Need advice on epoxy coat estimate

[twitter007]

Hi,

I'm looking to get epoxy coating done by professional on a 2-car garage. I found this guy on Yelp and he sent me a quote of $3/sq ft for following job. He uses products from Versatile building products. I didn't find any review on web about their products. Does it look like a reasonable price? What are the questions I should ask the installer before moving ahead with him?

1st Day: we will grind the floor, we will fill all the cracks and holes with crack weld. We will pressure wash the floor with V100. Will apply 4195 epoxy color and flakes.

2nd Day: We will apply the 5073 sealer.

Thanks

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Run. Run fast.

 

[twitter007]

Hi Scotty,

I trust your opinion but like to know what you don't like about the quote. Is it the product or the cost?

Thanks in advance.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Here is the scope again:

1st Day: we will grind the floor, we will fill all the cracks and holes with crack weld. We will pressure wash the floor with V100. Will apply 4195 epoxy color and flakes.
Grinding and filling cracks good!
Pressure Washing?? Water and epoxy don't go.

2nd Day: We will apply the 5073 sealer.
Fine.

I want to know what type of products these are, who makes them, what thickness, references, guarantee?? References??

 

[twitter007]

You are right, I should have paid attention to "Pressure Wash" part. Let me ask him about that and refereces.

Products are made by a company called Versatile building products. Here is the website

http://www.garagecoatings.com/
http://www.garagecoatings.com/Epoxy/4195-1-Gallon-129.html?keyword=4195
http://www.garagecoatings.com/Polyu...Setting-Clear-Rollable-Polyurea-2-Gl-Kit.html

Thanks Again. Really appreciate your help.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

I don't have any comments on the company. I am sure they are fine.

Make sure your guy is the "guy".

Good luck and no problem with the help.

 

[pauloman]

nothing wrong with pressure washing as a prep. It is very common with DIY folks, despite what you might read here. With enough pressure and gal per minute, you can selectively remove the concrete and leave the rebar in place. It certainly gets out the ground in dirt and dust and can leave behind an excellent bonding surface. But you do have it let it dry...... Of course there are epoxy paints you can apply underwater, but that's a different application (wink wink!)

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Paulo:

I agree. In this case, however, it appears that the drying part has been left out.

 

[twitter007]

I asked him and he said they will dry out the floor after pressure wash and before applying epoxy.

 

[drinkmoresake]

Just as a point of reference, I let my floor dry for 4 or 5 days (with very large fan blowing) just to make 100% sure it was dry before applying the epoxy. I'm no expert but I don't see how they could pressue wash and apply epoxy in the same day. Just my $.02.

 

[Shea]

I've had dealings with this product in the past. The problem isn't necessarily in the product, but the person applying it. The 4195 is a colored epoxy primer/sealer and according to Versitile, it can be installed in damp conditions. That's probably why they want to use a pressure washer. I've used primers before that can be used on a damp floor and they work great. The problem though is that such primers rarely have a dry film thickness of over 3.5 to 4 mils. The 5073 is a clear polyurea designed to go down thinner for easier application. It's not the best system you can put down on your floor, it won't be very thick, but it explains the $3 sf. price.

The company that promotes this product also offers short training programs and is a magnet for the ambitious small business guy that wants to start doing garage floors. They sell training "starter" kits and various grinding and vacuum products. The problem is that many of the people installing these floors are just starting out and make mistakes along the way. Most don't make it in the business. The dealings I've had with these floors was due to unhappy customers that wanted the coating fixed. Needless to say, it ended up being much more expensive because they had to pay to have the coating ground out and then a new coating installed.

That said, I've seen floors with this product installed by competent installers that have turned out nice. I would ask your installer how long he has been in business, ask for references, and ask if he is bonded. If he's not bonded and has few references I would move on.

Just my 2 cents

 

[AlphaGarage]

Need to emphasize that the concrete does not need to be "Bone Dry" for all coatings. Our BondTite 1101 can be applied to a damp substrate, damp but not moist, so no standing water.

Depending on weather and other factors a concrete floor can start to look dry just a few hours after being rinsed. Actually it's still wet, but on the surface it looks dry, that's dry enough to apply BondTite and some other coatings.

I'll just add that its wet film thickness is spec'd at 5 mils, and since it's a 100% solids epoxy that would be its dry film thickness also - if none of it saturated into the concrete. Hopefully some does saturate because that will allow it to better chemically bond to the concrete, which is desirable, and eliminates the chance of "hot tire lift" and similar failures.

 

[hh76]

General question, how does the $3/ft compare to other's experiences? Judging from a few posts about the products, it seems like this is a lower budget install quoted, does the price reflect that?