Garage floor coatings

[FUNCTIONAL]

Anyone have experience with rustoleum epoxyshield and/or rocksolid? Either really more durable than the other? Couldnt find much from anyone competent online. 2 friends just did the epoxyshield with good results but its only been a month.

New house is done being built and id like to get a coating down before i get my shit in there and its a lot tougher.

 

[AllenOne1]

I hired mine done so that I could get a urethane top coating which is super durable. Yes it cost more but everyone I have heard of that used the DIY kits has had issues after a couple of years with the tires lifting the coating off the floor. Two and a half years on mine and no issues so far.

I also looked into buying the commercial grade materials which you can buy. The cost would be much less but.... I figured there was 1 way to do it right and 10 ways to do it wrong. After you mix the coatings you have about 15 minutes to get it spread.

 

[want2learn]

i've only used the rustoleum product....we did this quite a few years back to the garage of our rental property. It's held up fine, by that i mean no cracking or peeling or separation. for the most part it cleans up well, if you do get an oil spill it will show but less of course than had it poured on raw concrete. over the years the color has faded a bit but that's not too surprising. it's not slippery which is also good.

the only thing i wasn't too crazy about was the sparkles that you throw on the coating.....i don't think it adds anything aesthetically and it sure makes it tougher to find little screws and what nots that may fall on the floor.

we carefully prepped the floor per the included directions...degreased like crazy i think twice (it was an old concrete well used and stained garage floor), power washed, let it dry for a couple of days (easy to do in So Cal, i think we even ran a fan in there for one day?) and used the concrete etching product....if i recall correctly the process took about 4 days from start to finish. I don't think we drove on the floor for another couple of days.

it's not as pretty as my friend's gorgeous polished concrete garage floor but we have no regrets, it suited our purpose fine, was pretty easy to do and wasn't prohibitively expensive.

ours is a dull marine gray type of color. i heard they make nice metallic like colors but as i said, we did this quite a few years back.

 

[Jackalope]

I’ve had good luck with the Rustoleum. Make sure you buy the solvent based version not the water base. My prep was similar to @want2learn. Soapy water and a scrub with a push broom a couple times, good rinse, mop with muriatic acid to etch, rinse again, let it dry, coat it.

 

[Alpine 338]

You know how new concrete sluffs for a period of time, what Im referring to is the continued separation of surface particles or dust. Does this impact how durable and epoxy coating is?

 

[upjeeper]

i did rustoleum and wasn't happy with it, to be fair the concrete was well used and i cleaned it as best as i could, plus the temperature was right at the cold limit
a couple of years later (in the summer) i had a company come out and shot blast the concrete so it was perfectly prepped. i used Benjamin Moore floor paint and it's held up very well

 

[8up]

I am no concrete person, but would like to do my place also. I have a workshop, and house garage that I would also like to get done.

Anyway, I had a friend get his house garage done by a crew that specializes in concrete refinishing. They came in with surface grinders, took top surface 1/4" layer off, made it completely level, sealed up any cracks or imperfections, and finished with a commercial grade paint. If I remember correctly, the same type they use in aircraft hangars. Finished product looks darn nice, and has held up. I cannot remember how much it cost, but was in the ballpark of $2000.

I would not use any of that big store coverings, stuff is cheap and does not last.

 

[FUNCTIONAL]

Welp....ill let you all know. Ended up just getting the epoxyshield. I don't plan on parking a car in there for quite some time until i build a detatched so i figured it should do fine as just a light duty workshop flooring.

Whenever i build my detached if it isn't holding up ill roll in there professional coating of both floors.

 

[Tack425]

I went with Armorpoxy. It has been tough as nails and looks great. Took me about 1 week to get it installed with 2 coats each of primer, paint, top finish. You can pick up a kit and have everything you need delivered right to your garage.

 

[Ravenworks]

You know how new concrete sluffs for a period of time, what Im referring to is the continued separation of surface particles or dust. Does this impact how durable and epoxy coating is?

The biggest thing is to not have the finishers seal the concrete.
If the seal it you'll be grinding it to promote good adhesion.
For something that will last buy a good 2 part epoxy from Sherwin Williams.

There was a product we used in the water treatment plant on the sluice ways,they see upwards of 30 million gallons of water a day and it lasted 20 years.

Prep prep prep is the key.

