Garage floor leveling before coating

[beegeezy]

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a house that has a 20' x 27' garage in semi-rough shape. The house was built in 1981 and I think the garage was some sort of addition or an enclosure of a carport. We knew that the garage flooded during heavy rainfall events, which has been corrected as of yesterday (trench drains installed in front of the doors). When we previously had a heavy rain, there was probably around 1-2 inches of water pooling on the right side of the garage (under where a car would park) and some on the left side as well. The floor was previously painted and has mostly flaked off.

I have an appointment for a contractor to grind, patch small cracks/holes, and epoxy coat the floor (full flake) in a few weeks. I'm concerned that it might be better to try to level the floor (or at least the very low spot on the right side) before I have it coated. I would like some advice. I have looked into self-leveling concrete compounds sold at Lowe's/Home Depot and I'm now reading about two-part epoxies for strength and shrink resistance. Most of the epoxies I've seen will only correct up to half an inch or so. What long-term options exist for correcting low spots that exceed 1 inch? The garage will be used for parking cars and DIY auto maintenance. Am I overthinking this and I should just get the floor coated? It doesn't need it to be perfectly level, but it's just much worse than I've seen before.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[lamywaby]

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a house that has a 20' x 27' garage in semi-rough shape. The house was built in 1981 and I think the garage was some sort of addition or an enclosure of a carport. We knew that the garage flooded during heavy rainfall events, which has been corrected as of yesterday (trench drains installed in front of the doors). When we previously had a heavy rain, there was probably around 1-2 inches of water pooling on the right side of the garage (under where a car would park) and some on the left side as well. The floor was previously painted and has mostly flaked off.

I have an appointment for a contractor to grind, patch small cracks/holes, and epoxy coat the floor (full flake) in a few weeks. I'm concerned that it might be better to try to level the floor (or at least the very low spot on the right side) before I have it coated. I would like some advice. I have looked into self-leveling concrete compounds sold at Lowe's/Home Depot and I'm now reading about two-part epoxies for strength and shrink resistance. Most of the epoxies I've seen will only correct up to half an inch or so. What long-term options exist for correcting low spots that exceed 1 inch? The garage will be used for parking cars and DIY auto maintenance. Am I overthinking this and I should just get the floor coated? It doesn't need it to be perfectly level, but it's just much worse than I've seen before.
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Any advice is appreciated!

It sounds like you have a few options for addressing the low spots in your garage floor. One option is to use a self-leveling concrete compound, which can be a good solution for small dips or depressions in the floor. However, as you mentioned, these compounds may not be suitable for correcting low spots that exceed 1 inch. Another option is to use a two-part epoxy, which can be a stronger and more durable solution for correcting larger low spots. Some epoxy products are designed for use as a self-leveling underlayment, which can help to correct uneven floors and create a smooth surface for coating. If the low spots in your garage floor are particularly deep, you may want to consider using a concrete resurfacer to build up the low areas before applying an epoxy coating. A concrete resurfacer is a thin layer of concrete that can be applied over the existing floor to create a level surface. Ultimately, the best approach will depend on the specific condition of your garage floor and your budget. If you're unsure which option is best for you, it may be helpful to consult with a professional contractor or flooring specialist who can provide more personalized advice based on a physical inspection of your garage.

 

[Shea]

How large of an area in square feet is it? Something to think about is where will the water that was collecting in that area go when it's displaced by the leveling? Will it now run to the back of the garage? Over to the other side? It's easy to start chasing water around if the slab is not ideal to begin with.

Be wary of any type of self-leveling products at local home improvement centers. Most are self-leveling underlayments and not designed to be used as a wear surface, driven on, or have coatings applied. They are for interior applications where carpet, wood, tile, etc. is applied over them.

A 1" - 2" depression is deep and cost prohibitive to fill with coating material depending on the size. It would require a polymer-modified concrete repair and fill material. In addition, such material cannot be feathered flush like an overlay. It would require cutting an edge a minimum of 3/8" deep where the repair filler meets up with the current concrete. Overlays typically cannot be used on depressions greater than 1/2".

 

[lamywaby]

How large of an area in square feet is it? Something to think about is where will the water that was collecting in that area go when it's displaced by the leveling? Will it now run to the back of the garage? Over to the other side? It's easy to start chasing water around if the slab is not ideal to begin with.

Be wary of any type of self-leveling products at local home improvement centers. Most are self-leveling underlayments and not designed to be used as a wear surface, driven on, or have coatings applied. They are for interior applications where carpet, wood, tile, etc. is applied over them.

A 1" - 2" depression is deep and cost prohibitive to fill with coating material depending on the size. It would require a polymer-modified concrete repair and fill material. In addition, such material cannot be feathered flush like an overlay. It would require cutting an edge a minimum of 3/8" deep where the repair filler meets up with the current concrete epoxy flooring tampa. Overlays typically cannot be used on depressions greater than 1/2".

thank you so much for your suggestion

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi
Liquid coatings alone really can’t be used to level or make corrections to a floor since, being liquids they will tend to run. Coatings with aggregate will work much better to level and repair. A half inch is 500 mils which is not attainable with liquid epoxy alone.

Many of our customers use our Epoxy Mortar which is a combo of aggregate and epoxy to make a mortar which an be troweled to fix issues with floor such as low spots and spalling. while it can be feathered, best practices are to grInd down a bit at the edges of the correct height areas adjoining the low areas leaving at least 3/16” at the edges so you can get enough material there to not fail. A thin feathered edge of any product can possibly fail, bringing the coating up with it. Many professional installers don’t use these products due to the cost.

Alternately you can our over the entire floor with a self leveling high strength floor leveler (not home center stuFD) such as made by Ardex, CMP, Rapid Set and others but these need to be purchased at specialty flooring companies or building supply stores. Some of these products require shot blasting for adhesion or use of a special primer.

Lastly a full broadcast floor will do a great job of hiding minor issues with a floor, but not correct low spots very much.

We, as do a few others on the GJ carry these products to coat and fix virtually any floor.

 

[p00p]

is the floor "free floating" ?
If it is, I'd have it hydraulically jacked to achieve levelness.