Epoxy brands
- Thread starter bpk
- Start date
We used the industrial line from Rustoleum on my brothers garage (through a supplier not a big box store). Epoxy primer, color base coat, light chip and one coat epoxy clear. It worked ok, but he is not entirely happy with chip resistance from dropping small tools, etc. Also, we mixed in sharks tooth or gator grip for traction in top coat - and it isn't enough. Dangerously slick when wet. Just finished a full chip in my dad's shop using concrete solutions/rhino urethane products (buyrhino.com - click on concrete solutions tab and then color flake system tab) It seems to have more texture due to full chip. But it is not in an area that will get wet so we didn't add anything or worry about slipping. See my other post about product/coverages if you want more details. Good luck.
I would suggest avoiding Armorpoxy. Yes, I am bitter because mine started lifting at tire spots after 4 months of use. Their response was that my concrete was the fault, not their product (however my 12 year old cheapo job never lifted).
Just be careful with Epoxy and hot tire pickup - If I did it again, I would use Porcelain tile or a Racedeck product. Tons of time and money and my job is ruined after a few months. Ready to spend double and get Racedeck and be done with it.
Some people may get lucky and not have this issue IF your concrete is good and IF you do a greta prep job and IF you lay it down properly...problem is - you cannot predict the outcome.
Just be careful with Epoxy and hot tire pickup - If I did it again, I would use Porcelain tile or a Racedeck product. Tons of time and money and my job is ruined after a few months. Ready to spend double and get Racedeck and be done with it.
Some people may get lucky and not have this issue IF your concrete is good and IF you do a greta prep job and IF you lay it down properly...problem is - you cannot predict the outcome.
dcs Inc
Well-known member
Proper prep prevents piss poor performance.
diamond grind, sweep, vacuum, acid wash stubborn areas, wet mop 4x, vacuum...Let dry for 3x the recommended time. Applied primer and allowed to dry 3x recommended time. Applied epoxy on a day where conditions were favorable (humidity/temp). Let dry 3x recommended times before driving on it....still had poor results.
Rustoleum professional is good stuff. I did not use the top clear coat. Clear coat=slick floor. I would go this route again. Clean all greese spots then clean entire floor with acid wash. Let it get good and dry over night,don't park on it for at least 3 days,I don't think you can beat the price/quality. If you want a show place do the clear top coat.
dcs Inc
Well-known member
Sorry to hear that. Since I've been involved with resinous coatings I've stuck with Elite Crete systems. 8 years ago the distributorship for my area opened up and I jumped in. Still using the same products and have never had an issue on tire pick up. Occasional out gassing because I used to never use a primer because Elite Crete's epoxy is self priming. (I use one now). Had an issue with fish eyes once and found the culprit.... Owner sprayed his furnace filters with a siliconized air refresher. Other than the occasional bugs and a mouse once, all has been good.
I have my own prep equipment because it became a PIA to find the proper tooling much less a decent grinder to scratch up the floor correctly. Shot blast machines do great but once again they are hard to find.... in good working order.
I've ground off a lot of epoxy failures, a lot to do with crappy, cheap epoxy. a lot to do with a smooth surface under it where the epoxy has no teeth to bite into.
Garage Flooring
ALLIANCE MEMBER
WOW! That is a ton of work! [I am not saying you didn't] But that's also a good warning to everyone out there that if you are going to put in that kind of work, go with good product. If you're not going to put in that kind of work go with a different type of product! Sometimes, although rare, you do everything right and someone else's poor [concrete] work gets you.
Well - I 'thought' I was going with a top tier product. Looking at their web/product comparison page, 100% solids - higher final mils than competitors - "no hot tire pickup". Paid @$550 for their supplies - now I have a throwaway job.
As a normal consumer, many of these companies look/feel the same - they all tout their products as superior. Honestly, the Armorpoxy customer service was fine - I called them a few times. They even offered a refund of their product costs if I bought a different flooring option from them (but I will not go with them again).
Not much I can do about it now.
In hindsight, if I knew the chance of success was so low - I would have started with Racedeck or Porcelain tile. If I had a pro do my Epoxy, final cost would have been same or more than Racedeck and I would still have had the risk of hot tire pickup.
As a normal consumer, many of these companies look/feel the same - they all tout their products as superior. Honestly, the Armorpoxy customer service was fine - I called them a few times. They even offered a refund of their product costs if I bought a different flooring option from them (but I will not go with them again).
Not much I can do about it now.
In hindsight, if I knew the chance of success was so low - I would have started with Racedeck or Porcelain tile. If I had a pro do my Epoxy, final cost would have been same or more than Racedeck and I would still have had the risk of hot tire pickup.
LegacyIndustrial
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thoma, I feel badly that your concrete failed. I can't help noticing that you acknowledge your concrete was weak and failed but continue to feel bitter about the vendor .
They didn't pour the floor and they didn't perform the prep. You even mentioned that the customer service was satisfactory. Why are you sore with them?
