POR-15 Start to Finish

[Fast Cop]

OK, I pulled the trigger on POR-15 for my 400 SF garage project, or as my wife puts it the Bedroom for the Corvette. This thread will be a start to finish good and bad of this product. I am a true DIY homeowner and will give you an honest and fair evaluation of this product.

I love the look of the floor evanman did witrh epoxy-coat and had also looked at the u-coat-it system as I am looking for that high gloss finish. I have had positive results with other POR-15 products. The bottom line was the amount of prep work. Looking at all the products many called for extensive prep work from acid etching, to grinding and sanding to other extensve prep. I did not want the prep work to take 5 times longer than the project itself. I am very well aware that the finished project is greatly impacted by the prep work, you should see the prep work put into any project I do with my vette, it is extensive, but this is a garage floor.

So my choice to go with POR-15 was the prep work aspect. I am looking for the high gloss finish. I will post before, during and after pictures and give you updates as I go.

8-22-07 - Called Chris at POR-15 depot and ordered 400 sf deluxe kit
8-23-07 - Recerive a UPS tracking number via e-mail fro Chris
8-27-07 - Checked UPS web site and it showed product was in town scheduled for delivery today.

 

[Fast Cop]

8-27-07 - 4:00 PM Arrived home and product had already been delivered by UPS. Will check to see if everything is as ordered. Based on several post prior this has been an issue. Will let you know as soon as I open everything. All my scores will be on a scale of 1 - 5. 1 being the worst, 3 being average and 5 being outstaning

So far.

Dealings with Chris at POR-15 Depot - 5
Delivery time - 5

 

[Fast Cop]

8-27-07 - Opened kit, here is what I found:

This kit came shipped in 2 large plastic containers. Upon opening the containers here is what I found, remember I was concerned about Quality Control and what was being shipped.

Container # 1
2 gallons Part A Clear Coat
2 Quarts Part B Crosslink Catalyst
1 container Non-Slip Aggregate
2 2" cut in brushes
2 stir sticks
2 9" rollers
1 9" roller cage
1 pint grease and oil cleaner
2 pair rubber gloves

Container # 2
1 Gallon Part A Clear Coat
1 pint Part B Crosslink Catalyst
1 container Non-Slip Aggregate
1 2" cut in brush
1 9" roller
1 9" roller cage
1 stir stick
2 pain rubber gloves
1 container vinyl chips

Based on past threads my worry was about getting the wrong color. I guess I don't have to worry about that since i got NO COLOR!!!!!!! I guess my floor will come out lookint like SH*T with about 6 coats of clear coat, and do I need 2 containers of non-slip aggregrate? Well I guess since I am going to use clear coat only I should use the 2 containers of non-slip and that many clear coats will make my floor very slippery!!!!

Rating
Quality Control - 0

 

[SteveL]

They should really replace the kindergarden kids that they have filling orders! You have much more patience that I do.

 

[PurdueSD]

wow, i was really starting to think about going with POR in my attached garage. If they cant get the simple things right like filling orders correctly, makes you wonder what other "critical" thinks are screwed up.

 

[DynoDave]

I must admit, the constant screw ups at the factory are starting to take their toll on my confidence in this product.

 

[volvo]

I must admit, the constant screw ups at the factory are starting to take their toll on my confidence in this product.

Dito... How many times can they screw up and expect the customer to look the other way??? A confidence builder this isn't.

***** ARE you listening POR Co.????

 

[POR-15 Chris]

Ok I have been on the phone with the VICE PRESIDENT of POR-15 all morning getting this Problem fixed. They are shipping out your 2 Gallons of Light Gray at this very moment. I deeply apoligize for the Problems you face with the Order you placed. I am on the phones and taking care of this situation to the best of my abilities. If there is anything else i can do please feel free to give me a call at (903)285-6540 This is my personal extension to me directly. Once again I am truly sorry For the mishap with the shipping from the Corporate office. We are in the process of talking to the VICE PRESIDENT to make sure this kind of problem never happens again. I will inform The Board of any updates on this situation.

Thanks Chris

 

[Fast Cop]

8-28-07 - Just got into the office and had a PM from Chris and he is working the problem as I knew he would.

As stated before:

Dealings with Chris at POR-15 Depot is still a rating of - 5

Chris assured me that the color is being shipped out ASAP.

