Suggestions for a rough floor

[JACC0811]

My house was built in '77, and it appears that when they poured the floors, it had rained and pitted every square inch of slab in the house and garage. I want to put on an epoxy coating in the garage, but am concerned about the roughness of the floor. Would this end up being an issue later on down the road and start chipping and/or pealing? Or as long as I prep it right, I shouldn't have any problems?

I've spent the last 2 years remodeling the house inside and out on my own, and the garage is the last thing to finish since all my tools cover the floor. Storage will be my next issue, but that's another thread.

Thanks!

 

[Timm129]

The roughness should not affect the durability of the epoxy. Like you said prep is the key. The first 2 car section of my garage was an older rough surface it really soaked up the epoxy but it has held up through the Illinois winter/salt. The back 2 car section was a new slab. The finish looks ten times better on the back half but both have held up great.....

 

[Jaguar Fan]

... it appears that when they poured the floors, it had rained and pitted every square inch of slab in the house and garage...

Can you post a few pictures?

 

[JACC0811]

I will post some ASAP. You can tell that either they didn't protect the slab or it blew away before it cured, or maybe it was raining as they poured.

 

[JACC0811]

Haven't had a chance to get pic's of the floor, but I can compare it to a rougher version of your typical sidewalk, lol.

 

[AlphaGarage]

If the existing concrete is sold and not flaking, chipping, or crumbling more than a normal concrete floor, then a good epoxy coating system should adhere and perform as well as if it were on a nice flat floor.

Of course if there are sharp points spots any epoxy covering the point may wear a bit more because when applied it will tend to slip down the sides a bit, and since it sticks up from the surrounding low areas it will have more contact relative to adjacent areas. That's not a flaw from the coating that's just the physical shortcomings of an uneven surface.

Why not put down a skim coat of an epoxy/sand high build material?

 

[thegarageguy]

Depending on how rough it is, you may have to resurface it with a polymer modified self leveling cement. These systems pour out and self level at 3/8 to 1/4 inch when epoxies can only self level at an 1/16 to an 1/8 unless they are blended with aggregates. Still, for the money and time, polymerized cements may be the way to go.

Of course, it's difficult to suggest anything without PICS!!!

Either way, this may be better handled by a pro in your area.

Usually when we get a project that is heavily deteriorated and the client wants a chip or quartz finish, we go with 1/4 inch urethane cements, either self leveling or trowel type system.