Garage floor coatings/covering options

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rfjustin

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lets talk garage floor coatings/covering options please. I have an attached garage 2 car garage (truth be told, size wise its closer to 2.5), insulated, drywall, in the process of painting right now. The garage is NOT heated/cooled. The flooring is typical concrete, no coatings or coverings at this time. Other than your big box store epoxy kit coating options, what other options should I consider?
 
A professional epoxy coating with warranty is the way to go. They come out, clean the concrete, coat it, and warranty the coating. You will eventually drop something that will chip it, and you'll want it repaired.
 
I put an epoxy coating on my workshop floor (typical Big Box Rustoleum I think). Anyway, been down about 6 years and it is fine; very durable. The problem is, it is slick as snot if you have even a little bit of moisture. My workshop is insulated and air conditioned, but if it wasn't and you got a bit of condensation it would be treacherous. Anyway, I have ended up covering the large majority of it with the rubberized 2'x2' interlocking squares. If I had to do it again, I think I would have just put those tiles down wall-to-wall.
 
I don't like having the concrete suck the heat from my feet as I am standing around on it, so my preference is for a wooden floor such as I have in my workshop.

Aluminium sarking (that thin building wall insulation stuff) is laid on the concrete as a moisture barrier. 3/4" thick wooden battens are laid on top of the sarking. Spacing is chosen to provide plenty of support considering how much floor loading you are expecting during use. The floor itself is made from a chipboard product (in Australia we call it "Yellow Tongue") and comes in big sheets at 3/4" thick (you can get thicker or thinner I think), with a yellow strip of plastic on one side to join the sheets together. The flooring sheets are screwed down to the battens. A coat of your favourite color floor paint (mine is a mid grey) and all is good!

The air under the floor provides ventilation and prevents moisture building up.

The floor can have holes cut in it for things like lathes and mills to sit directly on the concrete if needed.

Alternatively wear two pairs of socks when working on concrete floors...
 
Justin, the only way to go is to laminate it with 4x4 carbon fiber twill and Aeropoxy. Then, of course, you will need to vacuum bag the floor, and then do a post cure heat ramp. Just saying.
 
My parents had the professional epoxy flooring installed in a 2.5 car garage. They had several quotes done. Price ranged from $4000.00 to $5000.00 I think... They also went up the side of the foundation 6". They also mixed in a grit (walnut shells, I think). When wet, the floor isn't slippery at all. It is a little tougher to sweep.

Adrian
 
Mine is finished bare concrete with in floor heat, absolutely no regrets
 
I had a lengthly answer typed out....it just vaporized... basics

You might remember I was a Paint Contractor for 28yrs. I did many...many garage floors...commercial floors....school floors big stuff, small stuff one thing in common for all:

Must last, be durable easy, to clean, AND easy to REPAIR. Concrete stain is what you want unless dealing with chemicals or food prep areas. Epoxy floors are pretty & pretty expensive...lol slippery when wet & difficult to fix, they chip , when cracks appear from settling a nightmare to blend/fix.

This is one of the finest products out there. Sherwin Williams & some big box store have it.

https://www.hcconcrete.com/index.jsp Home for site.

What I think you are looking for......... either way do NOT use any latex/water based products. Use the stinky, chemical laden, solvent based stuff for best results....it penetrates the crete, instead of laying on the surface. You'll have the door open anyway if doing your self. This stuff formulated for use in your state to resist salt chems etc.

https://www.hcconcrete.com/products/solid-color-stains/solid-color-solvent-based/index.jsp

I put this in the entrance area of a museum on an extremely busy tourist area, visited by thousands daily. 8 years later after being pressure washed countless times, It still looked new , even in the foot path area!

You must have a smooth, non fiberglass strand re-enforced concrete to use either this or epoxy with doing any prep other than basic cleaning first.

New floor ...or oil stained from parked cars, lawn mowers etc?

If interested in using concrete stain...PM me Justin ...I'll send my # and we can talk. 10 minutes talk time will pretty much determine if it's for you. I can't type that much.

This is definitely user friendly and can be done by you...if you can roll paint on a wall. Epoxy floor prep & finish best left to Pro's for a finish that will last.

Doing it your self or hiring out?
If hiring out,make sure they REALLY know what they are doing.

