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Stonhard products
- Thread starter TAZracing
- Start date
Stonhard is a very reputable floor coating manufacturer. At my day job as an architect, i've specified many of their products for various floor types like warehouse, manufacturing, food service, shower rooms etc. Not the cheapest, but in this case you get what you pay for.
thegarageguy
Well-known member
They are the biggest manufacturer, specifier and installers in the world. They are a publicly traded Company. There products are good but nothing most professionals can't match or exceed in certain cases. Since their main body of work is Union and Gov type projects, they are extremely expensive (it's only our tax dollars).
The problem with them is that their installation crews are really subs and they from time to time tend to cut systems short and use the extra material for their own side work. I you wonder why a whole pallet of colored quartz or sand was left behind, now you know.
The problem with them is that their installation crews are really subs and they from time to time tend to cut systems short and use the extra material for their own side work. I you wonder why a whole pallet of colored quartz or sand was left behind, now you know.
kkenney
Well-known member
I have worked on many jobs with them there work is top of the line. They did a great job on my floor http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50895&highlight=Kkenney.
thegarageguy
Well-known member
I have worked on many jobs with them there work is top of the line. They did a great job on my floor http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50895&highlight=Kkenney.
Looks like one of those side jobs I was talking about....
Jagmandave
Well-known member
They did about 4K sq ft in my plant, stuff is amazing but the comment about the subs are spot on, that and they are really expensive.
The big difference to me is the underlayment, after they shot blast the floor they power float on a 3/8" thick coat of sand/epoxy mix, then they color coat over than. It makes the floor extremely durable.
I worked in a food plant and it was an absolute necessity for keeping the floors clean, we used a Tennant floor machine on them and they looked fantastic, however it can be really slippery.
The big difference to me is the underlayment, after they shot blast the floor they power float on a 3/8" thick coat of sand/epoxy mix, then they color coat over than. It makes the floor extremely durable.
I worked in a food plant and it was an absolute necessity for keeping the floors clean, we used a Tennant floor machine on them and they looked fantastic, however it can be really slippery.
tcianci
Well-known member
Back when I was using Stonhard, there were no subs, My sales guy had the same crew all the time and they covered a given territory. The product was top notch and I believe a part of the "expense" of these floors was the impeccable customer service and their ability to schedule work to meet our manufacturing schedules. We had a massive plant with over 200K sq. ft of epoxy in 3 buildings. Surface profiling, moisture mitigation, conductive epoxy tied to building metal (electronics manufacturing). I think it was like a 6 or 7 coat process.
My salesman gave me Stonhard product (primer and topcoat) for my home garage. I have posted about this floor before, but briefly.. the floor was unfinished concrete that had already seen 24 years of auto repairs, leaks, paint, grease, welding and nearly any possible type of garage activity. I gave it an acid etch, I think I tried to get the worst of the stains off it and then I mixed and applied the primer and then the topcoat the following day. I have beat the living **** out of this floor for nearly 11 years now. No delamination or peeling or failure. I have stained it with brake fluid, dropped big heavy stuff on it and run floor jacks all over it and in my estimation this floor has taken everything I can throw at it. Don't get me wrong, it's nowhere near as shiny as when it went down but it scrubs up good, is still totally intact and is a breeze to clean. When I read of all the epoxy related trouble guys have posted here, I am super happy to have this floor and appreciate its' performance given the minimal prep I did before applying it. But the prep I did was the only prep that my guy recommended and he was spot on!
My salesman gave me Stonhard product (primer and topcoat) for my home garage. I have posted about this floor before, but briefly.. the floor was unfinished concrete that had already seen 24 years of auto repairs, leaks, paint, grease, welding and nearly any possible type of garage activity. I gave it an acid etch, I think I tried to get the worst of the stains off it and then I mixed and applied the primer and then the topcoat the following day. I have beat the living **** out of this floor for nearly 11 years now. No delamination or peeling or failure. I have stained it with brake fluid, dropped big heavy stuff on it and run floor jacks all over it and in my estimation this floor has taken everything I can throw at it. Don't get me wrong, it's nowhere near as shiny as when it went down but it scrubs up good, is still totally intact and is a breeze to clean. When I read of all the epoxy related trouble guys have posted here, I am super happy to have this floor and appreciate its' performance given the minimal prep I did before applying it. But the prep I did was the only prep that my guy recommended and he was spot on!
Like everyone out there, I just don't want to redo my floor. I will gladly pay extra to have that reassurance. On Friday I talked to the maintenance guy over at the Boeing Satellite facility. He said he wasn't sure what they had on their floor, but insisted it was the best stuff in the world. They move satellites around the facility, not on wheels but by blowing air out the bottom of the transport; hovercraft style. He threw out numbers about pressure, bla bla bla , but it sounded extreme! Anyway, just received an email from him; he said it was Stonhard!!
Bump! Just want to see if anyone else has had any experience with these guys. Garage is getting close to being done. I also recently saw a Ford dealership that was coated by these guys. The manager said it was done 7 years ago and so far, no issues! It looked awesome. I even looked under the lifts (all 42 of them); no issues. I just need to be convinced, or not, before I hand out that kind of money; or not!
LegacyIndustrial
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Taz: If they would do a residential project you can't go wrong.
However, they really are the top of the mark in price.
If you are smart you will ask the manager who installed for them as they sub-out installations often. May be able to get it done on the cheap that way.
However, they really are the top of the mark in price.
If you are smart you will ask the manager who installed for them as they sub-out installations often. May be able to get it done on the cheap that way.
