barrybluejeans
Member
Hi everyone,
I'm looking into putting down one of the polyaspartic coatings this winter. I’ve spent a few days reading about the different flooring options on allgaragefloors.com and on the forums here, have a few questions and would like to get some recommendations too.
It’s a 440sqft previously painted concrete floor that is otherwise unsealed. There are 3-4 longer (5ft+) but thin and shallow cracks that I will be repairing. A drop of water on bare concrete where the paint has lifted off sinks right in in about 10 seconds. My plan is to grind it down to get a good bonding surface, repair the cracks, and then go one of these ways:
1) polyaspartic/polyurea coating i.e. SPGX/Nohr-S
2) densifier and sealer i.e. Ghostshield
3) RustBullet/HellFire
I am not considering traditional two part epoxy + polyurethane top coat due to the extended time out of service and cooler temperatures for this time of year.
This will be a DIY installation with 1-2 helpers. Short application time, short return to service time, and the ability to get a good coating in cooler temperatures (30-60 degrees here in Atlanta, GA) are important as I would like to get this done quickly. It is for a residential garage that currently sees moderate DIY usage with spilled automotive fluids, cars being pulled in and out, floor jack and jack stands, heavy toolboxes and cabinets, some occasional carpentry, but no welding. This is for my parent’s garage, and I’m really hoping to be able to give them a floor that will be able to stand up to my moderate DIY use and then continue to look good for them for a long time after I move out in a few years. Good UV stability is important since there are multiple windows and the garage doors spend a lot of time open.
My concerns:
1) polyaspartics: Of particular concern to me is the impact resistance of the polyaspartic coatings. I’ve seen a few threads where people complained of chipping after dropping blunt items i.e. sockets. I’m also wondering about the ability of polyaspartics to hide the currently present cracks in the floor after I repair them.
2) densifier and sealer: I like this option because I can do the driveway with the same products, but I’m pretty sure this will do nothing for the cracks already present in the floor. I'm also not sure if the cracks will even bother me after they are repaired... would love some feedback from anyone who has used Ghostshield on an older (namely, cracked) floor.
3) RustBullet/Hellfire is a big question mark to me. The specs look great, but I don't know how the durability compares. It seems more like it was meant for less prep, but I'll have to get the previous paint off anyway, so I'm thinking I might as well grind and use something else. Which is a pretty poor reason to NOT use one of these, so I'm definitely open to recommendations here.
So, in short, are people still experiencing chipping with the polyaspartics? Also, do polyaspartics require a primer if the concrete is prepped by grinding?
Please let me know there are other options I haven’t considered. I'm trying to capitalize on my own labor here, hence the lack of references to porcelain tile (never done it before) or interlocking tiles (expensive).
Thanks in advance! This forum has been a huge help to me over the last year since I found it.
I'm looking into putting down one of the polyaspartic coatings this winter. I’ve spent a few days reading about the different flooring options on allgaragefloors.com and on the forums here, have a few questions and would like to get some recommendations too.
It’s a 440sqft previously painted concrete floor that is otherwise unsealed. There are 3-4 longer (5ft+) but thin and shallow cracks that I will be repairing. A drop of water on bare concrete where the paint has lifted off sinks right in in about 10 seconds. My plan is to grind it down to get a good bonding surface, repair the cracks, and then go one of these ways:
1) polyaspartic/polyurea coating i.e. SPGX/Nohr-S
2) densifier and sealer i.e. Ghostshield
3) RustBullet/HellFire
I am not considering traditional two part epoxy + polyurethane top coat due to the extended time out of service and cooler temperatures for this time of year.
This will be a DIY installation with 1-2 helpers. Short application time, short return to service time, and the ability to get a good coating in cooler temperatures (30-60 degrees here in Atlanta, GA) are important as I would like to get this done quickly. It is for a residential garage that currently sees moderate DIY usage with spilled automotive fluids, cars being pulled in and out, floor jack and jack stands, heavy toolboxes and cabinets, some occasional carpentry, but no welding. This is for my parent’s garage, and I’m really hoping to be able to give them a floor that will be able to stand up to my moderate DIY use and then continue to look good for them for a long time after I move out in a few years. Good UV stability is important since there are multiple windows and the garage doors spend a lot of time open.
My concerns:
1) polyaspartics: Of particular concern to me is the impact resistance of the polyaspartic coatings. I’ve seen a few threads where people complained of chipping after dropping blunt items i.e. sockets. I’m also wondering about the ability of polyaspartics to hide the currently present cracks in the floor after I repair them.
2) densifier and sealer: I like this option because I can do the driveway with the same products, but I’m pretty sure this will do nothing for the cracks already present in the floor. I'm also not sure if the cracks will even bother me after they are repaired... would love some feedback from anyone who has used Ghostshield on an older (namely, cracked) floor.
3) RustBullet/Hellfire is a big question mark to me. The specs look great, but I don't know how the durability compares. It seems more like it was meant for less prep, but I'll have to get the previous paint off anyway, so I'm thinking I might as well grind and use something else. Which is a pretty poor reason to NOT use one of these, so I'm definitely open to recommendations here.
So, in short, are people still experiencing chipping with the polyaspartics? Also, do polyaspartics require a primer if the concrete is prepped by grinding?
Please let me know there are other options I haven’t considered. I'm trying to capitalize on my own labor here, hence the lack of references to porcelain tile (never done it before) or interlocking tiles (expensive).
Thanks in advance! This forum has been a huge help to me over the last year since I found it.