New Member.. same Wolverine product!

[Dabiscuitboy]

First posting here!


It's been sometime in the making, but after building our home last year, it is now time for epoxy. I did a bunch of previous research, and compared a bunch of products and online companies, many which I was unable to find any "REAL" user reviews for. Relatives & friends have used Rust-Oleum (generic and "Professional") types, both with wear & tear showing after a few years of normal everyday use. I personally don't want to strip off all the cheap expoy after several years and repeat the process all over again.. NO THANKS!!!! I even thought about the floor tiles at Lowes/Sam's, etc..(cheap quality), dirty to clean underneath them, others online can cost just as much as high quality epoxy too. So after seeing some wolverine product reviews/postings on here, I decided to go that route.

You get what you pay for (MOST OF THE TIME)! Altough I don't see how an $80 kit will compare to a high quality industrial solution. I laugh when some co-workers say, came out okay (with a stupid look on their face). I've been working with Fred, from AlphaGarage, who has been very helpful. My 3 car garage is about 1,100 sq ft, which I plan to fill the expansion joints with Integraflex, epoxy (of course) with Decoflakes, some supergrip (so I don't bust my A$$ when its wet) and use Endurashield as the top coat!(Shiny). I also plan to use the AcryliSeal with some Quartz Aggregate for my inclined driveway (sometimes a PITA in the wintertime, to get into my driveway).

When I do projects, I prefer to do them once only, as most of us do. If I have to pay a little more... so be it. I haven't even begun my project, just recently ordered my supplies, but have asked Fred numerous questions/ e-mails, and he has been nothing less that helpful. Talk about support! BTW, I did get a quote from a local contractor who quoted me about $5,000 for my garage! I didn't even think of my driveway at the time either I forgot the brand, something from Canada.

I will be posting some pics, as I go along to show my progress!


Stay tuned!

 

[Dabiscuitboy]

IT HAS BEGUN!!!!


I started about 7 am to finish up some minor taping areas. The began to fill in some divots & spalls in the concrete with (bondtite/sand 6:1 ratio). NICE! I then mixed the 4 sets of Integraflex resin & hardeners individually! WOW!!! That hardener was TOUGH to mix!!! Definitely use a drill with side handle if you have one, I bought one yesterday @ harbor freight for about $27. Well worth every penny & the motor hasn't burnt up (YET). It took some time to individually premix the 4 sets (a&b) of integraflex and then combined batch after batch and applied like a madman. Sure would have been easier if someone else was here to give a hand... oh well.. no biggie! At least that is easier to mix than the Integraflex! All in all not too bad, just my back is killing me from mixing those sets.

TIP:
bought some pails for about $1 or so at Menards, by the mop sections, and each set of intregraflex mixed together perfectly in that pail.



Later today after I'm done smoking my beer can chicken in the backyard, I'll lay down the bondtite. I'll post some pics later when I'm done and when I figure out how to host some pics.


TIP2:

To make things easier and so you don't burn up your drill, take a few beer breaks in between mixing! Makes the mixing process more enjoyable and helped me forget about the back pain!

 

[Sebastian]

TIP 1 - buying smaller mixing containers - good one, I did the same when mixing the epoxy for my floor. For the edges I mixed smaller amounts and did not have to stress over time!

 

[Dabiscuitboy]

An example of MORE PRODUCT = ALWAYS BETTER!

After a few hours, the Integraflex settled, and a minor indention of the expansion joints were still visible. I have one more set of Integraflex left over, so I figured, NOW or NEVER! WHY NOT! I mixed the last batch and was able to coat and level off the remaining indention of the expansion joints. It should be pretty darn level after this. I will say that POT life of this is about 5-10 min. TOPS! After that it is pretty darn hard to smooth out as it thickens up fairly quickly.

Bondtite, a go, later tonight!

 

[AlphaGarage]

IntegaFlex does have a shorter pot life, and temps in the 80's will also decrease that working time.

There are a few approaches to filling cracks and voids for a smooth finish. One way is to fill them so that the putty cures just a tiny bit below grade, then apply heavy coats of BondTite and LiquaTile over the putty to bring the area up level to grade.

