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I'm getting ready to redo the floor in my garage and don't want to make the same mistake as I did the first time. The paint store sold me some floor paint that they swore would stand up to traffic, salt, water and everythingelse imaginable. BS! In less than a year, with not much more than foot traffic it's all comming off, looks like hell and now I've got to try somethingelse. And before you ask , yes I did. Did the Muratic acid thing waited two days for it to throughly dry and applied the paint on a warm, not humid day. Has anyone tried the Epoxy paint? How big of a pain is it to apply? Any other ideas? Please, no carpet suggestions and I've already ruled out hardwood flooring! Thanks Ken
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Re: Floor Coating Suggestions? *TL*
Ken,
I have seen some drop dead floors in garages and air plane hangers and the best were done by professional floor finishers. My sense is that this is an area, like automotive paint, where if you want a good job you have to go to someone who does it all the time.
I think some of the chemicals in the floor coatings and cleaners are real nasty and the best chemicals go to folks who have the training to use them. The "do it yourself" market gets less potent and effective materials.
Good luck though - this might poove to be a real interesting thread.
Terry
Terry -
Re: Floor Coating Suggestions?
Here in the Valley of the Sun (ARIZONA), the trend is to have driveways and sidewalks coated, I went the other way and had the garage floor done by professionals. The procedure is to sand the floor with a machine like they use to sand hardwood floors, etch with acid wash, base coat of EPOXY paint into which they spread silica sand and the next day they apply a finish coat of the same material. Cost here is $1-1.50 per sq ft. This procedure is time consuming but proves to be the most durable in the long run. A simple mop up is all that is required to clean up the tire marks and it does not lift from tires even in 110+ weather. One thing is that it does scratch so it is necessary to put some carpet squares under jacks and jack stands. There is some need for caution about thinking it is INDESTRUCTABLE, it is not. For the do-it-yourselfer, on the back page of the July issue of Corvette & chevy Trader there is a company offering a floor product and they have a web site, "www.ucoatit.com". 400-600 ft coverage, 2 coats for under $250 and lifetime warranty, which means that if it lifts, they send you more paint. I would leave it to the professionals but either way....GOOD LUCK!Comment
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Re: Floor Coating Suggestions?
Ken,
The best garage floor I have ever seen was composite tile. It is hard yet relatively scratch-proof (I noticed the owner changed his creeper wheels to plastic and put rings of tire tubing around his floor jack wheels...). The only problem is that holes or low spots in the floor have to be filled before the tiles are laid. When the joints are put in and sealed, you have a really dynamite looking floor. Another possibility is the interlocking rubber squares commonly used in airplane hangers. These have the advantage that they can be easily replaced if damaged. At the moment, my garage is rather proletarian - plywood sheets over plastic foil to prevent moisture rising into the car.
BillComment
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Re: Floor Coating Suggestions?
Hi Ken
I have used a product made by Wilshire Paints called AQUA-THANE it is a 2--part system you mix in an activator before you apply it. I used it in my car trailer and it is VERY durable I believe it can be mixed in any color,it`s in Wilshires industrial coatings. Are you by any chance going to be parking a early corvette in this garage when your finished. ( ha ha) As Mr McManmon states this is an interesting thread in that it has nothing to do with corvette restoration (Terry I apoligize if thats not what you meant)I think it has as much to do or more than 25% of what I read on this board every day!! If you want any more info on the product e-mail me privatley Good Luck Jim Capozzi #21546Comment
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Re: Floor Coating Suggestions?
Ken, last year I put an addition on my garage, and was looking for a good floor coating. I went with epoxy paint. Sherwin Williams sells industrial grade 2 part epoxy. The floor in the existing garage was dirty, so I washed it, etched both floors, and the one thing I was told was to use alot of water to get the acid out of the concrete. I rinsed both floors for what seemed like hours. I let it totaly dry and applied the epoxy. What I learned was never apply when the temperature is over 90 degrees. I applied two heavy coats and let it dry for a month. It was the best thing I ever did. I roll my jacks over it, I have a porable lift, and so far no lifts or scratched areas. It is a pleasure to keep clean. I would talk to the people a Sherwin Williams about the coating you have on the floor now, you might have to remove it. JoeComment
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Re: Floor Coating Suggestions?
Try http://www.homeprofloors.com for an alternative (needs to be professionally applied).Comment
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HomePro Floor Coating
Had my new garage floor done 4 weeks ago by HomePro - commercial process, uses a patented shot-blaster instead of muriatic acid wash - opens pores in concrete so poured epoxy clear primer coat (not paint) can really get a grip on the substrate. Next day they pour the finish color coat with silica sand anti-slip in it. Walk on it in 24 hours, drive on it in 72. Absolutely fantastic gloss, doubles light level in the garage due to reflectivity, impervious to any automotive chemical (including brake fluid), looks like a top-drawer NASCAR or Formula 1 shop. Cost is $1.82/sq. ft. installed. Cleaning it is almost fun - single push with a soft-bristle shop broom, damp mop if it's really dirty. Can't get over the shine - reflects my cars like a mirror. http://www.homeprofloors.com (no connection, yadayadayada).
JohnComment
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Re: Floor Coating Suggestions?
My congrete guy, who has a college degree in engineering, says if the concrete floor was not pored over a vapor barrier, a coating will NEVER hold up and will lift over time.Comment
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Re: Vapor Barrier
He's right - that's why I insulated mine with 4' x 8' sheets of 2" thick high-density closed-cell styrofoam with heavy foil on both sides laid on the soil, then 8-mil poly sheet, then re-rod and mesh, then concrete. Stops migration of moisture entirely, warmer than un-insulated floor. New-technology insulation sheets ran about 30 cents/sq. ft.
JohnComment
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