Marble look garage floor using concrete stain and polyurea

[flyinb501]

Hey Guys,

We are currently building a new home and I'm planning out my garage. Since I'm starting with a blank slate I really want to make it cool. I saw a picture a few months back where a guy had made a calcatta marble looking floor, I believe using epoxy. I thought it was so cool looking. I've been doing some research, and I want to keep it budget friendly and not too difficult. So I was thinking about using Delta Dye stain to make the marble looking veins in the floor, and then going over it with clear Polyurea. Has anyone here done anything like that, and / or have suggestions? I'm attaching a couple pics of countertop slabs to give you the idea of the look I'm going for.

This video kind of shows what I'm thinking:

 

[Imatk]

If it were me I'd reach out to Garage Flooring LLC. I'd be worried that if you used a product that didn't react well to the poly you'd have issues.

I'm pretty sure you can buy everything you need in one system so you don't have incompatible chemicals.

 

[flyinb501]

Both the stain and polyurea are sold through Legacy Industrial and are compatible with each other according to them so that is not really a worry. My concern is will I be able to create the look I'm going for effectively with the stain, or will it end up looking like garbage.

 

[rgordon]

Not a lot of feedback here. Bump.

 

[SteveL]

Try this link for some ideas. www.torginol.com

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

It can be done with stain but it looks more dramatic with metallic epoxy. If you have an area where a toolbox will go or a closet you could do a little test to see if you like it before you go great guns..

 

[twouvakind]

Naked concrete has traction. I have resisted doing any coatings on my new construction. YMMV.

 

[flyinb501]

Try this link for some ideas. www.torginol.com

The metallic color pigments look pretty cool. I wonder if that could be mixed with polyurea...

 

[rgordon]

It can be done with stain but it looks more dramatic with metallic epoxy. If you have an area where a toolbox will go or a closet you could do a little test to see if you like it before you go great guns..

This is what I was afraid of. So the answer is No, you can't get the dramatic look of the metallic epoxy with a stain. A bummer b/c of the potential yellowing - even if using a Polyaspartic clear. It's also a much more difficult DIY installation than staining.

 

[dcg9381]

I've done a bunch of floors with water based stain and polyurea. You're not going to get those clean transitions that you get with epoxy - things will bleed a bit and stain is definitely not 100% solid. You can use acid stains for effects that are a bit more wild, but in my experience you generally don't know exactly what you're going to end up with.

A marbled look is pretty easy, but it's not the same as epoxy.
The interior of our home is done with a combination of delta stains and poly... I love the stuff. Here's the garage - it could be done in a bit more of a solid white if you wanted.

 

[rnixon]

Here is a multi color, acid stained floor, with 1 coat of Polyurea, and the same floor 5 years later, with zero maintenance. cost was about $1.10 sq. ft.

 

[Chris705]

rnixon - please comment on your floor finish and how slippery it gets (wet or damp shoes) in comparison to a simple smooth troweled floor…. Both when first applied and now 5 years later.
Thanks !

 

[rnixon]

I too was concerned about a slippery floor , and because I didn't want to use "grit" in the Poly , I used a 3/8" nap roller instead of the recommended short nap roller, that gave the poly a bit of a texture. The floor still has a shine but it's not slippery even when wet. here are a few pictures, showing the "texture" . I've done a lot of dirty, greasy work on that floor and I've never washed it , I just sweep up with a broom an wipe up the spills with a shop rag or towel

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

This is DeltaDye® Concrete Stain with Nohr-S® Polyurea over it. This is a basement/garage.
best-water-based-concrete-stain-deltadye-01.jpg

 

[Dyers78]

I've done a bunch of floors with water based stain and polyurea. You're not going to get those clean transitions that you get with epoxy - things will bleed a bit and stain is definitely not 100% solid. You can use acid stains for effects that are a bit more wild, but in my experience you generally don't know exactly what you're going to end up with.