Like I said at the beginning of this thread you will get the good and the bad. Chris is a true Customer Service Guy, I have no confidence in the people in the Quality Control/Shipping Dept. Their rating is still a - 0.

More to follow.

 

[jimmys5600]

Fast Cop, As a fellow Vette owner I look forward in hearing about your views on the Por-15. I just moved into a new build home and will be doing my garage floor too. I also looked into other products and was turned off by the prep that was needed.
Please keep us posted!

 

[POR-15 Chris]

Just an update (Fastcop) I just got off the phone with POR-15 Inc. and they have tried to contact you all day if you would like to give them a call the number is 1-800-457-6715. Please let me know if there is any info you need when speaking to them.

Thanks Chris

 

[Fast Cop]

Chris, I just got in from work and listened to their message. I will try to call them now and if no contact will try first thing in the morning. Thanks for your help.

 

[Fast Cop]

OK, just arrived home from work and the UPS man made a delivery from POR-15. I will open it in the morning and let you all know what I got. I have my fingers crossed that it is 2 gallons of Lt Gry floor armor. I will also post the before pictures of my garage tomorrow prior to starting the prep.

 

[RickP330]

Well, The clear may not be bad. I did my floor in clear and used paint flakes broadcast to rejection and they supply all the color in the floor, it looks great. I see you got the grey though. Please supply some pics when you get a chance!
RickP

 

[Fast Cop]

OK opened the box this morning and 2 gallons of LT Gry, I am back in business. As promised here are a few pictures of the before:

This is the floor, I had already patched the small cracks, but have a few more to do:

Here is the 3 gallons of Clear Coat Oops!!

Half the project almost done

One more before pic:

OK back to the garage for more prep so I can get the first half done.

 

[DynoDave]

I'm glad they got the color coat to you. Patching looks good.

 

[Fast Cop]

All the prep work for the first half of the garage floor is done. Saturday morning its a go! Here is the plan - 7am saturday morning 1st coat. Sometime saturday evening around 5 pm 2nd coat plus flakes. Sunday morning around 10 am clear coat. Wish me luck and I will post pics throughout the day and weekend.

 

[Fast Cop]

Let the games begin. OK I starter bright and early this morning at 7 am. Did the final prep work and taped off the walls.

Mixed up the product as per instructions (cut mixture in half as I am only doing half the garage at a time. Waited the proper induction time and started with the trim work. Went on very easy. Note - do not use the chip brushes included with kit. They **** and come apart and you find yourself pulling bristles from the floor. This product rolled on very easy and looks good even after first coat. Note - the roller cages also ****. I did not use the rollers supplied with the kit as others found that they come apart. I went to Home Depot and bought good quality ones. The instructions say a 3 hour pot life - don't plan on that. You have 1 hour to 1 hour 15 min to work with the product. Keep in mind I am in South Carolina and it is a little more humid.

Ratings - Ease of putting 1st coat on - 5
Quality of items included with kit - Chip Brushes - 2
Roller Cage - 2
Rollers - Did not use so will not rate

Ease of mixing product - 5
Look of floor after 1st coat - 4

So far so good. I am going to do the 2nd coat around 6 - 7 pm tonight so I can do the clear coat tomorrow sometime. Here are a couple of pics after first coat:

More updates to follow.

 

[SteveL]

Looks good! Why is it that all of the floor coating mfg's supply you with crappy brushes, rollers, etc??? They could cut $10 off the kit prices and just not supply anything and let the user spend the $10 towards decent tools. They would probably increase their profit margin at the same time.

If you're not gonna give the customer usable tools, don't give them anything at all!

Look forward to the progress installments!

 

[Fast Cop]

SteveL I could not agree with you more. I would rather pay $50.00 less and go buy my own supplies, oh well.

OK, 2nd coat and flakes down. The second coat went down very easy and I had more left over from my half gallon mix than the first coat.

Ease of putting down 2nd coat - 5
Ease of putting on flakes - 5
Look of floor after 2nd coat - 5

I waited approximately 9 hours between coats because here in South Carolina it is humid. My plan is to put the clear coat on about noon tomorrow.
Here are two pictures after 2nd coat.
Oh and buy the way, pot life again 1 hour to 1 hour 15 min. Work fast!!

