durable coating for new garage floor

[zig]

ok, sorry if i am asking the same question as everyone else... i have been a lurker for quite a while. I am starting a 28x40 build. Footers are in, block is in, stone is compacted. scheduled for pour on saturday. it is going to be 5-6" thick throughout. with wire mesh, no fiber. so looking for a smooth finish.

Are there any durable finishes worth using that do not need grinding? it seems like most require grinding. is there anything that can be used with brand new concrete? I know there will need to be some cure time, which is fine. The building itself probably won't go up for several weeks. so i can handle a 30 day cure time before i am putting anything in there. goal is by winter to have it sealed up at least and put my old cars in there. my goal is a hobby garage. will be working on old cars with oil, antifreeze, etc. and also some wood working...

thanks in advance for any suggestions. Can't wait for the new garage to be up! it has been years in the works!

 

[TitusLloydPullo]

I just went threw the same thing. I decided on Ghostshield Wear-tec 4400.
The clear looked awful on my slabs, so im gonna use the dark green.

 

[Shea]

ok, sorry if i am asking the same question as everyone else... i have been a lurker for quite a while. I am starting a 28x40 build. Footers are in, block is in, stone is compacted. scheduled for pour on saturday. it is going to be 5-6" thick throughout. with wire mesh, no fiber. so looking for a smooth finish.

Are there any durable finishes worth using that do not need grinding? it seems like most require grinding. is there anything that can be used with brand new concrete? I know there will need to be some cure time, which is fine. The building itself probably won't go up for several weeks. so i can handle a 30 day cure time before i am putting anything in there. goal is by winter to have it sealed up at least and put my old cars in there. my goal is a hobby garage. will be working on old cars with oil, antifreeze, etc. and also some wood working...

thanks in advance for any suggestions. Can't wait for the new garage to be up! it has been years in the works!

This is actually a fairly common and understandable question to ask. Penetrating sealers and densifiers can be used without further concrete prep. These are non-film forming (no coating) treatments that do not change the look of the concrete surface. Wet grip remains the same as before it was treated.

However, these type of sealers do not seal as well nor protect as well as quality film forming sealers, AKA coatings. Coatings will require acid etching as the minimum concrete prep. Grinding is the preferred method (though not required) for most, but not all coatings.

 

[zig]

Thanks Shea for the reply. That's what I was worried about... Can I do acid etch with an epoxy floor? The thought of grinding brand new concrete is not great, but maybe that's what i have to do...

 

[zig]

I just went threw the same thing. I decided on Ghostshield Wear-tec 4400.
The clear looked awful on my slabs, so im gonna use the dark green.

thanks for The reply. Sounds interesting, but I get there not a coating, but really just a stain.. Not sure how good it will be for a garage...

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Zig:
The world is your oyster!
We have some offerings, contact us for more info.

 

[Shea]

Thanks Shea for the reply. That's what I was worried about... Can I do acid etch with an epoxy floor? The thought of grinding brand new concrete is not great, but maybe that's what i have to do...

Yes, a good acid etch will suffice for most coatings.

 

[dcg9381]

I've used two:
Polyurea
HD6600-MMA Concrete Sealer methyl methacrylate

You can do either without grinding. I used HD6600 outdoor under UV exposure (it's also less expensive).

I love polyurea. It's flexible, yet hard. Gas, oil, anti-freeze, tire marks - it does great with all that. Less expensive than epoxy. Easy to apply. It does not appear to handle acetone based solvents (you can stain it with PVC glue).

Both can be slick if you get them wet and don't have an anti-slip agent mixed in with them.

 

[Garage Flooring]

There are a lot of options, but most of the good decorative options will require some prep. You could etch and do polyurea system for example. Not etch and do a sealer.....

 

[wags999]

If your paying for a quality floor coating, why save a few $$ and not do it right by grinding. The preparation of the slab is typically what causes failures from my experience and research.. Do the prep correct and your chances of a successful long lasting floor coating will increase...nothing more expensive than having to redo a floor because you skimped on the prep.. Good Luck.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

I used epoxy coat on my 64x36 floor, concrete was poured in the fall and I coated the floor the following spring. I did not grind the floor only acid etched.

It's been down 9 1/2 years and has not lifted any where and for the most part still looks good.

it still cleans up good, the pictures are from an area where I had two cars setting for almost 2 years that just got moved this summer and the floor cleaned up good.

ymmv


https://www.epoxy-coat.com/

 

[Ss95003]

There are a lot of options, but most of the good decorative options will require some prep. You could etch and do polyurea system for example. Not etch and do a sealer.....

So even if you were to do a rough finish from the actual pour asking concrete but not to put a slick garage floor finish. you would still have to grind or etch?

 

[SolarColumbia]

So even if you were to do a rough finish from the actual pour asking concrete but not to put a slick garage floor finish. you would still have to grind or etch?

Yes. You have to open up the pores of the concrete.