They didn't pour the floor and they didn't perform the prep. You even mentioned that the customer service was satisfactory. Why are you sore with them?
Garage Flooring
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Definitely a good point and why I wanted to be clear that I was not implying you went with a bad product. From everything I have seen this was an issue with concrete that was not reasonably known by them.
I would argue that my concrete was not the sole problem as I had an older Home Depot type job that never did hot tire pickup and/or gouge the concrete below. Granted it wore down in some areas quickly and did not look that great. So if a cheapo product caused no problems - why would a high end product? To me, if appears a if the 100% solids epoxy is much 'stickier' - therefore hot tire pickup is more likely. I would also say that any Epoxy may cause this problem. I don't like that this is not acknowledged anywhere with any vendor. To say that the epoxy didn't fail - therefore we are not liable is BS. You advertise no hot tire pickup, stand behind it - or clearly state that a problem is very possible. If they gave me a full refund - I'd be happier. I choose not to deal with them and would rather go with a more reputable decking company like Racedeck.
I don't want to start a war. I put alot of time into something I was under the impression would work well - something went wrong - I'm likely not the only person who has had a problem with epoxy. I'll eat it and go with something else.
I will not respond any more on this as a fight vs Armorpoxy was not my intent with this thread. Just want to help educate folks before they attempt a DIY on their own.
I don't want to start a war. I put alot of time into something I was under the impression would work well - something went wrong - I'm likely not the only person who has had a problem with epoxy. I'll eat it and go with something else.
I will not respond any more on this as a fight vs Armorpoxy was not my intent with this thread. Just want to help educate folks before they attempt a DIY on their own.
LegacyIndustrial
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Hot tire pickup as i see it is coating that delaminates due to poor adhesion or poor manufacturing. It sounds like the product you used adhered remarkably well, taking your concrete with it.
I do battle with the vendor you used on a daily basis. I do not wish them well.
However, your remarks are not painting an accurate picture. I do not believe your situation makes this vendor not reputable.
Anomalies and risks are present with any coating product and I doubt anyone would buy the material if every potential issue was documented in the tech data. I think the crew that poured the floor owes you more than the coatings manufacturer.
In summary, I hope you find peace with your floor.
I do battle with the vendor you used on a daily basis. I do not wish them well.
However, your remarks are not painting an accurate picture. I do not believe your situation makes this vendor not reputable.
Anomalies and risks are present with any coating product and I doubt anyone would buy the material if every potential issue was documented in the tech data. I think the crew that poured the floor owes you more than the coatings manufacturer.
In summary, I hope you find peace with your floor.
dcs Inc
Well-known member
OK, I've read this thread a couple times and haven't found any reference to bad concrete. Did the concrete come up or the epoxy come off?
LegacyIndustrial
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Gene:
From what I gather he had epoxy stuck to chunks of concrete.
Here is a piece of his original post:
thomapa1
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 45
Default need hot tire pickup help
I recently did my garage with epoxy - looked great for @3 months, now I have an issue with hot tire pickup. The epoxy is not failing, but the garage floor is. When pickup occurs, the epoxy comes up with a gouge of cement. My rear tires are killing a section. (Heavy car, sticky, big tires, engine in the back)
From what I gather he had epoxy stuck to chunks of concrete.
Here is a piece of his original post:
thomapa1
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 45
Default need hot tire pickup help
I recently did my garage with epoxy - looked great for @3 months, now I have an issue with hot tire pickup. The epoxy is not failing, but the garage floor is. When pickup occurs, the epoxy comes up with a gouge of cement. My rear tires are killing a section. (Heavy car, sticky, big tires, engine in the back)
Last edited:
dcs Inc
Well-known member
We have talked . Thanks, gene
thegarageguy
Well-known member
Could be that the unnecessary acid wash after grinding could have cause the concrete to weaken, therefore lifting with epoxy attached to it. That's my bet.
LegacyIndustrial
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I doubt the acid hurt it. If it was peely with a little dust attached, I would agree. I have seen this before. A spally floor is a giveaway that this might occur.
It needs to be heavily ground and coated in sl or broadcasted to correct or prevent.
We are doing a floor today that has a suspect surface, see pics below. We ground the heck out of it, prefilled any pocks and gauge raked sl over the top at 1/16" thick.
Tomorrow, 100 percent solids and flake, Friday will be mcu and done.
It needs to be heavily ground and coated in sl or broadcasted to correct or prevent.
We are doing a floor today that has a suspect surface, see pics below. We ground the heck out of it, prefilled any pocks and gauge raked sl over the top at 1/16" thick.
Tomorrow, 100 percent solids and flake, Friday will be mcu and done.
Last edited:
thegarageguy
Well-known member
Maybe he left the acid soaking on the concrete 3x the recommended time like he did everything else....btw, leaving the primer on 3x the recommended time? Seems like a possible intercoat adhesive problem there...
LegacyIndustrial
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Wow, just read that. Paints a picture. 3x the recommended anything is a recipe for disaster when you are doing polymer floors.
Last edited: