Epoxy floor coating questions

[byrdman]

That last thread concerned with flooring got to be a little broad, hope no one minds if I start a separate thread with this more specific line of questions.

I'm considering going with a ucoatit or similar epoxy product for my 28x35 workshop(restoring/modifying cars). I've got some questions I was hoping you all could help with.

-What Epoxy-based product have you used and were you happy with it?
-How tough is it? Does it chip when you drop a wrench?
-I've read that ideal weather for application is around 60°, has anyone successfully applied it in colder weather?

NON-SLIP ADDITIVE QUESTIONS - I'm concerned that it will be slick when wet. I know many of the epoxy products include sand or grit you mix in or throw on top to help traction.

-Did you use some type of non-slip additive? Does it help traction when wet?
-Does the additive make it hard on the knees when kneeling?
-Do engine hoists and creepers roll on it smoothly?
-Does the texture make spills difficult to clean up? (I can imagine it tearing rags up when you rub over it)
-Does the texture make small parts and fasteners hard to find?

THANKS in advance for any guidance you can offer...

 

[Bob]

That last thread concerned with flooring got to be a little broad, hope no one minds if I start a separate thread with this more specific line of questions.

I'm considering going with a ucoatit or similar epoxy product for my 28x35 workshop(restoring/modifying cars). I've got some questions I was hoping you all could help with.

-What Epoxy-based product have you used and were you happy with it?
-How tough is it? Does it chip when you drop a wrench?
-I've read that ideal weather for application is around 60°, has anyone successfully applied it in colder weather?

NON-SLIP ADDITIVE QUESTIONS - I'm concerned that it will be slick when wet. I know many of the epoxy products include sand or grit you mix in or throw on top to help traction.

-Did you use some type of non-slip additive? Does it help traction when wet?
-Does the additive make it hard on the knees when kneeling?
-Do engine hoists and creepers roll on it smoothly?
-Does the texture make spills difficult to clean up? (I can imagine it tearing rags up when you rub over it)
-Does the texture make small parts and fasteners hard to find?

THANKS in advance for any guidance you can offer...

From what I have seen and heard you can not go wrong with U-Coat It. I am also going to try and answer some of these questions for you...

-Non slip additives, like a sand type additive, I would not recommend. Clean up is a lot harder with these types of additives. When you spill something or have a wet floor clean up is just not easy. You can not just squeegie the water away. Same goes for a dirty floor. Much harder to brush. Also a creeper or wheel stool is harder to manuver around. I recommend, if the floor is going to be wet often, invest in some non slip Sketcher shoes or a non slip rubber mat to throw down.

Hope this made sense and wa what you were looking for.

 

[DirtyLude]

I have Baer stuff, I just got from Home Depot. Not all that happy with it. It's washing away in places. It's also got fine cracks, probably my fault, for applying it when it's too cold. Someone told me that this is a poor imatation of the good stuff.

I put in the texture stuff that they sell, and it's actually pretty good. None of the problems that Bob mentioned. The grit is extremely fine. I'm not certain what it is, but it'll blow away real easy. The resulting texture is fairly non slip, but isn't gritty like sandpaper.

 

[Luckydevil]

i did a pretty long review in the product review section on the one i used. i'm very happy with my rustoleum industrial epoxy flooring (this is not the one they sell at home depot!). there is no non-skid additive and it does get slippery when wet, but it isn't like glass. like it was mentioned above, i would rather have no non-skid and have a floor that is easy to clean. i can sweep it and then use a swiffer mop and it looks good as new. it is extrememly durable also, i bang the hell out of my floor and the only time it has actually left a mark was when a friend dropped a motorcycle engine block onto it.

i would avoid water based floor coatings based on all the complaints i have heard on their short lives.

 

[gb387]

"i would avoid water based floor coatings based on all the complaints i have heard on their short lives."

I agree with Ld on that one. My father used a solvent based epoxy on his garage floor 4-5 years ago and it has never peeled. It has scratched from the trash cans getting dragged in and out and from a trailer sliding around.

From what I understand.... he said that "etching" the floor is one key to success he used I think muratic acid to do so. Then applied the epoxy and it was some nasty stuff, but well worth the time and nasty smell. It cleans up like any tile floor in your house and has held up. Half his garage is a wood working garage and the other used to park cars. Even with road salt in the winter it still holds on.

