Floor PAINT

[nate379]

Ok, I'm seeing a gazallion posts about the epoxy coatings.

I am looking at actual paint.

http://www.quikretecoatings.com/garageFloorSealer.jsp

It is worth a darn?


I've been talking to guys about the epoxy floor and it doesn't hold up well to welding/plasma/torch, diesel, kero, etc.... so I decided I'm not spending $200+ on the epoxy.

The pros want around 4k to do it, so not going to happen.

The floor paint/sealer is $20/gal. If it lasts a few years and I have to re-paint, not a problem. I won't be afraid to use the garage floor like it's supposed to, plus have it look nice too.

 

[rburke65]

My dad had a painted garage floor for years. If it started to look bad, take a broom, sweep or blow out the corners with compressed air and you could make look new again. That's what I am leaning towards.

 

[Big_Pink_Snapper]

I was wondering the same thing. I do all of the above mentioned in my garage and would hate to spend that much dough on epoxy flooring and have it look like **** the first time I weld/cut something.

 

[nate379]

Yeah I'm not too worried about it wearing off after a while, but I don't want something that comes right off if I roll my toolbox around or something.

My Dad painted the basement floor in their house probably 15 years ago and other than where you walk to get to the wood stove, it still looks fine. The floor isn't "power trowel smooth" like most garage floors though.

 

[WolverineCoatings]

We hear this question often. And basically, what someone is really asking is, "Is there something in the paint industry where I can get more performance than what I am willing to pay for?"

And, we all know the answer deep within us. While we are hoping that we can get more than we are willing to pay for... Well... it just never works out that way. When it comes to coating your garage floor... you generally are going to get what you pay for.

This is the way life is rigged isn't it. I've been burned (or should I say I burned myself) several times by purchasing the cheap product when I really wanted performance. It will probably happen again sometime... lol..

Anyway, most of these waterbased products are about the same. However, generally you can expect to get better performance out of 2-Component products than you will with 1-Component products.

 

[nate379]

The paint I got is oil based.

I just don't have almost $4,000 for floor coating. For that price I can just pour a brand new slab!

 

[Dave88LX]

Garbage. I see the guys on my base out there every spring repainting all the steps because they put junk paint down on it, and people walk all over all day long.

 

[thegarageguy]

Paint is a surface material. it does not penetrate, it does not chemically bond, it is pourus, very uv unstable, not chemical or oil resistant and not meant for concrete floors. Even good epoxy will not do well on an unprepped or ill prepared substrate.

You can pour a new slab as well, but it'll still be a dull, drab, grity, oil stained mess after a while. If you don't mind painting it every year and within a week seeing it peel and seeing it get worse day by day until you finally go and paint it again, then knock yourselves out. I guess your time isn't that valuable.

Do it right once and enjoy it. Quick being cheap asses and looking for short cuts. If there was a better, faster and cheaper way you would of heard of it already. Nothing good is cheap and I'll say it again, you'll get what you pay for.

 

[mmhouse]

I purchased a concrete stain (Behr brand) and used it on my front porch. It's been on for three years and looks great. It doesn't get much traffic but has held up just fine. It certainly does not get the kind of abuse that a garage would but I've been very pleased with the performance. It has not peeled at all. I used a gray color to just even out the appearance of the concrete.

P.S. I also used the clear primer that is supposed to make the stain bond better....it seems to have worked.

 

[nate379]

My time sure as hell isn't worth $4000, that's for sure!

Paint is a surface material. it does not penetrate, it does not chemically bond, it is pourus, very uv unstable, not chemical or oil resistant and not meant for concrete floors. Even good epoxy will not do well on an unprepped or ill prepared substrate.

You can pour a new slab as well, but it'll still be a dull, drab, grity, oil stained mess after a while. If you don't mind painting it every year and within a week seeing it peel and seeing it get worse day by day until you finally go and paint it again, then knock yourselves out. I guess your time isn't that valuable.

Do it right once and enjoy it. Quick being cheap asses and looking for short cuts. If there was a better, faster and cheaper way you would of heard of it already. Nothing good is cheap and I'll say it again, you'll get what you pay for.

 

[nonhog]

I am not saying good, bad or other but here is some Sherwin Williams paint that has been layered(you can see the white coat) and poorly prepped .
Now this is high traffic area, parts coming and going 6 days a week.
Most drug over the floor . This is to give you an idea of how it might look.