PS: This page is what I and many pro's use for staining & basically tells you how it's done. Etching/cleaning solution is just basic Muriatic acid, poured on , spread around, left to sit for time specified, then rinsed off/down the drain. No big deal.


https://www.hcconcrete.com/projects/Garage_floors/Stain_it/index.jsp

You can easily do this project yourself if you can use a roller like I mentioned earlier.

My guess would be 3-400.00 for a 2.5 car size for materials and application gear.
Greys & tans/beige best for hiding dirt/ marks and giving a high light /reflective ratio.

Drive in Twilight & Gull Grey were very popular for blending in with any decorating crap the woman had going on.LOL They have installation video's and color charts with some poking around.....good luck, my friend!!!!
 
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Bass Pro carries a line called Tuff Coat. We used it in a trailer and it's bullet proof. It's two parts--primer and top coat . It is a non skid coating and application is easy. If I remember correctly it can go over concrete if you etch it. A little muriatic acid will do that job quickly. You MUST follow the directions !!!! Check it out and find out if it will work for you before you go else where and spend a ton of money to have someone else do it for you. As I recall it's about 40-50 bucks a gallon and you need to figure 20% more than you need to be safe. I would suggest two coats!----tuff coat1.jpgtuff coat2.jpg hope this helps--H
 
A professional epoxy coating with warranty is the way to go. They come out, clean the concrete, coat it, and warranty the coating. You will eventually drop something that will chip it, and you'll want it repaired.

I have thought of this option, but I am nervous to hear the bottom line. If you don't mind me asking, what ballpark figure should I anticipate? Even though I love my house, it is not my forever house.

I put an epoxy coating on my workshop floor (typical Big Box Rustoleum I think). Anyway, been down about 6 years and it is fine; very durable. The problem is, it is slick as snot if you have even a little bit of moisture. My workshop is insulated and air conditioned, but if it wasn't and you got a bit of condensation it would be treacherous. Anyway, I have ended up covering the large majority of it with the rubberized 2'x2' interlocking squares. If I had to do it again, I think I would have just put those tiles down wall-to-wall.

Interesting to note, thank you sir. Since (2) daily driver vehicles will be parked in the garage, having a wet floor in the winter is very likely.

Justin, the only way to go is to laminate it with 4x4 carbon fiber twill and Aeropoxy. Then, of course, you will need to vacuum bag the floor, and then do a post cure heat ramp. Just saying.

I'll set a reminder on my calendar to punch you in the head when I see you at MWP! lol...

My parents had the professional epoxy flooring installed in a 2.5 car garage. They had several quotes done. Price ranged from $4000.00 to $5000.00 I think... They also went up the side of the foundation 6". They also mixed in a grit (walnut shells, I think). When wet, the floor isn't slippery at all. It is a little tougher to sweep.Adrian

5 LARGE!!!??? Holy crap, I'd be living in the garage if I spent that. At least it would be a nice dog house.


Bass Pro carries a line called Tuff Coat. We used it in a trailer and it's bullet proof. It's two parts--primer and top coat . It is a non skid coating and application is easy. If I remember correctly it can go over concrete if you etch it. A little muriatic acid will do that job quickly. You MUST follow the directions !!!! Check it out and find out if it will work for you before you go else where and spend a ton of money to have someone else do it for you. As I recall it's about 40-50 bucks a gallon and you need to figure 20% more than you need to be safe. I would suggest two coats!----View attachment 302738View attachment 302739 hope this helps--H

Any chance you can post some up close photos? I'll research this product line further, and thank you! :)
 
I would call blackjack, his advice would be invaluable especially if you want the best inexpensive way to go. I did the expensive epoxy application a few times from the applier side. I can see how it could be very expensive to have a professionally applied epoxy garage floor coating. The primer is two part as well as the top coat. I think there are some 4 part systems out there as well. Sealer, primer, color, and a clear. Expensive...
 
Bass Pro carries a line called Tuff Coat. We used it in a trailer and it's bullet proof. It's two parts--primer and top coat . It is a non skid coating and application is easy. If I remember correctly it can go over concrete if you etch it. A little muriatic acid will do that job quickly. You MUST follow the directions !!!! Check it out and find out if it will work for you before you go else where and spend a ton of money to have someone else do it for you. As I recall it's about 40-50 bucks a gallon and you need to figure 20% more than you need to be safe. I would suggest two coats!----View attachment 302738View attachment 302739 hope this helps--H
Will do--Give me a couple hours, I'm headed to the airport---H
 
Just speaking to the super cheap option... I used typical big box store stuff on my basement. Had enough left over to do the one car garage. I didn't do it properly, but it's still held up great. A few scratches and dings, and it didn't exactly look pretty, but as a basic floor covering to protect the concrete, I'm glad I did it cheaply. If you're looking for something that looks nice and has high tech qualifications, there's lots of other people far more qualified than I am giving you far better suggestions.
 