 

[armoredsaintt]

i did a pretty long review in the product review section on the one i used. i'm very happy with my rustoleum industrial epoxy flooring (this is not the one they sell at home depot!). there is no non-skid additive and it does get slippery when wet, but it isn't like glass. like it was mentioned above, i would rather have no non-skid and have a floor that is easy to clean. i can sweep it and then use a swiffer mop and it looks good as new. it is extrememly durable also, i bang the hell out of my floor and the only time it has actually left a mark was when a friend dropped a motorcycle engine block onto it.

i would avoid water based floor coatings based on all the complaints i have heard on their short lives.

Great review, any chance to get you to try the brake fluid test on a hidden corner?

 

[DirtyLude]

Great review, any chance to get you to try the brake fluid test on a hidden corner?

Ya, brake fluid went through my consumer stuff in about a minute and a half.

 

[byrdman]

hmmm. to anti-slip or NOT to anti-slip

Thanks everyone for their feedback. Looks like the main question I have to answer is whether to add the anti-slip or not. I suppose I'll have to wait until the spring to apply this stuff anyway, this 25° weather ain't cuttin' it!

Keep those opinions and experiences rolling in!

 

[Wile1Coyote]

Not sure of the configuration of your garage but one option is to only use the non-slip stuff in the most heavily used traffic areas, in front of the bench, near the door into the house or outside etc. Aslo if you get the chance U-coat-it has a traveling display they take to some of the larger home shows and car shows. I am a bit blessed as they are local to me here and have a very nice showroom where you can see their products.

GL

 

[Mr. Stock]

-Non slip additives, like a sand type additive, I would not recommend.

I did my 4 car garage floor with U-coat it about 6 months ago.
Because of lack of room to store the stuff in the garage, I moved all of it to 1/2 of the garage and applied U-Coat-it to the 1/2 that was clear of all the junk.

I sprinkled "silicone"(sand) that U-Coat-it provides on the first 1/2 of the garage.
I found that the floor is not really that slippery even if wet.

So when I did the second half of the garage, I did not use the silicone.

Certainly, the result is more aesthetically pleasing without the anti-slip additive.

Therefore, my recommendation also is to not use the anti-slip additive as I find it unnecessary.

By the way, I am very happy with U-Coat-it overall.

Ed

 

[Chris325/325i]

I did my 4 car garage floor with U-coat it about 6 months ago.
Because of lack of room to store the stuff in the garage, I moved all of it to 1/2 of the garage and applied U-Coat-it to the 1/2 that was clear of all the junk.

How did that go, doing one side at a time ? How does the "seam" look ?

I am in a similar situation with a 3-car garage & too much stuff to completely empty the garage. I have some Rustoleum water-based epoxy I need to remove and then probably redo with U-Coat-it.

 

[Fault Bucket]

I used the Rust-Oleum epoxy on my 3+ car garage earlier last year. No chips, cracks or peels so far. I've dropped several things, from wrenches to shock absorbers, and have not chipped it to date (I did lay it down pretty heavy).

I used the 'shark tooth' additive when I applied it, and in retrospect I would not ever do that again. Everywhere that I overlapped with the roller I ended up with double grit (it's like the drying epoxy 'grabbed' the grit out of the roller), resulting in lap-lines throughout the garage. It's nice and non-slip, but a pain in the a** to clean up and not very aesthetically pleasing.

One other thing to mention...as they always say, preparation really is the key to a good result. I emptied the garage and prepped with the following routine:

- swept
- mopped with mild simple green solution; squeegee'd dry
- treated oil spots with the oil remover stuff that dries to a powder (can't remember the name)
- pressure washed the entire floor; squeegee'd dry
- filled cracks and voids with concrete filler; let set
- applied etching solution from kit using stiff long-handled floor brush; rinsed and squeegee'd dry
- rinsed once more and squeegee'd dry

It really is hard work to do all that prep, but VERY worth it IMHO. After all that effort for prep, applying the epoxy is almost easy!

-chris

 

[Cliff3]

How did that go, doing one side at a time ? How does the "seam" look ?

I am in a similar situation with a 3-car garage & too much stuff to completely empty the garage. I have some Rustoleum water-based epoxy I need to remove and then probably redo with U-Coat-it.

If you use solvent to remove the current paint, and if you are going to apply U-Gloss AF, make sure you give it plenty of time to evaporate before you apply the paint. Don't ask me why I know this...

On the bright side, U-Coat-It provided me with all the material I need to repaint my garage at no cost. Surface prep is also going to be a lot simpler than the last time as the new paint is adhering to the concrete, unlike the stuff that was there before.