Another way is to fill the spots a bit over grade, the after the putty has cured a short while take a straight edge razor or putty knife and slice off the excess, bringing it all level to grade.

Or the filler can be applied thick and over grade, then feathered out beyond the edges of the crack with the edges smoothed to blend into the surrounding substrate. Done right it can just cure and be coated. Although this method is the most difficult, it's usually the best solution, and once mastered pretty quick.

Which works best for you depends on several factors like whether or not the sides of the area to be filled are at the same grade, the size and shape of the area to be filled, and the skills of the person applying the filler. If you're having a tough time with it, you might want to try with the putty a bit firmer.

It's very much a personal "feel" thing. Some people have a knack for getting things smooth on the first attempt. Others, like me, need to work at it for awhile before it's smooth enough to coat over. Our coatings will be about 24 mils thick when done.

If you have a lot of patch work some DecoFlakes will go a long way to making the finished job look uniform and seamless. Concrete that started out looking way beyond redemption can end up shining like a showroom floor with just a little bit of extra attention.

 

[FlameOut]

A question about bondtite. Is it something a can buy locally? I plan on using Wolverine products to epoxy my new floor, but might be a few months away. But in the meantime, I'd like to fix (my 2 week old) floor. I have some holes from my MaxJax anchors I need to fill (don't ask - I've already kicked myself multiple times)

BTW, thanks for the tips. I'll be watching this thread

 

[AlphaGarage]

A question about bondtite. Is it something a can buy locally? I plan on using Wolverine products to epoxy my new floor, but might be a few months away. But in the meantime, I'd like to fix (my 2 week old) floor. I have some holes from my MaxJax anchors I need to fill (don't ask - I've already kicked myself multiple times)

BTW, thanks for the tips. I'll be watching this thread

If you have a few small holes or divots to patch you can make a good filler by adding clean, fine, sand to mixed BondTite. Add 6 parts sand to one part BondTite. It is a bit grainy but it works great for small fixes. Dabiscuitboy used it for some of this project.

For larger area we have other products that smooth out easier, and for areas that may shift, like expansion joints, we have epoxies that will flex.

We handle all DIY sales for Wolverine Coatings, just pm or email if you're interested.

 

[Dabiscuitboy]

Liquatile and Deco Flakes went easier than I thought! Although there a few spots were I may have not put enough liquatile down, all in all, it looks pretty sweet. Tomorrow I will lay the Endurashield with the supergrip, so I don't bust my A$$ when it is wet. It a good thing my brother was here to help, otherwise, I don't know how I would have done it. He helped mix a few bathes and gave me the batches of Deco Flakes when need. Not to mention he also hand me a few beers in between batches of Deco flakes! Easier that I thought it would go, I must say, and easier to mix also. Again, I'll post pics when I figure out where to host them

 

[om-nc]

Somebody has to say it.



Glad it is going well.

 

[truck]

Again, I'll post pics when I figure out where to host them

When you post a reply scroll down and click the "manage attachments" button. Then browse to where the pix are on your hard drive and upload from there.

Truck

 

[Dabiscuitboy]

Here are some pics.....

 

[Dabiscuitboy]

and some more pics!!!


I'll post some comments.. later... I am BEAT!!!!

 

[Sebastian]

Nice floor - I like the way the color came out! Enjoy it!

 

[AlphaGarage]

Nice floor - I like the way the color came out! Enjoy it!

The LiquaTile 1184 color is "Sand Beige" and the DecoFlakes is a custom blend of Ivory, Brown, and Tan.

Does look sharp.

 

[Dabiscuitboy]

Overall, the floor looks pretty sweet. I REALLY dig how shiny the Endurashield shines and brings out the flakes and colors. The supergrip is nice also, I like the grit feel, some assurance that I would bust my A$$ on the floor when it gets wet. The garage was roughly 1,200 sq ft, which having someone help hand me and make batches of the decoflakes, and other misc. stuff made things go a TON faster and easier.

