The 'Negatives' Garage Flooring Thread...

[jgira12]

Ok, I am still on the fence about choosing a flooring. What I want to hear about is all the bad things about each flooring material. You know, the click/clack noise, the hot tire pickup, etc. I know all the good stuff...it seems just when I think I am going to pull the trigger, I hear about some bad characteristic/experience that shelves the project. So, please, only list what you know as negative qualities of your flooring choice. To paraphrase a well known phrase...If you have nothing bad to say, don't say anything at all!

 

[porphyre]

Negatives? I did epoxy and the only negative is the difficulty vs cost.

I guess you've got to pay to play, though.

Basically, my situation is I didn't have the skills or experience to put the floor down as well as I wanted to. I didn't have anybody helping me, nor did I have any floors to look at in person. So, to make it look as good as I want, I'm probably going to have to spend approx 50% of what I spent originally to grind out and fix a few areas. Now that I've learned from my mistakes on the first application, I think the fixes will bring the floor to near perfection and I'm pretty confident I've learned enough to do it correctly.

So it's a case of, if you don't do it right the first time, it's expensive to fix. In a perfect world, something that cost the consumer that much would be a little easier to use.

But I frankly, spending 150% on my DIY job, it's still going to cost less than 50% of a professional job while attaining about 95% professional quality.

 

[87GN]

If to do over again, I'm using colored concrete and not epoxy paint.

Mark

 

[Thomarann]

I used epoxy with chips but it is still slippery when wet.

Marc

 

[Shocker]

Bad thing about my Racedeck installation is the dirt. I HATE getting it dirty as it looks so nice.

 

[AlphaGarage]

I used epoxy with chips but it is still slippery when wet.

Marc

Flakes do add texture, but not enough to counteract a slick wet or greasy floor, it's more like the texture of roll out vinyl. To help minimize slips and falls use a grit additive. There are quite a few different types, for residential use check out engineered polymer grit, like our SuperGrip or SharkSkin.

 

[MThomas]

Bad thing about my Racedeck installation is the dirt. I HATE getting it dirty as it looks so nice.

I agree, but that is why I have a mop and bucket.

 

[noslo04]

High-quality epoxy (including EXTENSIVE prep) cost me as much as Racedeck and I can't take it with me when I move. The whole process took day after day after day.... Acid for etching is highly corrosive and fumes from the clearcoat were toxic.

I would do it again though.

 

[jgira12]

Interesting, some negatives I hadn't been aware of...you guys get an A+ for keeping to the topic...keep 'em coming

 

[PurdueSD]

Epoxy- welding and grinding slag burns little craters into it. It is also a science to apply it. A botched job/ poor products equals crappy adhesion. I know that their are at least 2 "professionals" in my area that haven't figured out how to get it to stick long term. Just ask my uncle.

That being said, I love the look and durability and idea of epoxy. And there are great companies out there doing quality jobs... (just not in my area) I think I do to much fab work for it to be a feasible option. I guess its bare concrete for me...

 

[TONE]

Ive actually had a few types of applications over the years.

1. Bare concrete
2. Bare concrete with a cheap sealer over it
3. Epoxy flooring
4. Racedeck

I actually had the racedeck at my last house, took it with to the new one and plan on taking it if we move again.

I kept looking for the better solution for a garage floor.

The bare concrete was simply to hard to keep clean. The concrete with the sealer was actually nice but wasnt very attractive and didnt reflect hardly any light.

So then we did the epoxy route. The worse in my opinion. Cost was about as much as racedeck. Was slippery, scuffed easily, and the color simply annoyed me after awhile.

I really dislliked it so much than now I cant stand the way tradiional flaked epoxy looks. Its hard to see stuff when you drop it on the ground. And I found it hard to keep really clean.

I didnt have much tire lift off but did have alot of areas with stains that would come up mostly but I could still slightly see em. Pizzed me off.

The biggest disappointment with the epoxy was how I spent all the money on it but couldnt take it with us when we moved. Felt like I gave the new owner a freebie. The family who bought our old home never even noticed the garage epoxy, so that had nothing to do with our sale.

Racedeck to me is easy to care for, looks amazing, keeps the garage a bit cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, isnt slippery and comes up easy when ya move.

 

[AlphaGarage]

High-quality epoxy (including EXTENSIVE prep) cost me as much as Racedeck and I can't take it with me when I move. The whole process took day after day after day.... Acid for etching is highly corrosive and fumes from the clearcoat were toxic.

I would do it again though.

Just a quick note - not all epoxy coatings are the same!!!

Our coatings are allowed in all 50 states, are non-toxic, non-flammable, low odor, and contain no solvents or volatile organic compounds.

Not only do coatings differ in health concerns, they differ just as greatly in performance. Some adhere far better than others, some resist chemical spills better, some don't scratch as easily.

To lump all resin coatings in the same box is as wrong as saying that a tile product is the same as **** carpet.

 

[PassnThru]

Great thread - seems that epoxy is really taking a hit here. I'm particularly interested in VCT stories. Any?

 

[porphyre]

Epoxy may seem to be taking a hit, but I'm with PurdueSD. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The ease of cleanup plus the good looks cannot be beat. I cleaned out 2 solid months' worth of winter's snow, salt, sand, grime, and just DIRT in 30 minutes. Total. That includes getting the hose out of storage and putting it back. And after that 30 minutes the floor looked just like the day I put it down. I wish I had before/after because I was shocked by the turnaround.

 

[octavio3311]

I have to agree - I thought the epoxies would be the clear cut winner!

I was favoring VCT myself - but living in the northeast - I'm very concerned with the amount of snow and sand the wife's daily driver brings in! Now I find myself leaning very heavily towards the RaceDeck option. Ease of install and the fact that I can take them up if I move is also steering me towards taking that initial hit!

 

[jgira12]

Careful now...I see some positives creeping in....