A marbled look is pretty easy, but it's not the same as epoxy.
The interior of our home is done with a combination of delta stains and poly... I love the stuff. Here's the garage - it could be done in a bit more of a solid white if you wanted.

Can you tell me more about this result? It's exactly what I'd like to do. I am looking at product and thinking the gray dye and Nohr-S Polyurea. My floor is in good shape and was thinking a good power wash with simple green, then dry stain and seal. Did you etch or grind these?

 

[dcg9381]

Can you tell me more about this result? It's exactly what I'd like to do. I am looking at product and thinking the gray dye and Nohr-S Polyurea. My floor is in good shape and was thinking a good power wash with simple green, then dry stain and seal. Did you etch or grind these?

Those products will work fine.
I defer to the suppliers for prep advice. In my case, all of my concrete was "new" and not smooth finished. I did grind in one case, but unrelated to doing the finish. If the concrete was older, my recommendation would be to acid etch, wash out, neutralize acid, wash out and call it good.

 

[Dyers78]

Those products will work fine.
I defer to the suppliers for prep advice. In my case, all of my concrete was "new" and not smooth finished. I did grind in one case, but unrelated to doing the finish. If the concrete was older, my recommendation would be to acid etch, wash out, neutralize acid, wash out and call it good.

Thanks. I'll reach out ask about prep recommendations. I love the results you got. Just to clarify, that is just gray stain and poly? Did you dilute the dye?

 

[dcg9381]

I've used Deltadye before (Legacy Industrial). It's fine. Its what we used inside the house. This particular stain (water based concrete stain) I bought from Amazon. Yes, it gets diluted. You do multiple coats for coverage. The more you can mist it on, let it dry and mist it again, the more consistent coverage you get. It's actually the white dye over natural concrete.

2-3 coats of polyurea over it, yes.

 

[Toolfool]

My shop floor done with Kemiko water based acid stain and Dayton Superior clear coat.

 

[Dyers78]

I've used Deltadye before (Legacy Industrial). It's fine. Its what we used inside the house. This particular stain (water based concrete stain) I bought from Amazon. Yes, it gets diluted. You do multiple coats for coverage. The more you can mist it on, let it dry and mist it again, the more consistent coverage you get. It's actually the white dye over natural concrete.

2-3 coats of polyurea over it, yes.

Thanks - to clarify, the results you show above are white stain/dye on plain concrete with multiple light mists of dye and coated with Urea? I love the consistancy. I was just researching the potential use of light gray color in the poly. I'm trying to avoid the results I see that are blotchy looking. I am trying to avoid that but still want a little natural variation to show.

 

[dcg9381]

Thanks - to clarify, the results you show above are white stain/dye on plain concrete with multiple light mists of dye and coated with Urea? I love the consistancy. I was just researching the potential use of light gray color in the poly. I'm trying to avoid the results I see that are blotchy looking. I am trying to avoid that but still want a little natural variation to show.

Correct. My "house garage" had some pooling of dye as I was in a hurry, you're really going to want to avoid over applying the dye if you want consistency. I'd set aside 2-3 days if you want it one color and consistent, especially in lower temps.. Mist, let dry, mist again. The shop was much more consistent as temps were higher and I wasn't in a hurry.. You'll use more dye that you expect, I'd buy at least one more dye bottle than you think you need. Make sure the sprayer is clean, under good pressure, and doesn't drip.

I've done acid stains too - you can do some wild stuff with them. Water based stain, results are more consistent.

Shop floor has 2 coats of polyurea. I did 3 in the garage. First coat takes more product per sqft. Subsequent coats have better coverage. I used an 18" roller (multiple). In Texas, you're good to go 24 hours after application. Expect some off gassing.

 

[dcg9381]

Here's first polyurea coat on the shop floor.. If you like white, this could have been done with additional coats:




This is the floor that I did in my residence. Same deal - it's water based stain (a tan/copper base coated in brown). 2 coats of polyurea. The texture that you see is an anti-slip agent.