Benefits/Drawbacks of VCT, Epoxy, Tile, and Stain

I have been reading everyone's very informative discussions now for about a month, and every day I'm convinced to take a different path for my garage floor based on the +'s and -'s that everyone has provided. I originally planned on putting down beige or tan VCT, but now I'm 90% sure that I'm going to go with the H&C concrete stain. Everyone has a different practical use for their garage floor, but the common thread that I see (no pun intended) is that most people want a good working floor that's easy to maintain and not cost prohibitive to install and maintain (e.g., replacing tiles, re-coating with epoxy.)

First off I'm in the midwest/rust belt, so my garage although heated and insulated, will get cold in the winter. I just finished installing additional 18' 2' x 8' joists in my ceiling and hanging 10' and 12' sections of 5/8" type X. The wife did all of the taping, mudding, and painting (isn't that nice of her in sort of an ironic way, considering she may be off limits to my room of work and solitude once complete). We want to complete the entire project by the work of just us.

Here's what I've gleaned from the month of reading all the valuable information everyone has provided, and changing my mind over a dozen times on what to do:

VCT is relatively inexpensive and looks good, but you need to have something to put your jack/jack stands on to prevent damaging, standing water on the tiles is an issue, and in cold climates the tiles may shrink and expose the seams and/or curl the ends. Motorcycle kickstands will damage it, too. A lot of additional "barriers" needed for certain circumstances to keep from getting hacked up. The floor surface needs to be smooth within 1/16" so expansion joints need to be filled, cracks filled, etc. in preparation.

Epoxy coating looks great and keeps the concrete surface basically intact to work on, but even with dedicated surface prep, you can't be completely sure that you'll get the coverage you expect. Plus, even if you don't get lift from hot tires (which many people do even with proper preparation and even with solvent based), the paint will need to be touched up periodically due to typical gouging and scratching from tools.

Floor tiles (e.g. Race Deck) make for a nice looking garage but are expensive, kind of noisy unless you use some form of underlayment on your substrate, can be damaged from jacking, hot slag, etc. Good option for a "light" working garage but not for more heavy duty use.

Rubber mats (e.g. g-floor) - nice to catch fluids or debris from reaching the actual garage floor, but not practical for the actual floor itself. Any mat that lays on the floor will gather up when compressed, such as when the wheels are turned when a car is not moving. Also can be damaged from hot metal, kickstands, etc.

Which brings me to what I think is the best compromise of all flooring, but doesn't get much coverage in these boards, and I don't know why, and that's concrete stain. It's inexpensive; 4 gallons for just over $100 will provide two full coats for a 450 sq. ft. (2 1/2 car) garage. It isn't paint so it isn't subject to the pulling up like epoxy paints. It has to be touched up like epoxy paints, but this is easier with stain. The concrete surface is maintained, so you can roll a floor jack over it, use jackstands, lower your motorcycle kickstand etc. without leaving a lasting impression. It will of course wear when scraped continuously, but touching it up is easy; even re-staining every other year would be cheap and easy (base is already there; 1 gal. per 250 sq. ft. or so would be all that's needed). You still need to prepare/etch the floor, but since the stain penetrates the surface and doesn't sit on top like epoxy paint does even properly bonded, the preparation isn't as critical.

I like the R&C Silicone Acrylic Sealer. Look at ScrewTheMan's and RayJay's floor and how can you possibly beat that for durability, ease of touch up, low cost, and good looks? For the working garage doesn't it seem everything else is a compromise? But everyone has done so much research and there isn't that many threads on concrete stain that I am missing something? Again thanks to everyone's input, in the end it's all good. I mean HotRodGarage, how cool is that garage, I surely would be in there 24/7.

I'm thinking of getting stain trowled into the wet concrete with a hardner to. Spread everything on top of the wet concrete then work it in as its trowled. Still an idea, need to speak with some concrete professionals next week. I completely agree that stain is the way to go for a working garage and can't see how any of the other options can compare. So I too wonder why it doesn't get any discussion on here.

69Cat said:

I'm thinking of getting stain trowled into the wet concrete with a hardner to. Spread everything on top of the wet concrete then work it in as its trowled. Still an idea, need to speak with some concrete professionals next week. I completely agree that stain is the way to go for a working garage and can't see how any of the other options can compare. So I too wonder why it doesn't get any discussion on here.

Click to expand...

The epoxy floors can be pretty durable. My garage has a lot of welding, grinding, etc in it. The reason I went with epoxy is because i wanted the floor to be a light color to make the room easier to light. You can only stain concrete darker, never lighter. I considered a professional grind and polish finish, but the price dissuaded me.

Whatever you guys do, don't forget to post some pics so we can have a look.
Rick

No doubt epoxy floors look awesome. There's a lot of hard work for everyone who goes this route, and it does pay off for a floor that's both durable and looks fantastic. Anything worthwhile takes discipline and patience, and doing epoxy takes both, but the rewards for those who go this route are worth it based on some of the pictures posted in this forum. When epoxy is done right and finished with poly, not much looks better. The cost is deceiving because to get that look you have to purchase more epoxy sets than the typical one per 2 1/2 car garage solvent-based Rustoleum package - most of the people that post here say they put 3 or more coats on to get good coverage.

