Duarbility Epoxy? Worth it?

[7racecar7]

I have two bays that im thinking about putting something down for the foor...my main reason is purely aesthetics...given that i do alot of work with jacks and jack stands, engine stands, and pushing them around....

my question is what is the best for durability? 2nd from the click in flooring..what is the best to use and how does it hold up? does it leave marks, chips out? Will i have to put a new coat on after 5 years? Will it end up being more work to maintain it then just leaving the floor untreated?

Thank you for your help

 

[Torque1st]

Treat the floor with a good sealer and forget it. Epoxy scratches too easily when moving those tools around.

 

[7racecar7]

any advice on a sealer and brand?

Thank you,

 

[Torque1st]

I wish I could make a recommendation nowadays. The tree huggers are forcing a conversion to water base sealers and away from solvent/oil based sealers. Personally I don't feel the water based sealers would be as good as the solvent base sealers on a "used" floor. Some here may have experience with them tho. Check the search function also. The same "used floor" problem with embedded oil causes problems with epoxy coatings also but sealers seem to be more tolerant. Look around and see if you can find a good brand name oil or solvent based sealer. Home Depot had a UGL oil base sealer but I have not seen it for some time. Follow the directions and keep the area well ventilated if you use solvent or oil based sealers.

 

[AlphaGarage]

A good quality epoxy will not scratch easily, they are extremely durable.

Here's a earlier thread on durability.

For the tree huggers we also offer a water based sealer that performs as well as, or better than, oil based sealers.

 

[PurdueSD]

Welding slag burns through epoxy... something to think about if you plan on doing much fab work.