Think about what you want to do now and where you would like to go with it. Then locate the product. Too many ways to make the floor look nice and work the way you want it. 45 days is plenty of time, the standard is 30 days. The

FIRST question I teach everyone here to ask. How are you using the garage! Want a job

That kind of a floor really does change the entire look of a garage. I need to seriously look into getting that done.

We have a killer price right now on some flow-through tiles. https://www.garageflooringllc.com/ribbed-flow-through-tile/

 

[Cairo94507]

If it were me I would let it sit and start setting aside money for tile. Shop all of the typical suppliers for a blow-out sale where you can get Porcelain tile for a good price. Do it once, do it right and never touch it again. I have never seen an epoxy floor that did not lift, peal, bubble and stain.

 

[Shea]

I have never seen an epoxy floor that did not lift, peal, bubble and stain.

Unfortunately, it's all those DIY home improvement store epoxy kits that give floor coatings a bad name. If you don't know much about concrete coatings, the marketing on the box leads you believe that they are the "be-all end-all" of floor coatings.

True commercial quality coatings with the proper concrete prep do not peel or bubble. Though not stain proof, you have to work at it to create permanent stains.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Shea is correct, a properly prepared floor with a high quality coating should give excellent performance.

As for moisture testing use the plastic sheet method where you tape down in the center of the floor a 4’ sheet of clear plastic along all four sides. Wait 24 hours, check for dampness or condensation. If none, you should be ok to coat.