 

[jnyost]

I am not saying good, bad or other but here is some Sherwin Williams paint that has been layered(you can see the white coat) and poorly prepped .
Now this is high traffic area, parts coming and going 6 days a week.
Most drug over the floor . This is to give you an idea of how it might look.

Doesn't look bad for a high usage floor.

 

[WolverineCoatings]

Hey Nathan,

How many square feet do you have? I might have a deal for you...

 

[nate379]

625 sq/ft

nonhog if the floor looked that nice after a year or two I'd be very HAPPY with how well it's holding up.

 

[nonhog]

Doesn't look bad for a high usage floor.

625 sq/ft

nonhog if the floor looked that nice after a year or two I'd be very HAPPY with how well it's holding up.

Do understand, no jackstands, no welding or grinding most parts are new
So a hobbiest garage would take more of a toll I am certain.
But it shows what to expect to a certain degree.
Here is another pic of where we stack our "take off" wheels and tires .
Not sure how or if that would clean up, not an issue here but more to consider. I am not selling or pushing floor paint . Wolverine mentioned a "deal" I'd check that out !
Good luck whatever you do and be sure to keep us informed !

 

[nate379]

Thinking maybe just doing the epoxy Quick Crete kit. $60 at Lowe's, would need 2 kits.

 

[WolverineCoatings]

Hey Nathan,

How many square feet do you have? I might have a deal for you...

Sorry... the material I was thinking of is gone...

Good Luck with your project!

 

[Groceryhauler]

Thinking maybe just doing the epoxy Quick Crete kit. $60 at Lowe's, would need 2 kits.

Let us know how that turns out. I'm thinking of using the same thing once my garage is built.

GH

 

[Dr Jones]

Don't waste the effort on the epoxy Quick Crete kit, been there done that.
Tire lift is a big problem and it does not hold up, my floor looks like **** after 5 years (started looking crummy long before that).

I've heard good stuff about u-coat it but have not personally used it...yet.
http://ucoatit.com/pgs/main.htm

 

[Groceryhauler]

Don't waste the effort on the epoxy Quick Crete kit, been there done that.
Tire lift is a big problem and it does not hold up, my floor looks like **** after 5 years (started looking crummy long before that).

I've heard good stuff about u-coat it but have not personally used it...yet.
http://ucoatit.com/pgs/main.htm

Thanks for the heads up! Very new at this, never done anything to my current garage floor. Reading all this info on the puter and researching products is confusing to me since I've never done it before.

GH

 

[AlphaGarage]

Keep in mind that a gallon of liquid that you buy and apply does not necessarily equal a gallon of epoxy coating your floor. Some product out there, U Can figure out which ones by studying their MSDS, aren't even half solids, in fact some of them are 60% solvents and/or water, stuff that evaporates.

So if you buy enough material to give you 12 mils of coating when you apply it, after it cures it will be less than 6 mils thick.

Needless to say those guys don't make it easy for you to figure out exactly what they're selling, so do some digging, and then do some math. Know and get what you're paying for.

 

[197044RT]

DON'T even think about POR15 floor armor. I think paint would have held up better...

 

[nissan_crawler]

Don't waste the effort on the epoxy Quick Crete kit, been there done that.
Tire lift is a big problem and it does not hold up, my floor looks like **** after 5 years (started looking crummy long before that).

I've heard good stuff about u-coat it but have not personally used it...yet.
http://ucoatit.com/pgs/main.htm

Funny, I'm going on 6 years of welding/grinding/plasmacutting/parking my pickup in there at least half the time... I put it on a 50 year old, oil soaked slab. I never ground the floor, either.

 

[thegarageguy]

Hey NissanCrawler, do you really think your floor looks good? No offense but your floor does look crummy. But if your happy with it then thats all that really counts. Just don't pass that floor off as an example of how you don't need to prep or how it should be done. I know that some people have different expectations but hey to each is own. Like they say, one man's garbage is another man's treasure.

 

[evil16v]

Funny, I'm going on 6 years of welding/grinding/plasmacutting/parking my pickup in there at least half the time... I put it on a 50 year old, oil soaked slab. I never ground the floor, either.

I don't think 'thegarageguy' gets your point. Looks like it adheres well to me. It apears that you use your garage for uh.... well a garage There is nothing wrong with that. Looks like it serves the purpose. probably reasonable to clean.

 

[nate379]

Looks great to me. I'm going with the Lowe's kits and I'll be real happy if it turns out like that.

Hell that wouldn't be that bad for a house floor even.

