Garage floor advice

[drave199]

Hi, first post here. I just closed on my first house and I'm looking at doing something on the garage floor. Its new construction so the concrete is prime for it. the garage is a 3 car and about 700 sq ft.

As far as goals for my garage, they're pretty simple; maybe some occasional mechanical work on either of my cars, I do have a side by side parked and 2 dirt bikes, and just generally used to park my vehicles inside. I want to try and keep a budget under $800 if I can. My biggest concern is hot tire pick up or just peeling in general. My truck has big beefy 12.5 wide tires and my side by side are about the same and they just seem like they would tear up anything I lay down.

I know given my budget I might get slammed on here and it does limit my options. I wish I could go and put 1k or more into it but i just cant. If that were the case, I'd just have someone come out and do it for me. I am looking at the RockSolid polycuramine kits as an option. I understand i may need to buy more than directed or multiple coats. I'm thinking I would need to buy at least 2 kits to cover. Then I'm wondering if i should get another kit or 2 of the clear to put over? What about the joints in the floor, should i fill them? Prime temps to do this? Its a bit cold right now (lows 30s highs 50s)

I'm open to any advice you can give me or other options! I'm not looking for the latest and greatest DIY kits out there but i want it to be quality, functional and last given my above needs. Id rather not do it at all then go through all the trouble for it to only peel up after a year or something. Thanks!

Side note, what do you recommend to use for tire strips that aren't expensive? Im almost thinking of just some scrap carpet. I want to do this in the interim (maybe after also) so I can park inside and not get rubber on the concrete until I can get this done

 

[_Stang_]

Not a huge budget so how about just a nice polish and seal?

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[drave199]

Not a huge budget so how about just a nice polish and seal?

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Excuse my ignorance but your talking to polish the concrete and seal it? I assume the seal is clear? Doesn’t sound like a bad idea but I do think I want the look of it being painted. Thanks for the help

 

[_Stang_]

Excuse my ignorance but your talking to polish the concrete and seal it? I assume the seal is clear? Doesn’t sound like a bad idea but I do think I want the look of it being painted. Thanks for the help

Yes polish or grind then use a sealer to protect. Just Google image search those terms.

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[drave199]

Any other thoughts on this? On the rocksolid stuff? What about the Spartan epoxy kits?

 

[frankd]

I would just do a densifier and concrete sealer. Cheap and easy with basically no downside that I can think of. tiles have their pros/cons and would definitely be too expensive. I'm not a huge fan of epoxies. they look nice at first but hot tires will leave marks/pull up the finish. Plus even if you get a high quality product and great installation, you still need to redo it every ~7 years. Maybe 10-12.
I come from a family of contractors and have seen plenty of epoxy floors. They look great when they're first done but once they start to peel/flake they look like **** and require a ton of work/money to redo them.

 

[Jamdown]

Based on my experience, I completely agree!

 

[Shea]

Polishing is out of the question for the budget. It can run upwards of $10 per square foot. If you don't mind going with a clear finish, you can apply one coat of a single-part polyurea coating and stay under budget. You will need to acid etch the concrete beforehand. It will not peel from hot tires and it will stand up to all kinds of automotive chemicals, plus it makes clean up a breeze.

You can read about them here. https://allgaragefloors.com/polyurea-best-garage-floor-coating-kits/

 

[Armorpoxy]

We would recommend our SPGX one part polyurea with pigment. At about 70 cents/ sq ft it will outperform anything at a home center.

Also be VERY careful with the kits you mentioned as they do not contain a lot of material in the kits (they don't even say how much is in them, you need to contact the mfgr), and in our experience often 2-3x the stated number of kits need to be used.

 

[drave199]

So it sounds like, at least on here from my research, that $800 is not a high enough budget for diy epoxy? I’m bummed out because I was hell bent on doing something but I’m definitely the type of person to either spend more for quality or not doing anything at all. What would it cost to do a kit from you for a 700 sq ft garage? Would I still need to worry about hot tire issues? My biggest hand up is getting rubber marks on on concrete lol, otherwise I really wouldn’t care. Also was thinking it would add a bit of value to the home besides the fact it looks good. I don’t know, might have to rethink that whole thing

 

[drave199]

We would recommend our SPGX one part polyurea with pigment. At about 70 cents/ sq ft it will outperform anything at a home center.

