Is my floor too rough for epoxy?

[Trepex]

Hi all,

I've been looking to pickup the EpoxyMaster floor kit from COSTCO, but have questions about the surface prep in my garage. It's a new house, about 18 months old. The floor in the garage needs cleaning to remove some plaster spots from finishing the garage, and mud from the past year, but there's no oil or grease.

My main concern is that it's too rough of a surface. Every picture I look at, of everyone else's garage, seems to show a nice smooth surface that if anything, needs etching to roughen it up. I looked into sanding or grinding down the floor, but I can't seem to find a diamond grinder anywhere locally, and I have no confidence that a rotary floor sander would do anything useful. I do plan to chip away any chunks and fill some of the divots...

The guys at EpoxyMaster were quick to reply to my inquiry to say that their product would coat the floor, but that some texture would show after one coat. They suggest two coats, but that would mean a full second kit of product so I'm reluctant.

Given my photos, what do you think I can expect? I'm not looking for a showroom floor, but don't want something so textured that it's still tough to clean and looks like a cheap job.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

EDIT: I should point out that a lot of the chunks you see aren't in fact the finish... the floor just needs a good vacuuming...

 

[wolflrv]

Don't have an answer for ya..but I'm interested too. My garage is a broom finish like yours. I got talked into it when they were pouring the concrete...worst mistake I've ever made!! I do a lot of woodworking and sawdust is almost impossible to get out of it. I'll keep an eye on this thread and hope others reply with a good answer!!

 

[Trepex]

Interesting... thanks for tipping me off to the name of the finish. Mine seems to be similar to a light-medium broom finish. I've read more posts on here suggesting that this might be pretty great in fact for the epoxy adhering.

Maybe if I have this finish, I can leave off the aluminum oxide for traction? Or maybe the epoxy will smooth it enough to take away traction from the broom finish...

I'd love to see photos of what a single coat over a broom finish would look like. Maybe I should just **** it up and buy two kits...

 

[d33pt]

broom finishes are for sidewalks and driveways..not sure why they do that in garages. a big grinder would definitely smooth it out though. will take some work.

 

[Gotxqss]

Looks like its pretty rough. Id think the epoxy would settle to the valleys and have minimal coverage on the peaks which will be getting all the wear. Possibly causing it to visually wear oddly. Dont have any expierence with that brand of epoxy but doubt it lays as thick as epoxy coat. Id call and check with rugerlady on here about it. They were super helpful with me. Maybe you could save all the time and hassle of grinding the floor and buy 2 kits of epoxy to really thicken the layers and overcome the texture. The rolling of epixy on a clean surface seems way easier then labor in all the prep and the floor would be bulletproof after?!?!?

Good luck.

 

[wolflrv]

Ohh..and one other advantage to doing two coats is that you'd have just a bit of cushion from the epoxy vs just the hard concrete...not much..but it would help with long hrs in the garage.

 

[Edger]

Hi all,


Given my photos, what do you think I can expect? I'm not looking for a showroom floor, but don't want something so textured that it's still tough to clean and looks like a cheap job.

An approximate answer...

If you give it two coats of 50% solids epoxy it will look similar but much smoother and be easier to clean, but probably not what you want.

If you give it two roll coats of 100% solids epoxy it will look much smoother than the 50% solids, but still have some profile, - I guess this would be bordering on satisfactory.

If you give it a squeegee coat of epoxy, lay flakes and overcoat with clear it will look much like a fully finished coated floor, smooth and OK because the broom finish you have is not too strong for that.

If you want a really good finish, diamond grind to smooth, fill the air holes with a scraper coat, very light diamond grind again and roll two coats of 100% solids epoxy as a minimum.

Basically, you have to either fill it up or smooth it down either in preparation or topcoats. 50% solids means that it goes on just as thick as 100% solids, but when it dries it is half as thick after the thinners evaporate. You need to check with the supplier and read the label thoroughly.

However, do not be fooled into thinking a coating will stick without acid etching, or grinding, or shot blasting or something else just because it is rough. Unfortunately it is still a closed surface and needs to be opened so the coating will soak into the top a little for good adhesion.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Very popular to broom finish the garage. Down South they run the concrete drive right into the garage, saves money.

