Help with flooring choice

[JohnJL]

Hi, I think this is my first post...I'll post progress pics of my garage progress tonight.

I am adding on to an existing garage to a total footprint of around 40' x 36'. We're using the existing slab and adding ~10' width and 13' length in new concrete floor. There will be a small seam between the slabs.

The garage will be used for daily driver/storage and half will be my auto workshop. The workshop half will see oil/other fluid spillage, jackstands, welding splatter, etc. The daily driver half will see lots of moisture, melting snow and salt.

I'm torn between epoxy/urethane and VCT.

My primary concern with VCT is if it will be too slippery and will it stand up to punishment. It is nice to be able to replace individual tiles where damage occurs. Visual design freedom is nice too. VCT will also hide the crease between the old and new concrete.

My concern with epoxy comes from stories of peeling and other problems most likely from poor preparation. I'm also not sure if it can be 'spot repaired' if damage occurs in limited areas. Also will it be too slippery and how will it handle welding splatter.

Thanks for the help.

 

[JohnJL]

This also looks like tough stuff...http://www.noskidding.com/ns_130.htm

 

[bd8134]

I considered the flooring choices before I went with epoxy and I am very glad I did. I have had bare garage floors and painted, not good. I have never seen or used VCT so I cant comment on those. I wanted something durable, low maintenance and looks good. This eliminated tiles for me as being in the north east, I did not want water or salt sitting under the tile. Using floor jacks or moving heavy equipment on tiles would also be awkward.
I have now a Wolverine epoxy floor and it is standing up very well. I only did it about a year ago but winter snow is no problem, I run a dehumidifier in the winter.
Welding splatter does not harm the epoxy, big globs of molten metal do. They burn the epoxy and it leaves burnt marks but they have to be big / red hot to do that.
Grinding metal does not harm it. Wheeling trolley jacks and heavy tool chests does not harm it either. I have not used axle stands since I had my other toy installed, a 2-post lift, a fantastic item. I have not had one chip or loose piece of epoxy, yet.
I have worked on suspension arms on the floor, smacked with a hammer, dropped tools, maybe not anything real heavy but no damage.
The humidity in the garage is also very low, great for preventing rust appearing on tools and metal. I cant say it is all down to the floor, but I am sure it helped. The floor also does not feel cold like my old slab did, no insulation / barrier under the slab.
I also used a grip additive in epoxy clearcoat. This does not stop tools being wheeled around or feel sharp when lying on the floor, it makes it safer when the floor is wet.
It makes cleaning a bit more work but I can live with that.
My latest toy is an irobot Dirt Dog, this is so good. I only use the vac for the bench, most times I just knock it on the floor for the dog to pick up.
My floor is a gray speckle, it does look nice, it does not show dirt but dropped bolts are bit more difficult to find but it makes the garage a lot lighter than using a darker color. I would still go with a light color if I had to chose again.
I had expansion joints cut in my floor, sealed with Wolverine products using their instructions and no cracks at all. I have one slight crack on a side wall.
A friend at work also has a Wolverine floor, he has posted his pictures and the garage he did for his neighbor in this forum. He has an old and new slab and with good prep work it is difficult to see where the joint is. The expansion joints slightly rise and sink with the extremes in the weather, no real difference.
My recommendation is to go with a high quality epoxy and carefully follow the prep instructions. I am glad I did.

 

[mmhouse]

I think I'd consider polishing the concrete. I have no idea what it costs so that would obviously impact my decision. From what I've seen it provides most if not all the advantages of a coating without many of the downsides.

Here's a site with some info....

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/polishing/applications.htm

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Polished concrete is the future. However, it is slippery when wet.
Most epoxy kits contain vinyl flake. The flake will add a little texture and will help hide the welding issues.

Use a dark flake over a medium color gray or beige.

Good luck.