This is after 2nd coat

Close up of 2nd coat with flakes

Clear coat tomorrow along with more pics and more ratings.

 

[noyu]

Hi Fastcop,

Great write up and thanks for replying on my thread to direct me here.

Can I ask you where did you purchase your color flakes and cost?

Also I like the density of the flakes you put in, can you tell me at what rate did you apply and how did you do that?

Did you sprinkle those flakes on by hand and about how long should I wait before I put on the flakes?

Thank you in advance!

btw, your floor looks hot and that's the same color / combo I am preparing to do!

 

[SteveL]

Not to take Fast Cop's thunder, but the flakes come with the POR15 kit. You apply them by hand and usually right after you put down the second coat so they have a chance to sink in to the top coat before it sets up.

If you are looking for a place to buy the chips by themselves, you can look here....http://www.chipsunlimited.com

 

[brone1]

Fastcop,

Great job with the floor. I can't wait to get mine done now!!

 

[Fast Cop]

Clear coat is down. I got out to the garage at 8 am and prepared for the clear coat. The clear coat mixes up very well and went on very easy. Pot life on the clear coat is at least 2 hours. It was less humid this morning so that may be why.

One thing I did notice is that I have some bubbles on the floor after putting down the clear coat. I used the 1/4 inch nap roller as instructed but it did not provide a smooth surface. I hope that will not be a factor after all is said and done. Time will tell. The clear coat went alot further that base coat and top coat. I just mixed a half batch and had about 1 pint left over. So far so good.

Ratings

Ease of mixing the Clear Coat - 5
Ease of putting down the Clear Coat - 5
Look of floor after Clear Coat - 4 (4 not a 5 due to the bubbles) Chris, any thoughts here? Value - did you have this problem with your clear coat?

Also Value I will PM you. If you have left over blk,gry,wht flakes maybe we can work a deal.

Picture of the floor after clear coat ( I will try to get a close up later of the bubbles if I can)

Before and after. I still have the other half of the garage to complete. After floor cures I am going to move everything over and do the other half.

More to follow as time goes by.

 

[Fast Cop]

Overall at this point I am very satisfied with this product. Long term durability will be the key. I just spoke with KnightFire and he did not have a bubble problem. After talking with him I think I may have caused it by putting on the clear to thin and working over it with the roller. The parts I put on with the brush were all good and like glass. My plan is to knock down the bubbles with an 800 grit and recoat with clear and I think that will cure the problem, a problem that I may add was not product related but one that I caused.

More to follow!!!!

 

[PurdueSD]

Looks great!!

Anyway you could post some full size pics?

 

[KnightFire]

Looks good broh, looking forward to more shots

Purdue SD, if you want larger photos you can check out my sig link, but I'm sure Fast Cop will provide some nice shots soon.

 

[Fast Cop]

Yes I will post some lager pictures this week. I am very satistified at this point with POR-15. I will however report on long term durability and also issues that others have had to include peeling and hot tire pick up. The instructions say 48 -72 hours before heave traffic but my plan is to wait at least 2 weeks prior to driving on it. I will report more later. If the long term durability and peeling and hot tire pick-up is not an issue than I think we have a winner on our hands. This product is expensive but if it holds up as advertised it is well worth it. Chris, feel free to use my pictures and you have my permission to quote me from this thread, as long as you do not quote me out of context. The look is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[SteveL]

Fast Cop.... did you tape off the side that you are doing later or just roll on carefully along that edge? I think I'm going to do mine is two stages like you and was curious how to handle the crack between the two sections. Kinda though about using a bakery funnel or a squeeze bottle and kinda filling the crack with the paint. Your thought?

 

[bmwpower]

Fast Cop.... did you tape off the side that you are doing later or just roll on carefully along that edge? I think I'm going to do mine is two stages like you and was curious how to handle the crack between the two sections. Kinda though about using a bakery funnel or a squeeze bottle and kinda filling the crack with the paint. Your thought?

It will crack. You need something that can expand and contract, like caulk. The cracking may spread to the edge and floor as well.

 

[BreBar21]

Looks good. I think the bubbling might have something to do with the heat/humidity. I had an issue with that with my base coat. After I sanded and applied the top coat, which was when it was much less humid, I had no bubbling issues.

I'm not convinced on long term durability. I'm less than thrilled with how my floor came out, but if it holds up well, I'll be happier.