 

[wolflrv]

Wow! I had no idea there was that much prep involved. I think my Shop-Vac will have to keep working hard for the time being. That's the only thing that will get the sawdust off the floor. I'd really love to use a broom...but...

 

[six-T-seven]

Very popular to broom finish the garage. Down South they run the concrete drive right into the garage, saves money.

I'm Down South. Been Down South almost 50 years. I have never seen a drive run right into the garage and also have never seen a broom finish on a garage floor.

 

[Edger]

I'm Down South. Been Down South almost 50 years. I have never seen a drive run right into the garage and also have never seen a broom finish on a garage floor.

You tell 'em six-T-seven, I'm from down under and they don't do that here either. There are some concreters all around the globe who have funny ideas about finish.

 

[Trepex]

Thanks all for the feedback. The majority of the garages on new homes here seem to be broom finish. I can only assume it's to give the surface some grip. Must be on account of our famous Ottawa winters!

I got quotes from some local concrete finishing companies, all on the order of $900 to have the floor diamond ground. They charge about $2000 for a complete prep and epoxy finish with 100% solids and clear coat. I just can't justify the cost. If I get two kits from EpoxyMaster, then maybe a clear coat kit if some texture is still showing, I can do that for $600-700 total. The reviews on COSTCO's site seem really positive, so I'm hoping I'll be okay......

 

[z28toz06]

I did a broom finish on mine. It doesn't look like it after I did the Rustoleum pro epoxy, and it isn't slippy like those polished floors.

NO REGRETS!!!

 

[z28toz06]

 

[wolflrv]

Nice floor!! Did you have to do one coat on it or two?? Also how much sanding/prep, acid etching did you do if any??

 

[z28toz06]

Nice floor!! Did you have to do one coat on it or two?? Also how much sanding/prep, acid etching did you do if any??

It was a new floor, I powerwashed and muriatic acid washed it after it "cured" for 50 days and then just epoxy coated it. Took us 2 hours. Broom finish, no peeling, raising, nothing. I think its 3 winters now, and it still looks good. My son has dropped motors, ******'s etc., in there and I park the vette in the other side all year round.

No regrets, I did use it with the expectation that I would racedeck it eventually, and it would make a good undercoating and keep oil etc., from soaking in to it.

 

[nate379]

A cushion?? It's freaking thick "paint" how is that going to cushion anything?

Ohh..and one other advantage to doing two coats is that you'd have just a bit of cushion from the epoxy vs just the hard concrete...not much..but it would help with long hrs in the garage.

 

[nate379]

That isn't horrible. Quote I got to do my 625sq ft place was around $7000... more than the cost of the slab!

Thanks all for the feedback. The majority of the garages on new homes here seem to be broom finish. I can only assume it's to give the surface some grip. Must be on account of our famous Ottawa winters!

I got quotes from some local concrete finishing companies, all on the order of $900 to have the floor diamond ground. They charge about $2000 for a complete prep and epoxy finish with 100% solids and clear coat. I just can't justify the cost. If I get two kits from EpoxyMaster, then maybe a clear coat kit if some texture is still showing, I can do that for $600-700 total. The reviews on COSTCO's site seem really positive, so I'm hoping I'll be okay......

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Very popular to broom finish the garage. Down South they run the concrete drive right into the garage, saves money.

I'm Down South. Been Down South almost 50 years. I have never seen a drive run right into the garage and also have never seen a broom finish on a garage floor.

I too have never seen this. I've seen some rather rough finished, just floated and left, but I've not seen a broom finish used on a carport or garage.

Charles

 

[bigred292]

I recently poured my floor- asked for opinions on which finish would be best to apply epoxy. Most people said broom finish was the ideal choice although it still needs to be etched.
My concrete guy told me that a bullfloat finish would be best- I went with his advice. I think my floor will look just fine after I epoxy it. I really don't expect it to be 100% perfect-but it really is just a floor.
I think the floor in the recent postings looks great.
Also being in new England I don't think I'd want a smooth as glass floor.