Also be VERY careful with the kits you mentioned as they do not contain a lot of material in the kits (they don't even say how much is in them, you need to contact the mfgr), and in our experience often 2-3x the stated number of kits need to be used.

So it sounds like, at least on here from my research, that $800 is not a high enough budget for diy epoxy? I’m bummed out because I was hell bent on doing something but I’m definitely the type of person to either spend more for quality or not doing anything at all. What would it cost to do a kit from you for a 700 sq ft garage? Would I still need to worry about hot tire issues? My biggest hand up is getting rubber marks on on concrete lol, otherwise I really wouldn’t care. Also was thinking it would add a bit of value to the home besides the fact it looks good. I don’t know, might have to rethink that whole thing

 

[dcg9381]

SPGX - seconded. It's great stuff.. I think it's best choice per $.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Hi, first post here. I just closed on my first house and I'm looking at doing something on the garage floor. Its new construction so the concrete is prime for it. the garage is a 3 car and about 700 sq ft.

As far as goals for my garage, they're pretty simple; maybe some occasional mechanical work on either of my cars, I do have a side by side parked and 2 dirt bikes, and just generally used to park my vehicles inside. I want to try and keep a budget under $800 if I can. My biggest concern is hot tire pick up or just peeling in general. My truck has big beefy 12.5 wide tires and my side by side are about the same and they just seem like they would tear up anything I lay down.

I know given my budget I might get slammed on here and it does limit my options. I wish I could go and put 1k or more into it but i just cant. If that were the case, I'd just have someone come out and do it for me. I am looking at the RockSolid polycuramine kits as an option. I understand i may need to buy more than directed or multiple coats. I'm thinking I would need to buy at least 2 kits to cover. Then I'm wondering if i should get another kit or 2 of the clear to put over? What about the joints in the floor, should i fill them? Prime temps to do this? Its a bit cold right now (lows 30s highs 50s)

I'm open to any advice you can give me or other options! I'm not looking for the latest and greatest DIY kits out there but i want it to be quality, functional and last given my above needs. Id rather not do it at all then go through all the trouble for it to only peel up after a year or something. Thanks!

Side note, what do you recommend to use for tire strips that aren't expensive? Im almost thinking of just some scrap carpet. I want to do this in the interim (maybe after also) so I can park inside and not get rubber on the concrete until I can get this done

Combining two of our high solids DIY kits puts you at $911 after the GJ7 coupon code. Polyurea kits would be $1065. With the epoxy kits make sure you get two with TC on the end as they include the top coat.

Another option would be to do our inexpensive WB product.

 

[Steve in UT]

Drave199, I kind of get the idea that it is not too popular to bring up products that the vendor's here don't offer, but I am watching this thread with interest right now.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442869

 

[Garage Flooring]

Drave199, I kind of get the idea that it is not too popular to bring up products that the vendor's here don't offer, but I am watching this thread with interest right now.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442869

The non-vendors here are WAY more important than those of us in the industry. We are privileged to be allowed to comment buy by no means the only solutions.

I do think there are situations where using a known vendor here makes sense. High-end polyurea, epoxy, tile etc you get a certain level of support compared to a big box store. BUT there are always other great options out there --especially when another forum user has first-hand experience.

EDIT: I was looking for this earlier. This is what we say about our Polyurea product to help with situations like these.

"STORAGE
Shelf life defines the total amount of time a product can sit on the shelf. Shelf life includes time spent in transit, time at the plant and time at distribution. We highly suggest using the product within 60 days of receipt. Store in temperature-controlled environment in a well-sealed container. Do not allow to freeze"

 

[RPH]

Could also go stain for color. It’s a fairly cheap option for color. Then the transparent sealers or coatings. I did 2700 square feet with stain and Ghostshield products for about 1k.

