Wanting the best epoxy for the buck

[Smooveone]

Hi,
New here and 1st post. Been reading for weeks and getting tips and checking on all the vendors and getting quotes for my garage floor. I've seen some prices quoted in here by vendors/sponsors that are way cheaper than what I've been getting by just straight up calling the said company. With that said.............here is my project.......
560 sq ft garage.
Concrete 7 years old and in very good shape. No cracks or grease spots
want a bright red, safety red, arrest me red etc color with high gloss
No Fleck
maybe add that stuff that mixes in the epoxy for grip. Don't want to sling grit everywhere.

Who's got the best deal?

Thanks

 

[NitroShark]

are you doing this as a DYI project? How many Red floors have you done? With no flake, you must really dot your I's and cross your T's doing a floor like you describe.

Shawn

 

[Smooveone]

Yes DIY and never done it before. Thats what I have read about red but my hard head is not gonna settle for less. I have a floor scrubber and am going to spend a day doing nothing but surface prep as I understand that is the most important part.

 

[Nighttrain]

I think you will find that you get what you pay for! SO to save say $500 on the job will in the end cost you much more.

 

[Slippin3]

I have been searching as well. I was leaning towards Wolverine (unavailable right now) and Legacy Coatings.

Scotty at Legacy has been amazing to deal with so far, and I'll likely go with his 600ft kit plus primer and clear coat

 

[DMOSS]

Hey,

I highly recommend the product called EpoxyMaster. www.epoxymaster.com I ordered their product online and had it shipped to the house. I did my double car garage (480 SQ') with their two part 100% Solids Epoxy Kit. They have a bunch of colors and it was cheap to do. Their staff there are excellent to deal with on the phone and very knowledgeable.

I bought the kit that came with the spike shoes, roller, etc.

Their kit also comes with an Acid type etching chemical but don’t bother with it and spend the extra to rent an industrial diamond floor grinder to properly mechanically etch the concrete prior to applying. This will give it an excellent profile for the epoxy to adhere to and last for years.

If I were you I would by the 3 gallon kit and then buy an additional 1.5 gallon kit for your sq footage. That way you can put it on nice and thick. I was amazed at how well and strong this product was to use. Make sure to have another body around to help you out and follow the directions.

I used the following to complete it start to finish (USD):

-Diamond Floor Grinder (HomeDepot)- $100.00

-3 Gallon Kit- $264.95

-1.5 Gallon additional kit $159.95

-Spiked Shoes $34.95

-Shipping (to Canada)- $100.00

-Case of beer- $25.00

Total -$684.85

I added the included fleck and anti slip Aluminum Oxide as well.

Here a few pics from my job as well as a pic from their website of the Red you’re looking for. First pic is after I etched the floor and filled a few cracks. The one with me in it is applying the flex and oxcide. The close up was taken about a week later..... Seriously, I have never done a flooring job like this before and it turned out great. Deffinatley spend the time in the prep faze and it will pay off for you in the end!

Let me know how it goes!

 

[Shea]

Yes DIY and never done it before. Thats what I have read about red but my hard head is not gonna settle for less. I have a floor scrubber and am going to spend a day doing nothing but surface prep as I understand that is the most important part.

You are correct. The floor prep is important not only for adhesion purposes, but also for cosmetics in your case. When going without color flakes, crack repairs and other imperfections in the concrete can telegraph through the coating if not prepped correctly. It sounds like you have a fairly nice surface to start with, so it shouldn't be too difficult with good floor prep. Grinding creates the best surface for a floor like you describe, but acid etching will work if it's in real good shape.

Many of the venders offer color tints to find the red that you want. A top coat or two of polyurethane can give you a very clear and deep shine. Shark Grip or equivalent works real well with polyurethane to give you a non slip surface that is soft on your feet.

 

[Hopalong604]

I used ppg aquapon 35 polyamide epoxy. I chose safety red but not the high gloss finish. It rains a lot in the west coast of canada so I put a lot of shark grip in the mix and I'm glad I did.

 

[ghiradelli777]

I used ppg aquapon 35 polyamide epoxy. I chose safety red but not the high gloss finish. It rains a lot in the west coast of canada so I put a lot of shark grip in the mix and I'm glad I did.

did you grind or acid etch for prep?