 

[wolflrv]

A cushion?? It's freaking thick "paint" how is that going to cushion anything?

I dunno how...a buddy of mine did his floor and he said it feels better standing on it for hours. Maybe it's all in his head! LOL!

 

[ConCretin]

I got quotes from some local concrete finishing companies, all on the order of $900 to have the floor diamond ground.

Wow. Good work if you can get it. Save yourself a bunch of time selling a broom finish then charge $900 bucks to give em the smooth finish they probably already paid for.

 

[Trepex]

So I decided to go for COSTCO's EpoxyMaster 100% solids product. I got two kits to be able to do two full coats - each coat does about 480sqft, and although my garage is more like 360sqft, the concrete is quite porous and has a broom finish.

I put down the first coat and it doesn't look -terrible-. There's obviously still way more texture than I'd like to have showing, from the broom finish. I don't have the technique quite down yet for pouring, as I ended up with it thinner in spots and had to try to squeegee it to those areas. The result is that it's a little thin in spots, especially near the side door where I ended. Next time I'll work towards the main garage door and just close it and plastic the gap after.

I have about 3/4-inch left in the bucket (Part A) and the corresponding amount of Part B to go with it. I'm wondering if I should use this to coat the thinner areas and let that dry, before I go on to the second kit to do my final coat.

I didn't lay down any flakes from the first kit, as I decided to save them, scuff sand the floor for the final kit, then when I lay the final coat use the flakes. Also glad I decided to leave the stem walls as there's no way I'd have had enough product.

Any thoughts on what I should do to tackle these really thin areas? I know a LOT of the material got soaked-up by the concrete. I'm hoping that for the second coat I'm going to have a lot more epoxy to work with, now that the surface is sealed.

Anyway, here are photos after coat #1. Would really appreciate any advice.

 

[Trepex]

And one last question. It's now been 36hrs since I put the first coat down. Planned to do the final coat more at 24-36hr mark, but I've figured since we're now in a bit of a heat wave it makes more sense to wait until the temperature drops back down again. Am I okay doing this? Is there some reason I'll have trouble making coat #2 adhere if I wait a few days?

 

[Edger]

Check with the supplier about recoat times. I think it will be too long so the first will cure too hard for the second coat to adhere fully. You can buff it with a 3M pad on a floor polisher before the next coat, but there is nothing else you can do. Grinding will break the surface and ruin the primer effect of the first coat. You cannot touch up the thin areas, it will make horrible thick roller marks if you do. Do not worry about the thin areas, the second coat will cover them beautifully.

 

[Trepex]

Check with the supplier about recoat times. I think it will be too long so the first will cure too hard for the second coat to adhere fully. You can buff it with a 3M pad on a floor polisher before the next coat, but there is nothing else you can do. Grinding will break the surface and ruin the primer effect of the first coat. You cannot touch up the thin areas, it will make horrible thick roller marks if you do. Do not worry about the thin areas, the second coat will cover them beautifully.

Thank you! Supplier said same as you. I've tried sanding the floor but because a lot of the broom finished concrete is still showing through, it just destroys my sand paper in 10 seconds. I'm going to try back at it now with steel wool, scouring pads, and a wire brush to see if I can scratch it enough.

Thanks for advice re: not patching. I'll just hope for the best with my next coat and hope that the flakes cover any imperfections.

Will post back soon with final photos! I can't wait to get my garage back and get everything back in there

 

[Trepex]

Well, here's the final thing! Waited until late last night when the temperature was at its lowest, then managed to convince my wife to help out by rolling while I squeegee'd. Having two people really does make it a lot easier (I know, I know!)

I'm really happy with the result. I'm still scared as hell that the top coat is going to lift though. I did my best to scuff sand, but as the texture of the concrete was still showing through in lots of spots, it really limited what I could do. Even where it was just epoxy, holy **** is the stuff ever tough. If the thing stays down I'll be utterly ecstatic with not a complaint in the world.

I have some material left and might now tackle the stem wall, although I was thinking I might like the look more of painting it dark grey rather than matching it.