 

[rnixon]

A dye or acid stain ,topped with a single coat of SPGX Polyurea will give you a unique floor that will stand up to almost anything. Here's mine , 1100 sq. ft. All in for $1.10 per. sq. ft.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Here is a nifty DeltaDye/NohrS combo...

 

[drave199]

What do you guys think about going with a hybrid system that I read about on all garage floors.com? It said to use an epoxy primer, then a high solid epoxy coating then finish it with 1 or 2 coats of polyurea. It sound like it would give me the look of epoxy with the durability of polyurea. But the question is, could I do this and stay close to my budget? Any recommendations on this?

 

[Steve in UT]

Sounds like rnixon has your ticket. Can't beat a buck ten to keep you on budget.

 

[rjacobs]

What do you guys think about going with a hybrid system that I read about on all garage floors.com? It said to use an epoxy primer, then a high solid epoxy coating then finish it with 1 or 2 coats of polyurea. It sound like it would give me the look of epoxy with the durability of polyurea. But the question is, could I do this and stay close to my budget? Any recommendations on this?

In my research on floor coatings that type of product was offered by a few vendors, but unless doing a full flake(will blow your budget) you could still run into the issue of the epoxy layer yellowing from UV exposure. I also dont think with that many layers you can get in your budget.

Something like the Nohr-s kit(pigmented primer, polyurea color coat, flakes, single polyurea clear coat) is $1199 retail and we can get 5% off of that. So that blows your budget.

Most of the 3 layer light flake systems are in that same price range from my research.

You could put 3 layers of Hell-Fire down for $650 if you dont option in any anti-skid or the tool kit. I think a lot of guys on here put down 4 coats which would probably just touch your $800 budget and it would be a bomb proof floor, although IMO, not the prettiest floor.

For just about any coating you also need to budget either grinding(~$175 a day for a rental from homedepot) or acid etching(under $100).

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

In my research on floor coatings that type of product was offered by a few vendors, but unless doing a full flake(will blow your budget) you could still run into the issue of the epoxy layer yellowing from UV exposure. I also dont think with that many layers you can get in your budget.



Something like the Nohr-s kit(pigmented primer, polyurea color coat, flakes, single polyurea clear coat) is $1199 retail and we can get 5% off of that. So that blows your budget.



Most of the 3 layer light flake systems are in that same price range from my research.



You could put 3 layers of Hell-Fire down for $650 if you dont option in any anti-skid or the tool kit. I think a lot of guys on here put down 4 coats which would probably just touch your $800 budget and it would be a bomb proof floor, although IMO, not the prettiest floor.



For just about any coating you also need to budget either grinding(~$175 a day for a rental from homedepot) or acid etching(under $100).

Some guys got more mileage out of HellFire and they opted to apply a 4th coat, so back to $650.00


DeltaDye Stain sealed with either of the MMA sealers is a bargain, and for a little more seal with SEC Sealer. SEC is popular with Craft Breweries, Soft Drink Manufacturers and shade-tree mechanics!


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[drave199]

I mean if I went over budget a couple hundred bucks I would be ok with that. As far as the “hybrid” set up goes, can’t you just piece together a kit? ArmorPoxy seems to have everything I would need. I’m really not sure what I’m going to do. I’m tempted to just go with the RockSolid polycuramine kits but I really don’t know at this point lol.

I do like the idea of a stain and a polyurea coating.

 

[rjacobs]

I personally have excluded Epoxy from what I am researching for my new floor. I dont want to deal with any possible chance of UV yellowing due to the orientation of my garage doors(west facing) as well as having 3 windows in my garage.

I am basically down to 3 choices and all are Polyurea: SPGX, Nohr-S, and a General Polymers product that would be put down by a local contractor. SPGX and Nohr-S for a light flake option are both ~1200. On a brand new floor I have read that you can get by with an acid etch with Polyurea vs. grinding(although grinding is better). With Epoxy, an acid etch only is never recommended.

I think if you can push your budget a little bit you can get what you want...

