DIY Epoxy Floor Concerns

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Hello,
I have started my floor prep for epoxy (Primer, Base, Clear) but it will take me awhile to complete so I am also looking into what, if any, flake (light coverage) that I would like in the epoxy. I really like the idea of having a nice white shiny floor with no flake but I am unsure of my results and I know flake will hide some of the imperfections that are bound to happen.
For you DIY'ers, when you have laid your epoxy down where your results good enough to not hide any imperfections with flake. I understand flake is spread during the base coat? Or would I be better to spread the flake?

 

[Garage Flooring]

My personal opinion is that white floors look best without flake. Not knowing what system you are using, there are a couple of things you can do to improve your chances:

Use an extra coat of primer or use a high solids epoxy as your primer. See if you can get color matched.
If Polyurea do two coats of white
If Epoxy doing an extra coat of white is overkill but looks great

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

My personal opinion is that white floors look best without flake. Not knowing what system you are using, there are a couple of things you can do to improve your chances:

Use an extra coat of primer or use a high solids epoxy as your primer. See if you can get color matched.
If Polyurea do two coats of white
If Epoxy doing an extra coat of white is overkill but looks great

Hey Justin, Funny you are commenting here as I actually planned to use Garage Flooring LLC! I was planning on doing the oil block primer (minor oil stains from what I can see), your High solids Epoxy (93%) and the Urethane Top Coat. Are you guys able to match the primer with the white epoxy as you suggested?

That garage looks great! I agree I think plain white would look best but I know it probably wont be perfect as this is my first time!

 

[Garage Flooring]

What condition is the floor in now?

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Here is a shot of the floor currently and unfortunately the best picture I have at this time but this is pretty much an accurate representation of the floor. There is a few oil drops that are new about the size of a baseball (will be degreasing heavily in those areas along with a degrease of the entire floor).
The dark spot against the wall is just water I was using to grind. And as you can probably tell some of the floor has been ground.

 

[Garage Flooring]

With any floor but especially white the prep is going to be key. I’m not a fan of oil block primers especially under white. Let’s get ride of the issue not cover it.

Then I would suggest a three coat polyurea system. That way we know the white will stay white

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

To understand you a bit better, by three coat do you mean primer, base, and clear or three layers of Polyurea for a clear?

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Honestly, If you can suggest all the materials you would use I would highly suggest it. Cost is a concern for me. Id like to be around the 1000 dollar mark +/- if possible

 

[Garage Flooring]

What is the square footage? Three coats: two white poly one clear poly

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Garage is approx 750sqft. Thank you I appreciate it!

 

[APEowner]

If you're going to be working in that garage I recommend against flakes. I had them in my last shop floor and I loved the way they looked but anything I dropped just disappeared.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Garage is approx 750sqft. Thank you I appreciate it!

To do this properly, you are going to be over budget. Use coupon code GJ7 and order P3CTR750 in white with no flake https://www.garageflooringllc.com/polyurea-garage-floor-coating-kits/

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

To do this properly, you are going to be over budget. Use coupon code GJ7 and order P3CTR750 in white with no flake https://www.garageflooringllc.com/polyurea-garage-floor-coating-kits/

So is this all I would need? Do I need a primer with this system and/or a top coat? This is over budget but rather do it right once and not have to worry about it

 

[Garage Flooring]

That will be all the coating you need. There is no primer with this product. Also includes brushes, rollers, anti skid, and my cell phone number (seriously)

What it does not include is oil remove and your preferred method of prep

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

That will be all the coating you need. There is no primer with this product. Also includes brushes, rollers, anti skid, and my cell phone number (seriously)

What it does not include is oil remove and your preferred method of prep

Would you recommend a primer? Remember I am grinding the concrete and degrease. I am unsure about a vapor barrier on my floor as this is a new-to-me building

Oh boy your phone number? Be expecting some late night calls haha. only kidding of course!

 

[haugy]

I went with a solid color on my last shop. It was very light gray. Not pure white, but the pictures will give you an idea. It was very light gray, and then I used primarily white flake with some gray and black, and I very lightly, and I mean VERY lightly added some flake. I liked the very light flake because it created enough of a break up that small dents and dings in the epoxy wouldn't show. Pure white, in my opinion will show every mark once you start to use it. But if you go with a light flake, and very light, it creates enough of a visual break that small marks disappear into the "noise".
My next coating, hopefully soon, will be pure white, with some light flake, and white flake again.

Pay no attention to the cut out section image. My floor had issues. But you can see the flake in the bottom for reference to this discussion.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I went with a solid color on my last shop. It was very light gray. Not pure white, but the pictures will give you an idea. It was very light gray, and then I used primarily white flake with some gray and black, and I very lightly, and I mean VERY lightly added some flake. I liked the very light flake because it created enough of a break up that small dents and dings in the epoxy wouldn't show. Pure white, in my opinion will show every mark once you start to use it. But if you go with a light flake, and very light, it creates enough of a visual break that small marks disappear into the "noise".
My next coating, hopefully soon, will be pure white, with some light flake, and white flake again.

Pay no attention to the cut out section image. My floor had issues. But you can see the flake in the bottom for reference to this discussion.

Wow that floor looks fantastic! I am jealous. the Light gray looks really good and almost looks white! I agree with you about the "noise" portion which is sort of why i want to do some very minor flake. However I think Justin from Garage Floor LLC convinced me to go without flake.
Im going to go without and use it as a learning lesson for my next shop (whenever that may be). I have also done reading and polyurea is more durable than epoxy which will be more forgiving in a working space.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

As of last night I have approximately 1/4 of the floor ground using my hand grinder. Honestly it isn't that bad and going quicker than I imagined. Sure beats mudding the drywall of this shop!

 

[haugy]

Wow that floor looks fantastic! I am jealous. the Light gray looks really good and almost looks white! I agree with you about the "noise" portion which is sort of why i want to do some very minor flake. However I think Justin from Garage Floor LLC convinced me to go without flake.
Im going to go without and use it as a learning lesson for my next shop (whenever that may be). I have also done reading and polyurea is more durable than epoxy which will be more forgiving in a working space.

Congrats. I'm going with Poly as well. Please take pictures of the pure white. Seeing as I should be in the same boat in a few months, it would be good to have a comparison.

My friend just did flake to rejection, with all black and white flake. I teased him about good luck finding the bolts he drops. Not one day later, he texts me cussing cause he can't find a bolt. He had to borrow my roller magnet to find it.

 

[dcg9381]

I'll never use epoxy (nothing wrong with it) - just Polyurea is easier, cheaper, and perhaps more durable.
I have not done solid colors in polyurea, but what I have done is a base stain and then coat it in polyurea.. This is polyurea over a white stain.

 

[brianpgriset]

could you share the stain and application you used to get this?