Final question now. I would really like to do something to the lip of concrete that sticks out beyond the door. My line isn't perfect where I stopped the epoxy, and I also don't want that strip of concrete getting all muddied up from tires when driving in. Is there any chance that I could have the asphalt guys apply the asphalt sealer to that 10" strip of concrete? Or would it not stick and/or just be a disaster? Anything else I can apply to that thin strip????

 

[Edger]

Good job Trepex. I doubt you will have a problem, if it does happen to any extent it will only be where you turn your tires and you have the first coat anyway.

Relax, although your air temp is high, the slab temp is much lower than that so your epoxy will not have cured at the rate they say in the spec sheet and you still recoated within a reasonable time, I mean you did not wait a few days or a week so I reckon it will be a perfect job.

 

[79stang514]

broom finish is very popular around here, for driveways and garages
you don't get many repeat customers doing concrete if they have a nice, pretty, smooth finish on the floor and get out of their car with snow on their shoes, ending up with their head looking like a smashed pumpkin and brains all over the place
probably not a popular finish outside of the snow areas, but anywhere i'm going to be driving or walking with ice and snow, i'll take the broom finish every time

floor looks great, trepex

 

[Trepex]

Good job Trepex. I doubt you will have a problem, if it does happen to any extent it will only be where you turn your tires and you have the first coat anyway.

Relax, although your air temp is high, the slab temp is much lower than that so your epoxy will not have cured at the rate they say in the spec sheet and you still recoated within a reasonable time, I mean you did not wait a few days or a week so I reckon it will be a perfect job.

broom finish is very popular around here, for driveways and garages
you don't get many repeat customers doing concrete if they have a nice, pretty, smooth finish on the floor and get out of their car with snow on their shoes, ending up with their head looking like a smashed pumpkin and brains all over the place
probably not a popular finish outside of the snow areas, but anywhere i'm going to be driving or walking with ice and snow, i'll take the broom finish every time

floor looks great, trepex

Thanks guys!

I'm thinking I might do the strip outside the door with the remaining mix. It can't end up worse than it currently is. I dripped in one spot and the concrete finish isn't that appealing. EpoxyMaster claims that their product has UV inhibitors, and my driveway faces north with limited sun exposure... I might be okay.

 

[Trepex]

Decided to do the stem walls and the floor strip outside the door with a good concrete floor paint. I primed everything and then painted it with a pretty darn perfectly-matched color (at least it seems that way so far!!)

My logic is that if I have to chip ice off the concrete outside the door using my ice chipper, things will get chipped and scratched to all hell. Since it's just concrete paint, I can easily touch it up At the same time, now the critical part of the garage has a beautiful epoxy coat!

 

[Edger]

Wait for winter, I guess the concrete paint will be more slippery than the epoxy - be interesting to know.

 

[Trepex]

Wait for winter, I guess the concrete paint will be more slippery than the epoxy - be interesting to know.

Such a positive outlook I'm not too too worried as the concrete has lots of texture. We'll see though!

 

[nate379]

What was the reason to not run the epoxy to the edge of the slab?

Mine has yellowed a bit over the years, but it's not bad. Has held up fine to the snowblower, plow, shovels. No ice chipping since it's heated.

I've never seen a broom finish done in a garage in this area, and we get some snow once in a while.

 

[Trepex]

What was the reason to not run the epoxy to the edge of the slab?

Mine has yellowed a bit over the years, but it's not bad. Has held up fine to the snowblower, plow, shovels. No ice chipping since it's heated.

I've never seen a broom finish done in a garage in this area, and we get some snow once in a while.

We just get tons and tons of snow, and with my garage facing north I often get ice and snow buildup outside the garage door. I have to take my ice chipper to it all the time and it'll get beaten all to hell after one winter. With paint I can just touch up bad spots really easily each spring, but epoxy would get destroyed in no time. Maybe it was a mistake, but it looks pretty good and makes sense in my head.........

 

[jackbombay]

I've never seen a broom finish done in a garage in this area, and we get some snow once in a while.

Same here, we regularly get snow every month of the year here, although we only get snow in july and august 2 or 3 times a decade. I like a surface I can clean easily with a broom.

2 coats of epoxy made that floor look pretty nice