 

[rjacobs]

Some guys got more mileage out of HellFire and they opted to apply a 4th coat, so back to $650.00

In addition...HellFire will be sporting some new options soon and an Armor-Glaze Clear. Stay tuned my friend.

DeltaDye Stain sealed with either of the MMA sealers is a bargain, and for a little more seal with SEC Sealer. SEC is popular with Craft Breweries, Soft Drink Manufacturers and shade-tree mechanics!


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Ah ok I didnt realize those guys were able to stretch the standard 3 coat kit out to 4, I figured they were adding extra product.

Ill keep watching as I will be building a shop within a year of closing on my new house and want to put something more affordable down on 1600 ft. of concrete vs. a polyurea flake floor.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Ah ok I didnt realize those guys were able to stretch the standard 3 coat kit out to 4, I figured they were adding extra product.



Ill keep watching as I will be building a shop within a year of closing on my new house and want to put something more affordable down on 1600 ft. of concrete vs. a polyurea flake floor.

Contact me when the time comes. We offer nice rebates for good video, play by play, representations of our products!!




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[Beallealm]

Forgive me if I am going just a bit off topic here.
I will shortly be taking over a new garage and the concrete floor is completely unpainted. I want to paint it before I put my slightly incontinent cars into it.
There are plenty brands of floor paint available but I would appreciate advice on what would be best.
Can anyone give advice based on experience?

Ronnie J

 

[rjacobs]

Forgive me if I am going just a bit off topic here.
I will shortly be taking over a new garage and the concrete floor is completely unpainted. I want to paint it before I put my slightly incontinent cars into it.
There are plenty brands of floor paint available but I would appreciate advice on what would be best.
Can anyone give advice based on experience?

Ronnie J

I would start your own thread.

And do some searching as there are hundreds of threads that cover floor coatings.

 

[mkrug001]

Great info. Thanks.

 

[bdk1976]

Contact me when the time comes. We offer nice rebates for good video, play by play, representations of our products!!

What qualifies one for these "offers"?

Also, are these 'rebates' disclosed in the reviews that are posted? I've had my suspicions for years about this type of thing going on (also with some of the 'newbie' accounts that jump on the bandwagon in some threads, among others) and this statement confirms it. IMO, this brings into question some of the 'reviews' if they are actually partially subsidized by vendors.

 

[bdk1976]

Forgive me if I am going just a bit off topic here.
I will shortly be taking over a new garage and the concrete floor is completely unpainted. I want to paint it before I put my slightly incontinent cars into it.
There are plenty brands of floor paint available but I would appreciate advice on what would be best.
Can anyone give advice based on experience?

Ronnie J

Yeah, click the search button and start typing. Chances are what you are wanting to know has been covered here time and time again. Take some of the glowing reviews with a grain of salt, though. I did, but ultimately still went with one of the vendors here. Anything any of these vendors on here sell is going to be better than the water based sh!t from home depot/lowes/etc.

 

[drave199]

I personally have excluded Epoxy from what I am researching for my new floor. I dont want to deal with any possible chance of UV yellowing due to the orientation of my garage doors(west facing) as well as having 3 windows in my garage.

I am basically down to 3 choices and all are Polyurea: SPGX, Nohr-S, and a General Polymers product that would be put down by a local contractor. SPGX and Nohr-S for a light flake option are both ~1200. On a brand new floor I have read that you can get by with an acid etch with Polyurea vs. grinding(although grinding is better). With Epoxy, an acid etch only is never recommended.

I think if you can push your budget a little bit you can get what you want...

So after searching a bit I think I am down to the spgx medium kit or the Nohr-s as well. Is there anyone who could comment of which is better and why?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

What qualifies one for these "offers"?

Also, are these 'rebates' disclosed in the reviews that are posted? I've had my suspicions for years about this type of thing going on (also with some of the 'newbie' accounts that jump on the bandwagon in some threads, among others) and this statement confirms it. IMO, this brings into question some of the 'reviews' if they are actually partially subsidized by vendors.

This rebate would only be on select products and is exclusively for , useable, video content. We don't offer any rebates for reviews and we would never solicit this.