 

[thegarageguy]

Well again, my expectations are much higher. If this is what you are looking for then run to your local hardware and have at it.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Hey NissanCrawler, do you really think your floor looks good? No offense but your floor does look crummy. But if your happy with it then thats all that really counts. Just don't pass that floor off as an example of how you don't need to prep or how it should be done. I know that some people have different expectations but hey to each is own. Like they say, one man's garbage is another man's treasure.

Hey genius, do you think my floor was done to be a show room? I grind and weld on it, I'm not going to get on my hands and knees and fill in concrete imperfections for that.

It was claimed the cheap stuff won't stick, well, here's the facts:

I had a 50+ year old floor covered with over an inch of oil soaked dirt.

I spent 13 hours pressure washing it with 6 gallons of purple power, 2 boxes of tsp, and muriatic acid.

I did NO GRINDING (read, I didn't give a **** what the surface looked like).

I applied the cheap, horrible epoxy with grit added.

It's been on for 6 years of welding, grinding, plasma-cutting, and hot tires, with ZERO CHIPS OR PEELING.

If somebody wanted to make it pretty they could most certainly fill the floor, grind it, use no grit, and put flakes down, and have the same results of adhesion I do and have a pretty floor.

Me? I don't give a **** about pretty, I care about having epoxy on the floor that makes it easy to clean and reflects light while looking way better than an oil-stained floor.

As far as I'm concerned, my floor IS an example of how to prep. This horrible epoxy you hate has stuck for 6 years of abuse, what more do you want?

Your products would look just as "crummy" on my floor as this stuff, with the prep that was done, so bug off.

Personally, I think your products are a complete waste of money for a working garage, but that's just me. I would never buy from a vendor with your attitude, and that equated the floor surface to the quality of a product.

 

[plain2car]

i have been thinking of doing the "quickrete" floor package as well. i have been reading the floor sections on here for a few months trying to decide what i wanted. i have been wanting to see the exact floor that nissan crawler has. i feel that it shows what i have been looking for, a install that i would probably be able to handle. i really like the "fancy" "real" epoxy floor coverings that i have seen on here. i have quite a few friends that have the "good" stuff on their floors. i live in a 25yr house with a same yr. concrete floor... typical 2 car garage. i feel that the cost of the "real" epoxy floor material would be above & beyond what my house would see out of it for resale. i too use my garage for fab work & vehicle maintenance. i am glad that nissan crawler took the time to show what he did & how he did it. i am now able to "see" both sides of the coin & i believe that i will do what he did on his floor. i will do my floor in a few months & i think my decision has been made.....

just my 2 cents worth.... (lol)

 

[nate379]

Yeah I want the floor to look nice, but the garage is my workshop, not my showroom.

Nissan Crawler, your on pirate4x4??... I think we are pretty much running on the same wavelength with this.
I know some guys think working in their garage involves an oil changed 2x a year... and hey that's fine.

My idea is a bit more than that... since I've been working on the house for about a month I haven't been able to work on my other projects. This is just stuff that I would have done in about a month...

Dodge
fuel filter, rotate tires, replumb crackcase vent, fab traction bars, remove camper shell, install new speakers

Jeep
fab new trackbar, fix radio, fab storage bins/false floor

Talon...
new lifters, timing belt, remove balance shaft, machine the other. new cv shaft, install lowering kit, put on wheels/tires, exhaust, body work.

Blazer.
finish engine swap, rebuild rear axle, fab shackle flip, install front springs, fab turbo setup.



ANYHOW... I bought the Lowe's Quickcrete kit today actually.
For whatever reason, they fail to mention how many sq ft it covers other than a 2 car garage needs 2 kits.
I hope 2 kits is enough for my 24x26 garage.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Yeah I want the floor to look nice, but the garage is my workshop, not my showroom.

Nissan Crawler, your on pirate4x4??... I think we are pretty much running on the same wavelength with this.
I know some guys think working in their garage involves an oil changed 2x a year... and hey that's fine.

My idea is a bit more than that... since I've been working on the house for about a month I haven't been able to work on my other projects. This is just stuff that I would have done in about a month...

Dodge
fuel filter, rotate tires, replumb crackcase vent, fab traction bars, remove camper shell, install new speakers

Jeep
fab new trackbar, fix radio, fab storage bins/false floor

Talon...
new lifters, timing belt, remove balance shaft, machine the other. new cv shaft, install lowering kit, put on wheels/tires, exhaust, body work.

Blazer.
finish engine swap, rebuild rear axle, fab shackle flip, install front springs, fab turbo setup.