100_2554.jpg100_2555.jpg100_2564.jpg100_2566.jpg--100_2567.jpg100_2568.jpg100_2569.jpg100_2573.jpg--that's about the best I have--sorry about the saw dust in some of them. You should be able to click on them and enlarge them or load them to your photo saver and enlarge them--H
 
Justin, you don't want to punch me- you know me and probably realize how bad of an idea that would be😀
 
I had mine professionally done. Along with 2 1000LB. ToppRaxx from the same contractor. Had 16 flourescent light fixtures, more outlets, 2 breakers and ceiling and walls painted in gloss ultra white.
I
About 4k for everything, 3.5 car garage. They brought in a concrete surfacing grinder that took off the first 1/8 inch of concrete, they cut lines under where the garage door closes to serve as an end point so you dont peel it up or chip. Also the 6 inches or so up to the wall.

Black floors with white flake, 3 coats and 3 coats of clear. Can be polished out if needed. I have dropped, dragged heavy stuff, jack stands, engines, steel cabinets, oil, grease, fuel, paint, solder acid...only scratch is on the first clear coat and everything wipes up. They used a 3 part epoxy that came in 5 gallon steel jugs, they were gray.

My last house had the big box retailer roll on floors. Never. Never again.
 
This is one of the finest products out there. Sherwin Williams & some big box store have it.

https://www.hcconcrete.com/index.jsp Home for site.

+1 on this stuff. I used it for my basement walls in the theater/game room, wine cellar and stairway access in orange, red and green, respectively. High quality, superb, one coat coverage, nice deep color. Have had it on for six years and it looks as if it was new. Now, application on the floor I don't know about...
 
Justin,,
I did this myself..
I went with the top of the line 2 part epoxy that CJ is referring to...
Clean the floor first,,
then the muriatic acid prep as the instrucs say..
My garage floor has been through the absolute worst you can throw at it,,
it IS stained,, I haven't tried to clean it in years,, I'm sure it would clean up a bit at least..
But NOWHERE is the coating breached,, it is still perfectly intact...
I think 15 years now....

Teddy
 
After different considerations, I've decided I will use the H&C solid color sealer that Crazy Jim recommended (https://www.hcconcrete.com/products/solid-color-stains/solvent-based-sealer/. Also, taking into account Tim's concern about slippage, the second coat will have the H&C slip resistant additive mixed in. :)

I hope to get this project done this year, but the weather is turning cold quick, so we shall see...

Capture.JPG
 
What ever you do, cleaning is the most important and hardest part. If not done correctly, your coating will fail.
I used mineral spirits and oil dry soak 50 years of oil out of my garage. Unfortunately, I lost the house before I got to coat it.
Just a thought, but have you considered "THIS"?
 
My general rule of thumb is that if a product needs a TV spokesperson, it's an inferior product.

Great products will be recommended to me by people whose opinions in other matters have proven out. Washed up celebrities push least-cost trash.
 
That's great Justin,,
An informed decision after some homework and research
and then careful application,, more time trouble and effort in prep then actually laying out the final finish.....
You're going to love the end result of this....

I'm interested how it goes and pics,, we need to see pics,,, lol...

Teddy
 
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Big box store 3.5 car garage $240 Quickrete - not all that happy with it, but I am very mean to it, for the price I'll recoat every 5 years - but I figured that going in so it doesn't bother me and gives me a chance to reorganize the garage.
I like to "buy once, cry once" but price can be steep for pro job. I'm sure CJ's stuff will work out better than mine, but even if not I'm still fairly happy with it. Hope you post a pic - i might chose a recoat with your choice instead!

FYI - paint chips work great at hiding dirt and I added the sand to the paint - don't throw sand as it bunches and catches dirt. Mixing with the paint and it provides extra grip but not so much that it's hard to clean. This is the 3rd floor I've done and the first we just sifted the sand into the wet paint like instructions said...big mistake!

I also rented a diamond grinder, might have to tell you that story in person , funny now - not funny when it happened !
 
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