It is the little things that can save you time when doing these projects. I used all of the 65 lbs of custom blend deco flakes and the next day swept the residue. Talk about a needle in the haystack or should I say deco flake in the deco stack! Wow! I was getting dizzy just sweeping trying to get all the flakes up. The blower method worked the best after I did a rough scraping, to get the flakes out of the garage.


TIP: ALWAYS.. section out your garage for each layer,(bondtite, liquatile & Endurashield/bondtite).

When you premeasure the area and tape the walls for markers, it will help you estimate the coverage per gallon of product so you don't apply too thin or too thick. Especially with the Endurashield, as you don't want it to bubble up on you. It sure helped me gauge my product use.

I was worried about my bondtite layer at first, as I has some tiny bubbles appear in several areas, eventhough I mixed slowly and had no bubbles in my product. I backrolled and some appeared again, but the liquatile and flakes gave it a smooth finish. I can't get over how shiny and new the floor looks! Like a showroom finish! One HUGE mistake though.... my neighbhor stopped by while I was working.... I think he may have Wolverine on his mind soon. I gotta make sure I'm busy whenver he decides to do his floor now...... see what I have started!!!!

Thanks Fred for all your help and answering my questions for this project!!!

Great product, Great support... what more can you ask for?


Next project: I'll have to seal my driveway and apply the Quartz aggregate. (for a later time). I think the wife has other projects in mind first!

 

[FFPL]

Nice looking floor. Your sectioning tip is spot on.

And yes, your neighbor will do his floor. BUT expect to be helping him ! http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20542

 

[Dabiscuitboy]

And yes, your neighbor will do his floor. BUT expect to be helping him ! http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20542

YEAH... I've already had 3 neighbors stop by to check out my floor. I'm sure one will ask for help, if not all! I dig the color on your garage and how well you were able to get the flakes on the walls... I had a hard enough time just getting them on my two cement steps, let alone the area you were able to cover! NICE job!

TIP 3 I can't remember who originally posted the idea, (to give credit to), but I too drilled two hole on the lids (liquatile, bondtite) and it helped pour the product on the the floor without splashing and pour too much in one place.

TIP 4 Did already say more product is better?? Well I did, and I will say it again. Make sure you calculate your product for waste and extra.

TIP 5 If filling expansion joints, make sure you let the integraflex sit a min or two before pouring into joints. It will give it time to thicken up a little, (I read this tip AFTER I did mine). Then IF your slabs are even, scrap them with a putty knike or even a metal edge long drywall taping knife. I made the mistake of not taking enough off, in fear of having an indention where the joints were (although difficult to fully hide expansion joints), but instead, I ended up with a minor bump where the expansion joints were. Not the end of the world, but just one of those things that may bug me forever.

TIP 6 When using the calibrated squeegee, and I do mean getting this from Fred. Make sure when you squeegee, you have full coverage of liquatile when you work the squeegee around, if not, you need more liquatile in that area. An even push of the squeegee should fully cover the area you just passed, without any smearing or lack of coverage. Don't try to backroll the area and push the roller, hoping that this will cover the area, because it WON'T. I also won't be the desired thickness for mil coverage and you will notice a tinge in color lightness when complete. I have a few areas where I pushed the envelope, and I can tell at an angle where I did this. Refer to TIP 4

TIP 7 When applying supergrip with Bondtite/Endurashield, make sure you don't clump up the crystals in one area, because they WILL stay there and you will have a few whiteish areas, as I do. Sometimes, it can be difficult to remove some of the crystals from the roller when you have too much. You'll have to work it around once you've discovered ..."OOPS.. too much supergrip" as it will tend to clump up on the roller.

I really dig the floor, I'm a perfectionist, as most of us are here, which is why I posted these tips to help others from my misktakes. I can't believe how shiny the floor looks and the awesome texture the flakes/supergrip gave the floor. This product is better than any other epoxy floor I have personally seen. Funny how everyone I speak to says... "is that the Rustoleoum stuff" uuuhhhhh NO buddy.. its not!!!

I post a few more pics soon. The floor looks so good... I don't want to drive on it!!!

 

[FFPL]

I post a few more pics soon. The floor looks so good... I don't want to drive on it!!!

Just use it. It won't break.....