 

[drave199]

Anyone with experience with either the SPGX kit or the Nohr-s kit? I’d hate to start a new thread. Thanks

 

[rjacobs]

What I personally liked about the Nohr-S kit over the SPGX was that it included a primer coat. It ends up being 3 layers.

The SPGX is only sold as a 2 layer kit... now im SURE you could add a primer from them of some type, but that adds cost vs. the Nohr-S kit that already includes it.

Beyond that, and im not a chemical engineer, both kits are polyurea. Nohr S is 72% solids vs. 62% for SPGX. Both have the exact same VOC content(250g/l). Nohr-S has higher tensile strength(5200psi vs. 4800 for SPGX), guessing due to the higher solids amount. Those were the big things I picked up from their tech sheets.

From my research both products had been used extensively as a clear coat over a stained or polished floor. I didnt find a ton of real world examples of the flake systems. I didnt read anything negative about either's product when used as a clear coat only over stain or polished concrete.

 

[drave199]

What I personally liked about the Nohr-S kit over the SPGX was that it included a primer coat. It ends up being 3 layers.

The SPGX is only sold as a 2 layer kit... now im SURE you could add a primer from them of some type, but that adds cost vs. the Nohr-S kit that already includes it.

Beyond that, and im not a chemical engineer, both kits are polyurea. Nohr S is 72% solids vs. 62% for SPGX. Both have the exact same VOC content(250g/l). Nohr-S has higher tensile strength(5200psi vs. 4800 for SPGX), guessing due to the higher solids amount. Those were the big things I picked up from their tech sheets.

From my research both products had been used extensively as a clear coat over a stained or polished floor. I didnt find a ton of real world examples of the flake systems. I didnt read anything negative about either's product when used as a clear coat only over stain or polished concrete.

Thanks for the info. Yeah I haven’t really found any reviews from the flake kits it seems. Makes me nervous. For me it’s one ofthe flake polyurea kits or a stain/acid with the SPGX. Having a hard time marking a decision

 

[rjacobs]

Thanks for the info. Yeah I haven’t really found any reviews from the flake kits it seems. Makes me nervous. For me it’s one ofthe flake polyurea kits or a stain/acid with the SPGX. Having a hard time marking a decision

The problem, as a few vendors have pointed out in other threads, is people come here asking advice, yet after they do their project, they never come back. I dont know if thats a good or a bad thing.

Ill just use the local vendor I am contemplating going with to do my floor(if I dont DIY). They have 500 reviews give or take on google, facebook, yelp, etc... and they are open with what product they use, but when I google search the product they use, there is exactly zero reviews of said product. Its a Sherwin Williams(I believe) product from General Polymers so its not a no name product... Im guessing either SW doesnt sell it to the public so there are no DIY installs being done and most people who have that product dont know what it is as a vendor installed it...so their complaints, if any, would be with the vendor and their reviews, also, would be about the vendor, not the product.

I personally, if I choose to DIY, will probably go Nohr-S. I talked with Scotty via email and got all my questions answered. I would also feel comfortable going with SPGX. For me it was as I laid out in my previous post of liking the 3 layer floor a little more than 2 layer as I think both products are probably just about equal in terms of performance. And the vendors stand behind them from what I can tell. The only thing that worries me about DIY is basically no warranty, which I understand, as the vendor cant guarantee how you put the product down.

 

[Jason B]

VCT tile! You can go right over that. No problem, and very reasonable on your wallet. Have had mine for 13 years now.

 

[Armorpoxy]

We loved the way that job came out with our SPGX!

 

[dcg9381]

What do you guys think about going with a hybrid system that I read about on all garage floors.com? It said to use an epoxy primer, then a high solid epoxy coating then finish it with 1 or 2 coats of polyurea. It sound like it would give me the look of epoxy with the durability of polyurea. But the question is, could I do this and stay close to my budget? Any recommendations on this?

I'm curious about this too, but I'd also ask why not go with the solid color of SPGX polyurea and multi-coat it... or is it variations of epoxy finish?