 

[OzCop]

I have done the two part epoxy/paint in the last 3 homes I have owned. I used a Baer product on the first one, and it held up pretty good, however, it scratched from rolling around on a creeper. The second one, I used the Rustoleum kit, and it seemed to have a much harder set. I dropped a fwd transmission off the jack onto the floor, and in anger grabbed hold of it and slid it out from under the car...Not a scratch!
In my current house, I used what I assumed was the same stuff, but have been sorely dissapointed with how it has held up. Part of that could be my fault due to prep, or lack thereof. When the builder was building the house, I told him I wanted the floor cleaned and prepped for epoxy painting. Unfortunately, all they did was power wash it, but left drywall spackling stains on it, and even after cleaning those areas with acid, within weeks of applying the epoxy paint mix, it began coming up in those areas.
I built a 40x50 steel building to house an RV and workshop a couple of years ago, and plan to coat the floor of that garage also. The U Coat It product sounds promising...

 

[JasonJ75]

Another vote for U-Coat and another vote for passing on the no skid stuff, the reasons why follow:

- The floor doesn't get that slick (I had visions of the car sliding into the wall). There is a patch that I missed w/ the no skid stuff I've compared. I think someone mentioned just about how impossible it is to lay down the no-skid stuff evenly.
- The creeper doesn't like it, for that matter anything on hard wheels doesn't like it
- Cleaning up using anything other than a broom or a hose is impossible. Rags get chewed up in no time.
- Forget about mopping (I'm still cleaning up the cotton mess created by trying to mop).

I didn't get the colored specs so finding lost bolts and what not hasn't been a problem. The no skid stuff looks like white sand.

In summary, if I had it to all over again (which I probably will, but that's another story)...I would pass on the no skid, and go with a darker color. I got light grey to help with finding dropped bolts, which it does, but damn its about as easy to keep clean as a black car.

 

[OH-MAN]

In my former home I had the smooth finish. I think the things like cleaning and when you are laying on the floor under the truck you can slide around almost like being on a creeper.
If you are in a constant slip (wet) condition it may not be as good.
I will be using the smooth finish in my new place.

 

[AZmike]

i did a pretty long review in the product review section on the one i used. i'm very happy with my rustoleum industrial epoxy flooring (this is not the one they sell at home depot)

After looking for the rustoleum industrial epoxy for quite some time I was surprised that one of the Home Depots in my area stocked it. It was $97 if I remember correctly.

 

[GearHead_1]

My home/garage will be completed in March. The cement will have been down for at about 6 months at that time. I have made the decision to go with UCoat's product and will be putting the Uflek product in it. I really like the look of their finished (Terazza type) product. I will be posting a few pictures of the install and the finished garage. I can't wait to try this stuff.

 

[jsteven]

I used Epoxyguard (I think Epoxy-Master is the same company). For your sq.ft. 2.5 units would do, or one 7.5 gallon. I applied at pad temp. of 54-58 degrees. I kept the product indoors at 65 degrees until just before application. Lower temp. meant very slow cure. Stay off of it (even in socks!) for a full 48 hours, or even more. Resist temptation. When the stuff mixes it pours out on the floor very thick and must be pushed thin with squeegee and elbow grease, then rolled out. If you use a solid epoxy product you have limited working time; mix smaller batches and work backwards, maybe no more than 200 Sq.ft. at a time. Spiked shoes help because you can tromp around on the wet product to cast chips and grit.
Yes, very slippery. Add chips to conceal dirt and for looks. This also gives you some anti-skid. Then use the grit, applied right after the chips. It is hard on the knees. It does tear up cleaning cloth (I have heard rayon mop recommended. Easy to roll things around, that is not a problem. Finding dropped widgets? Floor is so smooth I have not found it to be a problem.
Floor is very tough but does get scratched up. It is so glossy it shows all flaws, so another reason for chips. I did an 80% job since I could not practice and am very happy. With your large area, You could practice on back corners, taping off and experimenting as you back out into the main area.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Remember that just like epoxy, grit comes in many flavors, everything from sand to ground aluminum and steel.

The engineered polymer grit is a pretty good choice for most shops, it doesn't have the "grab" or strength of aluminum oxide, but it's easier to clean (will not shred mops and rags) won't give you road rash if you work on it. It is white and opaque, but is easily masked if you use flakes.