Overwhelmed

[TRIGGER]

New guy here from Tennessee.
I have been lurking for a while to get ideas on my new shop build but just now joining.
I have dabbled with floor coatings enough to be nervous about doing them. My concrete is 4 months old and in great shape(40x50). I have filled the saw joints with Sikaflex.
Talking to Sherwin Williams about there epoxies has been a confusing nightmare. Was told today they don’t want me to put a primer coat under Armorseal 1000. Also they told me I would get 208 sq ft from 2 gallons. I asked 3 times and they assured me the coverage was after 1 gallon of part A and one gallon of part B were mixed. The problem here is I’m not talking to someone that knows anything, she keeps calling the person that does but won’t give me that number.
I have about decided to just put a 30% acrylic on it just for ease but I know I will hate it the first time anything eats it off and I track sticky sealer across the shop.
Help. I know this horse has been beat to death because I have read a lot of posts but am still overwhelmed by options. I’m looking for a coating that will not scratch easily and will last. I don’t want junk.
Mike

 

[kd3pc]

Spend an hour and email/call the several flooring professionals on this forum, any/all of them offer better products and more importantly - information that is accurate and timely.

Many times you will hear you only need "X" containers to do 500 sq feet and about 3 feet from the finish line you are 100% out of product.

Prep is most important and many of us have done this DIY and then the coatings after. That being said, your floor is at the very edge of DIY - even with two folks giving you a hand. If you can con your wife and two very good friends, I would go for it. Get some spikes, comfortable clothes you don't mind ruining and get going. You will be pleased with your work and save several dollars per sq foot.

Tape off areas you don't want epoxy on, just in case - tool boxes and finished stuff especially. And if you want to do it in one or two phases, speak with the vendors how best to do it.

Keep us posted no matter what you choose.

 

[gordz32]

Hi Mike,
My day job is operating my two Benjamin Moore paint stores. I'm very familiar with floor systems and get help you get some good answers. The first question I have is how have you prepared the Concrete. For any coating to be successful, the concrete first needs to be prepared (Ground down or acid etched )an have a profile that feels like 80 grit sandpaper. Also, do you know if there is a vapor barrier under your concrete? Have you had any moisture coming up from below the concrete. You can do a test with a sandwich bag or piece of plastic taped on all four sides down to the floor and leave it there for a couple of days. If there is no sign of moisture there you should be good. If you do we can talk other options. I'm assuming the floor is clean and free of contaminants and oil. If not you'll need an oil and grease emulsifier cleaner used. Once cleaned and prepared I recommend 3 gallons of Ben Moore Corotech V155 (Spread rate is (600-800 sq. ft. per gallon) After 24hrs but not longer than 72 hrs, Topcoat with 5 gallons of Benjamin Moore Corotech V400 Polyamide epoxy floor coating. I based the gallon count off of your 2000 sq ft (40x50) measurement. I'd recommend you call your local BM dealer for pricing and if you'd like to see a data sheet Google Corotech V400 TDs and it will tell you everything you need to know. Its a system I've sold many times over and works great. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[MetalBuildingFun]

OP, you are not alone and I am really happy you posted this question. Our building isn't built yet but will be in a couple of weeks so our concrete is brand new, and we don't know what direction to go with it. I will be following this thread very closely.

 

[TRIGGER]

Sorry I should clarify a few things. Nothing has been on this floor besides people. After pouring the floor I still had almost 200 yards of concrete to pour on the exterior and that took a while doing It in between jobs, then it didn’t stop raining for 3 months so framing took a long time too. The shop is empty because I’m not moving anything in until I’m done with everything. I don’t want to work around anything.
The floor is 6” with 4000 psi and rebar reinforcement. Yes it has a 6 mill vapor barrier over 5’ of packed stone on the deep side maybe 5” on the shallow corner. Also has a 4” drain running 50’ from one side to the other.
I have not done a moisture test yet but will tomorrow. (It’s been raining today)
I have acid etched it and am going to rent a floor machine with the prep pads to scuff it up.

 

[rjacobs]

The two vendors I would chat with are ArmorPoxy and Legacy. Those are IMO, the two big ones on this forum.

They both have several different product lines to get you done.

What kind of finish do you want, protection level, resistance to solvents, traffic on the floor, etc... are all questions that will be asked.

A hard working shop, I would do a different coating than a "show" garage.

Ghostshield 4500/8510 is recommended a lot for people who want some protection from chemicals, but still ok with bare concrete.

Hell-Fire is an aluminum grey, but its tough as nails, but not "pretty".

Then you have various flake options from epoxy to polyurea and polyaspartic.

Then somebody has a newer ceramic based coating option as well.


It would be hard for me to go with a Sherwin Williams product when nobody at the stores probably knows diddly squat about the product so they are likely no help to you.

 

[woodee]

The two vendors I would chat with are ArmorPoxy and Legacy. Those are IMO, the two big ones on this forum.

They both have several different product lines to get you done.

What kind of finish do you want, protection level, resistance to solvents, traffic on the floor, etc... are all questions that will be asked.

A hard working shop, I would do a different coating than a "show" garage.

Ghostshield 4500/8510 is recommended a lot for people who want some protection from chemicals, but still ok with bare concrete.

Hell-Fire is an aluminum grey, but its tough as nails, but not "pretty".

Then you have various flake options from epoxy to polyurea and polyaspartic.

Then somebody has a newer ceramic based coating option as well.


It would be hard for me to go with a Sherwin Williams product when nobody at the stores probably knows diddly squat about the product so they are likely no help to you.

Ditto! Contact the reputable vendors on here and read read read. You'll find a wealth of information here to help with your decision. What I wouldn't do is apply acrylic and then have to go back and redo it all over again. Trust me once is enough. Remember time is money too.

 

[FJ4FUN]

Welcome aboard Trigger!

Shoot me an Email, I'd be more than happy to address any questions that you may have.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi we have sold hundreds of thousands of thousands of garage floors over the years so we can assist.

First, always use primer. Period. If someone tells you not to, walk away since can you think of any porous surface like wood or drywall that you don’t prime before coating?

We find that many staff at paint stores don’t have the familiarity with floor coating systems and hence why you got bad advice.

We would recommend our three layer www.armorcladepoxy.com 100% solids system. Make sure you select the primer and m
2 part military garage topcoat options.

Thank you very much.