ANYHOW... I bought the Lowe's Quickcrete kit today actually.
For whatever reason, they fail to mention how many sq ft it covers other than a 2 car garage needs 2 kits.
I hope 2 kits is enough for my 24x26 garage.

Yep, I'm on pirate. This floor gets hot steel dropped off the chopsaw to the floor and such all the time. I figure if I do anything to hurt this finish, I'm removing concrete too, and at that point, any finish is ruined, so why spend $1000 on it?

I believe I used 2.5 kits on my 19x23, you might want to buy a third before you start. If it's not used, you can just return it. Easier than needing it when you run out. I used the remainder 4 years later on some shelving, and it still worked great.

The prep is key, IMHO.

 

[mmhouse]

nissan_crawler.....what sort of prep did you do?

 

[nissan_crawler]

I spent 13 hours pressure washing and scrubbing, used 6 gallons of purple power, 2 boxes of tsp, and muriatic acid, then let it dry for almost a week before I put the epoxy down.

Most floors wouldn't take as much work, mine was literally covered with an inch of goo, the entire floor was an oil stain. I had my 4x8 trailer probably a foot deep with the **** I scraped out of the garage.

 

[dlwilson]

I painted my garage floor with Lowe's floor primer and gray paint three weeks ago. It's adequate. The floor was bare concrete about 25 years old, with a layer of dust that just would not come up. Any tool or part or clothes that touched the floor got white dust all over it. I was thinking about an epoxy coating, but then I had a project come along that needed a clean floor NOW. Like, that weekend.

So I threw down some gray paint. It's got some scrapes, and I can see the paint has lifted a bit where I turn my motorcycle front wheel, but overall it's clean, and bright, and little nuts are easy to find, and I'm not lying on a dusty floor. I may go to epoxy eventually. I really like the look of the floors I've seen.

Here's a shot of me laying it down. The primer is already down, which makes the floor look shiny. The dark spot behind me is where I had to repaint after doing the first side of the garage. I didn't scrape and scrub an oil spot well enough. I cleaned and repainted it when I did the second side, and it turned out fine. And a shot after the paint dried. I don't have any pictures showing the wear yet.

 

[thegarageguy]

Personally, I think your products are a complete waste of money for a working garage, but that's just me. I would never buy from a vendor with your attitude, and that equated the floor surface to the quality of a product.

First I never criticized any product you used and don't even know which products where used, so I don't know where you got that from. Second, I have never said that paint and cheap epoxy wont stick. but I will tell you that it will not last, it will peel off and stain easily. It will not last with normal vehicle traffic. Traffic you obviously do not have.

What I learned through the years is to learn and meet my potential client's expectations. I've had potential clients with your same outlook. The floor isn't as important and as long as its easy to sweep and better that an oil soaked dirty mess they are happy. Hey I get it. You are not my dream client obviously. We do not paint floors or use inferior products or cut corners to meet a clients lower expectations. We walk away from those jobs.

As far as my work not meant for working garages, well again, that depends on your expectations. We have done many lube shops and mechanic shops. Some have higher standards than others.

People like you can't fathom paying what I charge and thats fine. For me and others in my trade its our passion and what puts food on our tables. None of us professional would have much of a career if we showcased a floor like you posted. We would be criticized and ridiculed and probably by the same people who thinks your floor looks fine.

The important part is that your floor is serving your purpose.

 

[mmhouse]

The important part is that your floor is serving your purpose.

That says it all IMO!

 

[nissan_crawler]

First I never criticized any product you used and don't even know which products where used, so I don't know where you got that from. Second, I have never said that paint and cheap epoxy wont stick. but I will tell you that it will not last, it will peel off and stain easily. It will not last with normal vehicle traffic. Traffic you obviously do not have.

Umm, yes it does. My truck is parked in there at least 3/4 of the time. It doesn't peel off or stain easily. I recently moved the garden tractor, which had been leaking gas, ****** fluid and 80-90w for roughly 5 months and cleaned the floor. The 80-90w left a slight yellowish stain, that's it.

 

[nate379]

Besides, how much traffic do you expect?

I might pull something in e garage a few times a week if that. Some stuff will sit in there for weeks/months before I get done with it.

 

[nate379]

Just a FYI I was reading the info and they have a clear epoxy as well. The info said to throw that down for a tougher floor.
I went ahead and bought 3 kits of the grey and 3 clear. Figured WTH.

Also I didn't want the gay speckle **** that came in the kits so I pulled them out and was able to return them, so that was $10 off each kit.

 

[rugerlady]

IMHO I would stay away from water based products.