 

[Fast Cop]

Fast Cop.... did you tape off the side that you are doing later or just roll on carefully along that edge? I think I'm going to do mine is two stages like you and was curious how to handle the crack between the two sections. Kinda though about using a bakery funnel or a squeeze bottle and kinda filling the crack with the paint. Your thought?

SteveL, I did not tape off the expansion joint, I was just careful when I worked in that area. I did get a little of the gray over the edge but will sand it prior to coating that area. Although I believe my floor has expanded as much as it is going to I am not going to fill it in. I will however paint and clear it when I do the second half.

 

[Fast Cop]

Looks good. I think the bubbling might have something to do with the heat/humidity. I had an issue with that with my base coat. After I sanded and applied the top coat, which was when it was much less humid, I had no bubbling issues.

I'm not convinced on long term durability. I'm less than thrilled with how my floor came out, but if it holds up well, I'll be happier.

BreBar2121, what other issues did you have? At this point I am very satistifed and like you feel the test will be the test of time (durability) I now know I caused the bubbles in the clear coat as after I put down some clear but prior to reloading the roller I went over the area that I had just completed and caused this problem. But I see it as an easy fix. The look of the finish is just what I was looking for, (except the bubbles, which I caused) it has the smooth and glass like finish I was looking for. So far so good.

 

[Fullback66]

Fast Cop,
Does the floor get slick when wet? I do not want to bust my **** on a rainy day.

floor looks good.

fb66

 

[Fast Cop]

FullBack66, I did not use any of the anit slip aggragate that is included with the product because I want a nice smooth finish. But do to the bubble issue, which was my own fault it is non-slip even when wet. I am going to sand down the bubbles and reclear and I will let you know how slippery it is after that. So far so good, no real issues that would prevent me from buying this product again.

 

[Value]

FullBack66, I did not use any of the anit slip aggragate that is included with the product because I want a nice smooth finish. But do the the bubble issue, which was my own fault it is non-slip even when wet. I am going to sand down the bubbles and reclear and I will let you know how slippery it is after that. So far so good, no real issues that would prevent me from buying this product again.

It is REAL slippery when wet without the grit/sand. But, the floor is STRONGER because the tires don't stick as well to the clear; thus, the floor is less likely to show tire marks or peel off.

I like the POR 15 product as well. Chris sent me a gallon of clear to try my experiment. I will report back on the problem.

While POR 15 has its limitations the ONLY PROBLEM to date is the hot tires on a wet floor issue. I am hoping FAST COP or some other brave soul will give his POR 15 floor the ULTIMATE TEST:

Hot (at least thirty minutes of drive time) tires on a wet POR 15 floor which are allowed at least one hour to cool down (the longer the cool time the better); then, back the car out of the garage and examine the floor.

 

[Fast Cop]

OK, I started at 0 early thirty this morning with a complete sanding of the floor with 220 grit. It took a while but I knocked down 90% of the bubbles. I had to be carful not to cut into the paint so that is why I only got 90% of the bubbles. Oh and come to find out it was the roller head I used that caused the bubbles as I used the same type of roller head ($6.00 premium roller head at Home Depot) and had the same problem again. My solution was to go over the area with a wide brush to smooth it down. If I would have known this from the start I would have done that the first time. But so far so good, it looks smooth like I wanted it to.

Here are a couple more pictures:

It was a learning experience and I will be better prepared for the 2nd half of the garage. Again overall at this point I have no issues with the product, but remember I have not driven on it yet. Prior to sanding it down I have been walking on it for the past week and rolled my large toolbox over it without any problems. After this side drys I will be putting the stairs back in as I have them out in the back shed and I am painting them gray.

OK, more to follow.

 

[DynoDave]

Looks wonderful, Fast Cop. And thanks for the detailed post.

 

[MotorCity57]

FastCop,
What roller do you recommend to avoid the bubbles in the clearcoat? (I'm planning to do my floor this coming weekend).
Thanks,
John

 

[Fast Cop]

MotorCity57, for the clear topcoat use the 1/4 inch roller that came with the kit. If you look at all the rolers you use from Home Depot or Lowe's they say for all paints and stains. If you look at the on that came with the kit it says it is for epoxy and the such. I believe you could buy a better one at a marine store as they do not have them at Home Depot or Lowe's.