What I like about this forum is all the pros don't talk **** about other pros.......They are the biggest manufacturer, specifier and installers in the world. They are a publicly traded Company. There products are good but nothing most professionals can't match or exceed in certain cases. Since their main body of work is Union and Gov type projects, they are extremely expensive (it's only our tax dollars).
The problem with them is that their installation crews are really subs and they from time to time tend to cut systems short and use the extra material for their own side work. I you wonder why a whole pallet of colored quartz or sand was left behind, now you know.
Until now.
That's a pretty bold statement & you had better be able to back it up.
Tell me why your product is better but don't **** all over someone else to do it.
Not very professional IMO.
thegarageguy
Well-known member
What I like about this forum is all the pros don't talk **** about other pros.......
Until now.
That's a pretty bold statement & you had better be able to back it up.
Tell me why your product is better but don't **** all over someone else to do it.
Not very professional IMO.
That's what I love about forums as well...there is always someone out there who is looking to get offended or wants to stir up trouble. Take a Valium, then re-read my quote buddy
MarkZeds
New member
Hi
Since this thread is about Stonhard, I would to know if the their product Stonetec ERF would be a good choice for a garage? I'm able through work get the contractor price on the material. Also would like to know the difficulty level to install on your own?
I rarely put a car in my garage. My garage is approx. 500 sq ft.
Thank you for your time
MarkZeds
Since this thread is about Stonhard, I would to know if the their product Stonetec ERF would be a good choice for a garage? I'm able through work get the contractor price on the material. Also would like to know the difficulty level to install on your own?
I rarely put a car in my garage. My garage is approx. 500 sq ft.
Thank you for your time
MarkZeds
Highperformancesystems
Member
They are the biggest manufacturer, specifier and installers in the world. They are a publicly traded Company. There products are good but nothing most professionals can't match or exceed in certain cases. Since their main body of work is Union and Gov type projects, they are extremely expensive (it's only our tax dollars).
The problem with them is that their installation crews are really subs and they from time to time tend to cut systems short and use the extra material for their own side work. I you wonder why a whole pallet of colored quartz or sand was left behind, now you know.
Yessir. Stonhard is a material manufactor not an installation group. They have a wicked business model where they over specify floors to fulfill quotas and pass their floors along to sub-contractors that are for all intent purposes arrested to stonhard through non-compete contracts. The installers typically make very little and cut corners but the over specification, ie. unwarranted high price makes up for the lack of quality.
Long short of it, stonehard does not own a liscense to some amazing epoxy and majority of the reputable manufactor a can make similar or superior product.
concreterestorationguy
New member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2015
- Messages
- 1
Yessir. Stonhard is a material manufactor not an installation group. They have a wicked business model where they over specify floors to fulfill quotas and pass their floors along to sub-contractors that are for all intent purposes arrested to stonhard through non-compete contracts. The installers typically make very little and cut corners but the over specification, ie. unwarranted high price makes up for the lack of quality.
Long short of it, stonehard does not own a liscense to some amazing epoxy and majority of the reputable manufactor a can make similar or superior product.
This is right along with what I have experienced. Hats off to them for beating the streets and getting in with architect to get their products specified. But that in my experience is about all they have to offer me a guy who has installed epoxy floors for a decade now at 27 yrs old. They are owned by RPM group who own a long list of companies the commercial world may know such as vulkem, tremco, Euclid, rustoleum to name a few. I use some of these products and so I figured I would check Stonhard out. They are who they are and they are not for me. I haven't used there products and probably never will due to the FACT they lock you in to a non compete (I have inquired about being an installer). It is up to people to find an installer they are happy with not a manufacture.
Jagmandave
Well-known member
Not disputing anything said here in reference to the product Stonhard sells or their business model.
The installation crew DOES make all the difference, we had two different crews on our installation and the first was so bad I threw them off the project 2 hours after they arrived at our plant...they then brought in the A team who did a fantastic job and gave us the results we were paying for.
I researched several brands, went to other's plants and looked at installations done by Stonehard and other brand names, by far the Stonhard floors looked noticeably better.
I'm not advocating for them, but in the 14 years I worked at our plant it got really heavy use, and the floor held up. However, I did have them come back and re-top coat it about halfway thru that timeframe - more because of the way my employees treated it (dragging pallets with nails protruding across the floor, scraping heavy machinery over it without using a forktruck etc.) than due to a failure of the product or poor installation.
Mind you this was done in 1998, I'm sure there are other products out there now that are just as good when applied properly, but most of the companies I checked with did not do the sand/epoxy underlayment that Stonhard says is the key to their floor's longevity......others do surface prep and lay the epoxy top coat directly on the concrete.
The installation crew DOES make all the difference, we had two different crews on our installation and the first was so bad I threw them off the project 2 hours after they arrived at our plant...they then brought in the A team who did a fantastic job and gave us the results we were paying for.
I researched several brands, went to other's plants and looked at installations done by Stonehard and other brand names, by far the Stonhard floors looked noticeably better.
I'm not advocating for them, but in the 14 years I worked at our plant it got really heavy use, and the floor held up. However, I did have them come back and re-top coat it about halfway thru that timeframe - more because of the way my employees treated it (dragging pallets with nails protruding across the floor, scraping heavy machinery over it without using a forktruck etc.) than due to a failure of the product or poor installation.
Mind you this was done in 1998, I'm sure there are other products out there now that are just as good when applied properly, but most of the companies I checked with did not do the sand/epoxy underlayment that Stonhard says is the key to their floor's longevity......others do surface prep and lay the epoxy top coat directly on the concrete.
JamesTreeby
Member
We have used Stonehard products, and never had any issues with them. Can definitely recommend.