 

[toopoorformore]

I did my garage a few years ago with rustoleum rock solid with the metallic swirl finish. Easy to use and looked killer but my suggestion is to use the final durable clear coating (which is not included in the kit). They don’t recommend applying the clear after a few days and I regret not putting a few layers down as my floor is already getting nice and scratched up.

 

[AngryKoala]

Coming from a dude who worked in a Sherwin Williams lab most of the epoxies you listed will work but if you are worried about hot tracking of tires then you may run into problems.

Also most of the issues involved with a coating in general are user error and improper surface prep. If it were me, I would definitely not use any sort of surfactant based product (Ex. Soap). I also wouldn't use acid as it can effect the crosslinker if not thoroughly rinsed. Avoid using too much water as adhesion to wet concrete can be an issue and even if the concrete looks dry it may not actually be dry.

My prep would go like this:
1. Clean out the garage, sweep the floors of any large debris.
2. Rent a Scarifier and all the edge tools and use it on the floor. Pro-tip, spritzing a little water in front of the scarier will take care of most of the dust (Wear at minimum and N95, respirator with P100 is better).
3. Shop Vac dust and go over with a lightly damp cloth, allow to dry.
4. Apply a concrete primer, then epoxy and ensure its level (follow manufacturers instructions).

 

[FWoo45]

I did the rock solid a couple years ago. Still looks almost new. One scratch but that was from taking the new safe off a trailer, nothing to prevent it. Easy to clean. Brake cleaner didn't ef it up, oil wipes right off. I don't drive the car that I park in the garage much though. Applied between Xmas and new years ( kali winter though) two years ago. Prep took me a week including etching and lots of pressure washing and drying. Two days IIRC to apply the actual stuff. Didn't park on it for a few days. Good luck.

 

[AngryKoala]

Hello all.
Looking to coat my garage floor this summer. Have looked at a few different companies. U-coat it, epoxy-coat, super floor coatings as well as POR 15 floor coating. Costs seem to be pretty competitive.

Anybody have any experience with any of them or any others? Any I should stay away from?
Trying to get some real-world input.

Thanks

What will be stored on the garage floor and do you have a large truck, tractor ect that will be driven on the floor? Are you worried about aesthetics or protecting the concrete?

 

[forrestgump01]

Epoxy & Urethane Coatings

Made using only pure, high-grade resins. Our epoxy coatings provide the ultimate protective film to perform under the harshest conditions-providing chemical, acid and abrasion resistance.

ghostshield.com

 

[TxLabRat]

Bought a new house a year ago and had the aspartic coating done and really like it. No issues at all yet and looks great. I just didn't have the time to do it myself at the time so hired it done. I remember the cost ran about $3500 for a four car garage including all materials and labor.

 

[n2ishun]

I've done it quite a few times in quite a few different areas, so I know local environment can and will affect it.
Pretty much toss out the directions, they are written for lab conditions, not your garage.

Use muriatic acid to etch, wear knee high rubber boots, and use a floor scrubber type brush on a long handle.
It will foam, normal, keep it foaming by brushing.
Rinse the holy fuck out of it after about an hour of leaving it sit.
Use a squeegee.....rinse it again, use squeegee again.
Use fans to dry it.
Standard 2 car garage will take about 5 gallons muriatic acid, don't be a poor and cheap out.

Now you can do the shit according to directions skipping the part of the citrus based etcher.

 

[hlee]

I thought about a garage floor covering. It’s cheaper and easier to just cost the whole thing in used motor oil. No more leaked oil spots. Follow my on the gram for more life hacks.

 

[accurate obsession]

Used the Rustoleum product on a garage floor in a new house many years ago. During our time there it held up very well, no cracking, peeling or lifting where the car tires are.
This was pristine new concrete, if it was an old floor with years of oil and tire contamination, idk.

 

[FUNCTIONAL]

To update if anyone is interested. I'm a year and a half into my coating with the epoxyshield. I have a 2 car garage and I got the 2.5 kit and had plenty to go thicker if I knew any better. It's held up to the tractor and parking my boat in there and dragging kayaks around often. No chops, peeling, etc. I'll probably go with something more heavy duty when we build our detached garage where I'll have my machinery and heavy shit but overall I've been pleased. As with everything painting I was anal with prep, truely is the key.

 

[AngryKoala]

Used the Rustoleum product on a garage floor in a new house many years ago. During our time there it held up very well, no cracking, peeling or lifting where the car tires are.
This was pristine new concrete, if it was an old floor with years of oil and tire contamination, idk.

