Just finished my 3 car garage(~750 sqft) with 100% epoxy. This place was a huge help, so thought I'd pass along some knowledge to the next DIY.
Prep: Rented a floor maintainer and diamabrush from HD. About $130 with insurance. I ended up throwing a couple of teeth on the brush, so the insurance was key. It didn't work very well until I put 80# of weights on it. Took me about 6 hours of miserable, hard work. Followed with a broom, shop vac, then blower. Blew everything off of everywhere: Cracks, expansion joints, under drywall, around doors. If your garage doors are open, you now have dust on them. Clean it off or it will fall on your epoxy when you lower them at the end of the day. Also, clean off your driveway to keep stuff from blowing in.
Epoxy Primer: 2 gallons of BM's corotech v155, 1/4 nap roller. I rolled, a friend cut in the sides and around things. 1.5 hrs total. If you've prepped right, this will just seep in and the concrete will look dry after. I was told by local shop owner that they haven't seen a floor fail that used v155. 24 hours dry time minimum. It cuts down on the off-gassing/fisheye problem in the final coat as well.
Epoxy: Used BM's corotech v430 silver/grey. 100%. 3/8 nap roller. 6 gallons total (3, 2 gallon kits). Same process. I rolled, a friend cut in and mixed. 1 hour total. The only screw-up here is that I needed a squeegee. This stuff if too viscous to spread with a roller. I ended up turning the can upside down and using it to spread, then rolled it. Then rolled it again from a couple of different directions to release any air under the coating.
We did two sections and then I went back and broadcast chips while he mixed. You need spiked shoes. I made some out of plywood and some 1" drywall screws--duct taped to my sneakers. The person cutting in/mixing doesn't need them.
I went back and forth on top coating, but ultimately didn't so the flakes would give a little better traction. I know I'll loose a few over the years, but I live in the NE and didn't want to have to apply a traction additive.
Very happy with how it came out and based on some tests with a little waste epoxy, it looks like it's going to be bullet-proof.
Total parts list:
--Prep: $130 for floor maintainer, $30 for grinder paper for hard to reach areas. $10 for plastic to set up a barrier outside the garage for when the doors are open.
--Prime: V155, $150 for two cans, $10 for roller, $10 for brush, $3 for disposable tray.
--Epoxy: V430, $480 for 6 gallons, $10 roller, $10 brush
--Chips: 2 bags at $10 per. You don't need anywhere near as many chips as the bag says unless you're putting them on thick.
Other:
--Dust mask for grinding
--Nitrile gloves for epoxying
--18" roller frame
--10' extension pole for roller
--Flat head screw driver for opening cans.
--Drop cloth to mix on
--Timer/stopwatch
--Corded drill. Batteries die at the worst possible time.
--Squirrel mixer for the drill.
--Broom/dustpan
--Shop vac
--Leaf blower. You'd be amazed what doesn't get picked up by a shopvac
--Clamps: I put clamps on the door railings to keep them from going too low and contacting the epoxy
Hope that helps.
Prep: Rented a floor maintainer and diamabrush from HD. About $130 with insurance. I ended up throwing a couple of teeth on the brush, so the insurance was key. It didn't work very well until I put 80# of weights on it. Took me about 6 hours of miserable, hard work. Followed with a broom, shop vac, then blower. Blew everything off of everywhere: Cracks, expansion joints, under drywall, around doors. If your garage doors are open, you now have dust on them. Clean it off or it will fall on your epoxy when you lower them at the end of the day. Also, clean off your driveway to keep stuff from blowing in.
Epoxy Primer: 2 gallons of BM's corotech v155, 1/4 nap roller. I rolled, a friend cut in the sides and around things. 1.5 hrs total. If you've prepped right, this will just seep in and the concrete will look dry after. I was told by local shop owner that they haven't seen a floor fail that used v155. 24 hours dry time minimum. It cuts down on the off-gassing/fisheye problem in the final coat as well.
Epoxy: Used BM's corotech v430 silver/grey. 100%. 3/8 nap roller. 6 gallons total (3, 2 gallon kits). Same process. I rolled, a friend cut in and mixed. 1 hour total. The only screw-up here is that I needed a squeegee. This stuff if too viscous to spread with a roller. I ended up turning the can upside down and using it to spread, then rolled it. Then rolled it again from a couple of different directions to release any air under the coating.
We did two sections and then I went back and broadcast chips while he mixed. You need spiked shoes. I made some out of plywood and some 1" drywall screws--duct taped to my sneakers. The person cutting in/mixing doesn't need them.
I went back and forth on top coating, but ultimately didn't so the flakes would give a little better traction. I know I'll loose a few over the years, but I live in the NE and didn't want to have to apply a traction additive.
Very happy with how it came out and based on some tests with a little waste epoxy, it looks like it's going to be bullet-proof.
Total parts list:
--Prep: $130 for floor maintainer, $30 for grinder paper for hard to reach areas. $10 for plastic to set up a barrier outside the garage for when the doors are open.
--Prime: V155, $150 for two cans, $10 for roller, $10 for brush, $3 for disposable tray.
--Epoxy: V430, $480 for 6 gallons, $10 roller, $10 brush
--Chips: 2 bags at $10 per. You don't need anywhere near as many chips as the bag says unless you're putting them on thick.
Other:
--Dust mask for grinding
--Nitrile gloves for epoxying
--18" roller frame
--10' extension pole for roller
--Flat head screw driver for opening cans.
--Drop cloth to mix on
--Timer/stopwatch
--Corded drill. Batteries die at the worst possible time.
--Squirrel mixer for the drill.
--Broom/dustpan
--Shop vac
--Leaf blower. You'd be amazed what doesn't get picked up by a shopvac
--Clamps: I put clamps on the door railings to keep them from going too low and contacting the epoxy
Hope that helps.