The issue on concrete stain and light refraction is a drawback I knew about and forgot to mention. I was thinking of using a medium tan color stain which should give fair light refraction like a lighter shade and still allow for finding dropped bolts or parts like a darker shade. screwTheMan's floor looks perfect (although he mentions he would have gone darker; sTM - why...?) Look how great these look:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6838
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7721

Concrete sealer/stain still offers protection to the concrete. Are there other benefits to epoxy coating that I'm missing? It can't just be the good looks. I feel like I'm taking the cheap and/or lazy way out by staining, but if the primary difference between epoxy and stain is mostly asthetic I would go with stain since both are going to show wear and need regular touch-up.

Some questions I have on epoxy coating:
Doesn't the rolling wheels of a 2 1/2 ton jack while jacking make any identation in the epoxy?
Jack stands/motorcycle kick stands - same thing?
Lift from hot tires - why do some people's epoxy lift and some not (just do to prep? It seems like some people are diligent in their prep and still encounter this type of lift.)

Also, if you need to touch up, with epoxy you would have to mix a new batch, right? (Unless there is some type of single stage touch up that re-activates with the epoxy?) With stain you would just open the lid.

How about concrete paint? I saw some grey color the other day and was wondering if anyone has any pictures or experience with just floor paint? My floor is 50 years old and has some stains that I will see if they clean up this weekend. I have not done the moisture test yet but I am concidering the stain or paitn versus epoxy. I would hate it if I spent a lot of time prepping the floor and it then lifted anyways. I will be doing mechanical and wood working only. No welder yet. Just want a clean floor to lay on and to hang out in. Definately do not want to worry about hurting a nice finish cause I drop everything.

Thanks,
Chris

Maybe someone else can eloborate more but I looked into floor paint first, and everyone I know said forget it. If you're going to paint (they say) go with epoxy paint, preferably 100% solids or solvent-based. The real decision it would seem would be between stain and epoxy paint, since both are great solutions for the concrete floor. Most would say if your going to "paint" or put a coating on top of the substrate, do it right and get the substrate to the correct pH and porosity and use a catalyst-based 2-part hardening epoxy paint. Then when the epoxy reacts and hardens you have a nice coating/shell to your floor. Regular floor paint will scratch and peel with minimal contact from metal, hot tires, etc. I believe. Staining offers a level of protection to the concrete which isn't as strong as epoxy, but unlike epoxy there are less issues with bonding to the substrate since it actually penetrates into it. This is my understanding anyway.

I will start off by saying that I am obviously biased as I do epoxy for a living. I will do my best to answer (what I know) as unbiased as possible.

Epoxy done right, meaning real prep like shotblasting, and using high quality materials will definately not lift from hot tires. I have hundreds of floors down and I would go broke if they lifted doing warranty repairs. Anything that has a sharp point and is dragged across ANY floor will scratch it. Example: a nail sticking out of a heavy pallet that is dragged across a floor will scratch anything period.

Anything heavy enough to break concrete when dropped will damage a coating. Although epoxy does strengthen concrete.

A jack with wheels should be not problem, I do it all the time. Jackstand and motorcycle kickstands with sharp edges depends on quality of floor and weight. I suggest a little rubber mat just to take extra care.

As far as staining goes, I do not have much experience, but would think that there would be concerns about oil staining, and wear. If one can put a top coat of urethane that would certainly help with the staining and wear factors.

I think you are doing the right thing. Ask people who have each product and see how it wears long term. That is the key. Everthing looks great when it is just put down, what does it look like 4 years from then???

Solid colors tend to show any defects in concrete, and also show all dirt, oil, debris, and such. Multicolor floors tend to hide that, so they look cleaner with the same amount of crud on them. The down side to the multicolor floor is that when you drop that e clip, you have to get down on your hands and knees to find it.

Lighter colors are better in general as they reflect more light. Darker colors tend to absord the light. If you have plenty of light in the room no big deal.

Continue getting input from these folks and you will just need to make what you feel is the best choice. There is lots of experience on this forum so soak it up.

Good Luck and let us know what you do.

Also let us know in 6 months how it is holding up.