Biggest issue with tires is hot tracking. The coatings can handle the abuse but aesthetically the tracks don't look good. I'm not sure if they ever solved that issue as I left SW and went into a new industry.

Trucks were the worse and mainly turning the wheel while in the garage caused the issue. The test they used to do didn't account for that facet of interface manipulation.

 

[_Windrider_]

Getting mine done next month. Having a contractor do it because the current floor is in bad shape and needs to be grinded. I’m not in the mood to do that.

 

[BullGear]

Anyone have experience with rustoleum epoxyshield and/or rocksolid? Either really more durable than the other? Couldnt find much from anyone competent online. 2 friends just did the epoxyshield with good results but its only been a month.

New house is done being built and id like to get a coating down before i get my shit in there and its a lot tougher.

Not me but my neighbor. I'd say it's a waste of money from the evidence of what just 2 years has shown. If you pull straight in and back out in the same tracks, it's not too bad, but if you turn your wheel to realign, his has spun the coating right off of the floor.

He's pretty good and I'm sure he followed the directions (he's that kinda guy), but I wouldn't waste the money. Call in a ppro and have him use the industrial stuff. Buy once, cry once.

 

[Cardboard Assassin]

Tagged for interest

 

[FWoo45]

I did the rock solid a couple years ago. Still looks almost new. One scratch but that was from taking the new safe off a trailer, nothing to prevent it. Easy to clean. Brake cleaner didn't ef it up, oil wipes right off. I don't drive the car that I park in the garage much though. Applied between Xmas and new years ( kali winter though) two years ago. Prep took me a week including etching and lots of pressure washing and drying. Two days IIRC to apply the actual stuff. Didn't park on it for a few days. Good luck.

I recently bought a house and I’ll be moving next month. I was considering having an epoxy shield coat professionally installed since I intend to be there long term. Has anyone had this done to their garage floor recently, and how much did you pay for it to have done? The one I am looking at is approximately $4100 and comes with a 20 year warranty for a 3-car garage that has approximately 600 sq feet. This price includes surface preparation of the existing concrete since the house is not brand new.

Thanks

My assessment from a couple years ago is still holding true. Solid floor coating. Been parking my half ton pickup/daily driver in the garage for about a year. Weekend convertible for about four. Floor coating has held up great.

 

[_Windrider_]

Before and after of a garage on a rental of mine I just had done.

 

[acudaowner]

leftist tears ?

 

[TurboTrout]

My understanding is as with most things its all prep, and a concrete floor meant to be finished is a somewhat different formulation than a floor that’s meant to be covered over or just to be a good enough hard surface

 

[Ravenworks]

My understanding is as with most things its all prep, and a concrete floor meant to be finished is a somewhat different formulation than a floor that’s meant to be covered over or just to be a good enough hard surface

If the house is under construction the best advice I could give you is put a vapor barrier down before the concrete goes in.

Also DO NOT seal it prep,prep,prep is where it's at.

If the concrete is already installed with no vapor barrier then I suggest using a roll on sealer designed for moisture barrier.
There's a lot of science that goes into these moisture barriers

 

[AngryKoala]

My understanding is as with most things its all prep, and a concrete floor meant to be finished is a somewhat different formulation than a floor that’s meant to be covered over or just to be a good enough hard surface

Most failures of adhesion are due to poor prep. In the lab we used muriatic acid (dilute HCl) however, I prefer to rent a scarifier (less need for rinsing/drying).
Resin selection and the type of crosslinker/catalyst will develop a large portion of the coating properties.

 

[lht645]

I put this stuff down six years ago and it is as if I just did it. Don't use the crap you get at Home Depot/Lowes, get something like this, etch and clean the floor and FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER and it will be worth it.

Garage Coatings | Commercial Epoxy Flooring

 

[AllenOne1]

I recently bought a house and I’ll be moving next month. I was considering having an epoxy shield coat professionally installed since I intend to be there long term. Has anyone had this done to their garage floor recently, and how much did you pay for it to have done? The one I am looking at is approximately $4100 and comes with a 20 year warranty for a 3-car garage that has approximately 600 sq feet. This price includes surface preparation of the existing concrete since the house is not brand new.

Thanks

That price seems high to me, I would have expected a price in the $3000 range for an epoxy flake floor. Not sure where you are and I'm sure prices are going up just like everything else but I would try to get a second bid.