Doing Rustoleum professional coating, couple questions first!

[mefarri]

So I'm going to use the solvent based epoxy coating for my floor. Its currently painted with some bad paint that's already chipping off. So the plan is , power wash all the paint off, degrease, degrease, then here comes the first question:

I'm going to etch, but I also read about diamond grinding being better. Should I etch twice then diamond grind or is that being repetative?

I was going to etch twice to make sure coverage was good either way.
Also, how much does that one packet of etch do? Is that 2 gallons enough to etch once my 400 SF floor? Meaning, if I got 2 kits to do 2 coats, I would have enough since it comes with the kit...

Next question is on clear coat. I've read that it scratches and dulls over time. This garage is going to be used as heavily as any home garage will prob. Grinding, welding, fab work etc. All on cars so it's not like huge metal structures or anything. Also, if I'm putting down 2 coats of epoxy, what benefit does clear provide in terms of chemical resistance etc? I don't really care if it's super glossy, that's just a side benefit. Will it protect the floor more or is it just going to get dull in 6 monthes?

Last question. Anti skid. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to use the rustoleum product as it's aluminum oxide and I'm gonna be on my hands and knees alot working on these cars and I don't want to get all eaten up. So I've looked at shark grip. Either way I was planning on putting it in the last coat of epoxy-either as the last step with flakes or before the clear coat. Does anyone have any pictures of what this stuff looks like applied and how much did you use to make it non skid without oversaturating?

And I think that's it. Also, I'm trying to find the cheapest place online to order this stuff from..any help?

thanks guys!

Matt

 

[awakeinAZ]

I can only tell you my experience. I'm NOT making any recommendations on your project. Maybe Alpha garage or another dealer type will pop in and answer. My installer did a diamond grind then he didn't need to acid etch. Clear will make it super glossy and I highly recommend anti-slip material and knee pads for later. I used standard chips, medium broadcast. Installed by an RO dealer.

 

[AlphaGarage]

If you grind you shouldn't need to etch.

Impossible to say how much etching material you need, although 2 gallons should probably be enough. Some kits include it, and those are generally a bit weaker. Even store bought muriatic acid differs in strength. And different concrete reacts differently.

Muriatic acid is nasty stuff, so I avoid using it. But as much as I dislike using it I dislike trips to the hardware store just as much, so I'd buy 4 gallons and return any unused material later.

Not familiar with the clear coat in the kits you're considering, I know our clear coat, EnduraShield 2254, a polyurethane, has benefits beyond just glossy aesthetics, it is extremely chemical resistant and also offers UV shielding, so it helps minimize discoloring and yellowing of the underlying epoxy coatings.

The anti-grip material is pretty small, I haven't seen photos that do a good job of showing it.

 

[Jaguar Fan]

... The anti-grip material is pretty small, I haven't seen photos that do a good job of showing it.

I think anti-grip would defeat the purpose. I'd suggest anti-slip.

or was that a so-called "grip of the tongue"?? oops....

 

[AlphaGarage]

I think anti-grip would defeat the purpose. I'd suggest anti-slip.

or was that a so-called "grip of the tongue"?? oops....

Would you believe "anti-anti-grip"?

 

[mefarri]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm kinda leaning towards just doing it full bore and not fretting about it anymore. 2 coats of epoxy and then clear with shark grip anti slip. Again, I'm going to be sliding on my back and knees on this floor so I'm not putting knee pads on every time I work on the car. But I'd like to know how much to put in there... Some people said they only used half of the packet, some less. I think they said each packet does 250 sf so if most people are only using half what's recommended, 1 packet is perfect.

And I guess the last question is about the diamond grinding. Doesn't the rustoleum kit come with etching solution? If it does, I'm going to go ahead and use it. So would you etchthen grind or the other way around? I'm trying to do this whole thing this weekend hopefully since it's about to start getting too cold to do it and that's just not an option for me. Lemme know guys !

 

[thammel]

I used the rustoleum kit 5 years ago - the epoxyshield kit sold in Home Depot. The garage floor was 4 years old then and had never been painted. I cleaned off grease spots with paint thinner and used the rustoleum stiff to "etch" the floor. What they provide is a powder you mix with water and then use a deck sprayer to spray it on the concrete. You use a stiff broom to work it in and then hose it off completely. I have had absolutely no problems with adhesion of the epoxyshield. Grinding would seem to be unnecessary.

This is a 400ft^2 garage. I built a 900ft^2 one and will be doing that floor soon (when I can decide what to use!). I'm planning on something with a clearcoat top and probably a thicker epoxy (i.e., 100% solids) than the rustoleum water based stuff.

Tom

 

[mefarri]

yea I've decided to not grind and just etch it twice with muriatic acid.

So the plan is 2 coats Rustoleum professional solvent based with their clear as well with some shark grip. First I'm going to power wash the paint off, degrease twice with the behr degreaser I picked up today, etch twice with muriatic acid and then the coating.

I've got to order it though because no one carries it locally. Where the cheapest/fastest place to get it?