Thanks as always for your input Floorguy - I think the epoxy route requires the special tools and know-how from a professional such as yourself. Trying to acid etch an old floor for most people probably doesn't properly prepare the substrate for the do-it-yourselfer. I've seen what professionals such as yourself can do with epoxy flooring and its unbelievable how rock-solid and glassy looking the floor is when done by a professional. There inlies the internal conflict, since I want to do the entire project myself (like with cars and bikes - makes for more interesting conversation and mutual respect), I really don't have the skills to do the epoxy the way it should be done. Even if I learn all I can on what to do, there's no replacement for experience, and people that see what you can do may try to accomplish the same results, but not know the thousands of tricks and tests you know to ensure that the end result is near perfect. Many of the do-it-yourselfers that end up not happy with their epoxy floors are very adept at construction-related do-it-yourself projects, and many were disillusioned with the end results of their projects, which scares me. I look at it from a risk-reward standpoint: the added benefit over epoxy if I do it myself, with a 1 out of 3 chance that I may not get the results I want because even though I did everything correctly there was one unpublished variable, vs. only slightly less durability and looks from staining, and a likely outcome for success with proper floor prep (acid etching appears to provide ample porosity for the stain.) For those who do the epoxy route themselves, I'm sure many can thank you for their getting it right!

In the same vein as stain how about using H&C® Silicone Acrylic Concrete Sealer http://www.hc-concrete.com/product/3011.asp

I'm having a new house with 2 garages built as we speak and I think this is what my builder uses in all his garages. I've seen the finished product and it looks great and is easier to apply and maintain than epoxy.

mjw, see the bottom of my original post, that's exactly the stain I am currently planning on using. I put a couple of links to a couple of individuals who have provided pictures of their floors with stain (one with the H&C), and they look awesome. It seems to me that the do-it-yourself epoxy kits require an inordinate amount of time to apply and re-apply, and even then although many people are very satisfied with the results, there are many who are not (even some who painstakingly prepared the substrate and applied the epoxy).

I'm waiting for the shoe to drop with someone providing knowledge why going the stain route is not the hot setup. I would think the majority of people would use the stain based on ease of application and maintenance, cost savings, etc., but most people apply the epoxy. The gloss/shell factor of epoxy must be the draw, but I would think that if you are welding and jacking that the stain route would be easier and cheaper to maintain while still offering decent looks and a decent level of concrete protection. Unless someone like Floorguy professionally applies the epoxy (especially where he works to prepare the substrate), I think stain is the do-it-yourself way to go.

I agree with 1985 and mjw on the sealer vs epoxy issue, and I epoxied my detached garage last year. The epoxy was a lot of work for 1 guy - prep, mixing and applying within pot life constraints, re-applying time constraints, curing time, etc. The epoxy has held up very well, but I'm looking for something easier to use and less expensive than epoxy for my attached garage. I'm going to use some type of sealer.

I would recommend Racedeck's open grid floor, which is made for wet / snow areas. see http://www.racedeck.com/freeflow.html plus it looks pretty cool

This thread convinced me to go the H&C stain route. I'm going to degrease the floor, clean it up then apply two layers of H&C (12 hours between). Do I buy this product at Sherman Williams?

I also have been studying all the different floor coatings. I picked up 5 gal of the H&C acryllic from the local Sherwin Williams. I got the sandstone color that was factory mixed. For what it is worth if the color you want is premixed from the factory, you can return any unopened cans. If the store mixes it for you, it is yours to keep. They have the sealer on sale till the end of June around here for $23.49 a gal.

My post #1. I've been reading the !@#! large number of posts regarding flooring for my daily use garage. I did do the concrete stain in my hobby garage; usual light tinkering, maintenance. The final floor has aquamarine accents put in the squares where the bands of dark brown meet.

Positives: It's beautiful!! You can get extremely artistic if you want. It's protected against oil and stains by the sealer and wax. Not a paint so it can't lift.

Negatives: There is maintenance since you're supposed to rewax and seal depending on how heavy the use is. The stain penetrates but only (I'm making this number up) like 1/32" into the concrete. I've dropped tools and if it chips the concrete, it's chipped through the stain. It can be slippery with the sealants and wax. My concrete has those fiberglass tufts which stick out and help a little. Gasoline/brake fluid will go through the wax and sealer.

Maybe noone talks about this because it's still relatively new for the mainstream? And perhaps because of the unknowns about long term durability?

Right now, I'm glad I did it. It's unique and noone will have the exact same floor. But ask me in a few years as to how well it's held up. I'm nervous so I still put plywood under my jackstands but not the jack itself. And I'm going to use some of kind of protection for welding.

That is a good looking floor. The stain will hold up over time as it has been around and used in commercial aspects for many years. I normally do more basements or outdoor living areas with stain but would not guide someone out of it for a garage if it is what they want. It does give your floor a nice look for a very reasonable cost. Have you thought of doing basement of your house as well? or patio or sidewalks?

Returning to this topic after 4 years of use of the garage. I would not do the stain again. I also would not do any epoxy/poly/whatever fancy coating. I will just seal the floor in my next shop.

I have large rubber mats under the lift and in the bays to protect the floor. At which point, why even try to make the floor pretty? I'd rather have regular concrete and not have to worry about dropping large metal objects and taking chunks out of the color.

Like you say menz, I'd be fine with it for and recommend doing the stain with interior house floors or basements or patio and sidewalks. Or if it was a show/display garage. Just not for a working garage.