Epoxy for my new 2-car.

[Freefallin2000]

Hey guys, I have read the reviews about the Behr 2-part epoxy one could find at HD or Lowes. I am getting mixed signals; some people like it and don't have issues, but a lot of people tend not to like it whatsoever. I cannot afford to spend a lot of money and want to get protection on the floor asap.

I am a car enthusiast and detail cars on the weekends for friends/customers. With that being said, the extenet of my project wil lbe oil changes, adjusting my suspension on my Mustang, and an awful lot of detailing. Aside from protection, I am a perfectionist. I want something to look very clean but on a budget of course.

As far as my skills, I have never done anything like this, but I am pretty inclined to learning how to do things. I want Ucoatit, but I simply don't have the money for something like that. I am also a bit weary of doing anything by myself because I don't want to mess it up. How much would a company charge for a 2 car garage?

Please post pictures and advice if possible.

Thanks!

Sean

 

[Freefallin2000]

http://www.garagefloorcoating.com/content/show/4271

Anyone here or have experience with this company? I am suppose to get a call back with a price quote.

 

[Freefallin2000]

Alright. So, I just spoke with my builder who just talked to his concrete guy. His concrete guy told him that the Behr is actually a very good product when applied properly and when the concrete is cleaned and prepped correctly. I am thinking I am just going to do this coating to save a lot of money. To be honest, I feel if I use the Etching compound that is provided with the kit, I can't really do wrong. It doesn't seem like rocket science to roll this stuff down, throw on the flake, and let dry.

I do however have some questions. Should I use the Etch Comound that is provided with the kit or should I pick up some Muriatic Acid solution?

Also, how does one apply the Etching Comound of Muriatic Acid Solution?

After the acid is on the concrete, how long should it sit for? Should I buy a long handled stiff-bristled brush and scrub the Acid to help aggitate it and have it react better?

What do I use to nuetrelize the adic...Vinegar or baking soda? And how much do I use and how long to let it sit? After that, simply let it sit on the concrete for a few and spray out with a hose, right?

Sorry for all the simple questions, but I am new to this kind of thing and don't have time to look for hundreds of old threads! Please guive me in the right direction ladies and gents.

 

[AlbertaGuy]

From what I have read, because I intend on doing this myself, is that the etching compound is an acid, and may very well be muriatic. I think brushing it onto the floor will do good to make sure it works. I have a friend that bought a concrete grinder and said it would take about 3-4 hours to do my entire 2 car garage and then it would be unnecessary to even clean it because I have removed the top layer of floor. I think I am inclined to give that route a try because it will eliminatemany steps and a significant amount of time. The previous owners also painted the floor. One thing I have learned from researching this project is thast THE most important item to pay attention to achieve success is floor preparation. If I were you I would do a search on here using the keywords of things that you question and pull up any old posts on the subject. Good luck.

 

[Freefallin2000]

Yeah, I feel I can achieve great results if I do it myself. I mean, I am a pretty handy dude, I just have to set my mind to it. Come on people, someone has gotta be able to help me out a bit more to my specific questions!?

 

[acamato]

Have you looked at Epoxy-Coat? It is a 100% solids epoxy and it is what I am planning on applying in the spring to my garage floor. It is cheaper than u-coat-it, but more $$ the HD/Lowes kits. Some Lowes do carry it.

Proper preperation is the key to getting good results.

epoxy-coat.com

 

[Freefallin2000]

Yes, I have looked into the Epoxy-coat. I am in the process of getting quotes from local installers...man, they make a darn good living doing 2 or 3 floors a week! Wow...its definitely not cheap to have someone do it.

 

[rugerlady]

Yes, I have looked into the Epoxy-coat. I am in the process of getting quotes from local installers...man, they make a darn good living doing 2 or 3 floors a week! Wow...its definitely not cheap to have someone do it.

What state are you in, I will let our installers know you are a GJ member!

 

[Irondrive]

Yes, I have looked into the Epoxy-coat. I am in the process of getting quotes from local installers...man, they make a darn good living doing 2 or 3 floors a week! Wow...its definitely not cheap to have someone do it.

Sean,

I just PM'd you with my quote. Sorry I didn't see your message until now. I was busy making a darn good living! I forgot to ask, what city are you in? Thanks

 

[pima67]

When I did the two "steps" in my garage using Quikrete 2 part epoxy, I found that just pouring
the etching solution on the floor using a sprinkler can (per Quikrete instructions) and brushing it in, didn't work all that well. I found that a better method is using a poly garden sprayer gave better coverage. The acid is pretty much self neutralizing as it reacts with the calcium in the concrete. It reacts until all the acid is gone. Of course don't make the acid solution too strong. Completely washing the floor to remove reaction residue is very, very important.

 

[Freefallin2000]

Ruger, that would be great. However, I am not sure if I have the proper funding to get your kit with paint chips for my 2 car garage. Money is tight because after all, we did just buy a house!

Iron, check your in box. Thanks for the kind reply.

Pima, do you have some photos of your garage? Man, I am sure wanting to go the way you did...if you wouldn't mind making a "mini-writeup" for me, that would be great. I would really appreciate it. Too bad you're not closer, you could come over and help me!

 

[Freefallin2000]

I think I found the cabinet I want guys! If anyone has experience with Ulti-Mate, please let me know!

http://www.u-sav.com/garagestoragedirect/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2392

I plan on doing either this right above a work bench. I was hoping to find something that sort of matched this cupboard. Not sure if the Starfire color is what I will go with, but I figure it would look stunning with light/dark gray on the walls and a gray floor! They do offer a silver color and black as well. They look to be pretty well built and nice looking to boot!

 

[pima67]

I watched the DVD that came with the kit a couple of times. Before that I read many, many post on this board. I tried the sprinkler can route per the DVD but the result was spotty. So then I mixed up some muraitic acid (pool acid) and applied it with a poly sprayer and scrubbed that with a brush. I rinsed it several times with clean water. Since I was only doing the steps I vacuumed the water up rather than wash it outside the garage.

 

[Freefallin2000]

Wow Pima, that sure turned out great! So after about 4 more hours of research tonight, I have figured out that I CAN indeed do this. I watched a couple YouTuge videos and it looks like it is by all means attainable.

However, I have some issues with pricing. I think I would indeed go with the Quikrete kit at Lowes, but I would have to purchase 2 kits for my 2 car garage. With local Az sales tax, I would assume I would be spending in the $170 range for just the 2 kits.

Now, I noticed most of you guys have a clear coat over the top. The one Quikrete suggests is like $85 and I would need 2 of those to cover my floor as well. I am looking at nearly $400 for the 2 kits and 2 gallons of clear coat. I just cant really justify spending that much on doing it myself when I could get an Epoxy Coat kit for much less money. This brings my to my next question....

Do I HAVE to run a clear coat on say the Quikrete or Behr kit? I am not going to do all the work to yield a dull-looking floor. I want something that impresses my neighbors and myself as well. I want a glossy, shiny floor, that looks professionally done.

This is a large dilema of mine at the moment and I just want to get my plans solidified so I can worry about other stuff like getting texture and paint on the walls, a workbench, paint color schemes, an cabinets.

Please lend your advice guys and gals!

 

[Irondrive]

Sean,
I grind off the Behrs and Quickcretes all the time. They never have a clearcoat on them. If you go this route, I would definitely put a clear or 2 on top. I don't know the solid content of these clears but I think it would be pretty low, so put 2 on.