Floor Epoxy

[Mike OMelia]

I would like to find something for my grage shop floor in a tan color. Any recommendations? Also, can an epoxy floor be made slip resistant? (without making it impossible to clean)

Mike

[Carl Beckett]

I think you can add some sand to it. The question is how it wears, and how much more difficult to clean if it has sand in it.

[Mike OMelia]

OK... probably not going to go with anti-slip. Anybody ever use UCoat-It?

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I went to sherwin williams and purchased a two part high solids industrial epoxy. Note that you do not want to breath the fumes so you will need a filter for breathing or very good ventilation.... But it is a garage so you will want the maks (got mine at a borg for about $30).

Sherin Williams tinted the epoxy to what ever color I wanted.

It was not cheap if you were wondering.

[Steve Pippins]

Mike, I used the U-Coat-It brand in the gray. It is easy to apply and works great. I did not use any additives and it is somewhat slippery when wet.
If you use the U-Coat-it, my recommendation is to wait for cooler weather. I applied in the late spring and kept the epoxy mix on ice water to
extend the open time.

Steve

[Mike OMelia]

Steve, that sounds like good advice. Much of what I have read recommends cooler temperatures. And that is most def what we are not experiencing right now. I will have to do it one side at a time. But I do worry about hot tires. Has yours held up well?

[David Hawxhurst]

i used the griots garage floor epoxy. after 2yrs (sold it) it was holding up fine. had no problems with hot tires sticking/peeling it. if i do it again i WILL put in the sand/anti slip without when the floor got wet is was almost like being on ice. the prep is the most important thing. i used muriatic acid and a floor scrubbing/polishing machine (rented from big box store) to acid etch the floor.

[Will Rowland]

Sand or aluminum oxide as an anti-slip material in epoxy is very sharp and will be difficult to clean. A better alternative is polymer "balls", which are sold under the brand names of SharkGrip and SuperGrip. The polymer additive is not sharp, and the floor can be cleaned easily if the coverage of the additive is not too heavy. However, whereas sand/al-ox can be broadcast into the wet epoxy, the polymer anti-slip must be applied in an urethane top coat.

I've done a few floors now, and my recommendation (without breaking the bank) would be 1) rent a grinder (instead of using muriatic acid), 2) put down a thin 100% solids epoxy color coat, 3) put down a urethane top coat with the polymer grip additive. I prefer a product called Endurashield for the urethane top coat. Most urethanes also provide for a UV resistant coating...epoxy by itself is not UV-resistant and will yellow over time if exposed at all to sunlight.

One thing is for certain...I would NEVER do an epoxy floor in a working shop environment without having some sort of anti-slip in the coating. Let me say that again...I would NEVER put down epoxy without an anti-slip. Epoxy-only with some MDF dust or a drop water on top is the equivalent of ice.

[John TenEyck]

I just did my 2+ car garage with Rustoleum 2-part Epoxy paint. It was about $ 110 at HD, and is available in lots of colors, although only grey and tan were in stock. I spent a lot of time prepping my peeling, oil spotted, spalled, and cracked floor. If I could have found a scarifier I would have used that to get down to sound concrete, but I couldn't so I did a lot of chipping, scraping, degreasing, patching, and etching to get it ready. I also put down an Acrylic primer coat first (Behr from HD). All told it took a week of prep. work. The Rustoleum kit comes in two gallon kits, each with its own activator. You have about 90 minutes after mixing the two parts before it sets up, which I found to be plenty of time to edge and then spread a gallon with a roller. The primer did a good job making the epoxy spread evenly and it has dried with a consistent gloss. I threw on the plastic sprinkles to help hide the less than perfect surface. There also is an anti-slip compound you can mix into the paint, which you buy extra, but I didn't use it. I can vouch that the floor would be quite slippery when wet if you have really smooth concrete, but mine's a little rough from my prep work. This is the second time I've done this floor with the Rustoleum epoxy. The first time was over 10 years ago, and it held up pretty well. My problems were more due to spalling due to poor repair work done before than any issue with the epoxy. I never had any problems with hot tire pick up or oil spills lifting the paint, which had a lot of bearing in my choosing to use it again, although I did think about using the SW product. Rustoleum also makes a solvent based clear coat to go over the colored basecoat for even more protection. I haven't used it but thought I'd mention it. Anyway, my garage looks awesome; too bad I have to put my cars back in there.

John

[Mike OMelia]

I'm picking up a lot of good tips! I actually dreamed up the concept of polymer balls. Had no idea they existed but in my mind the idea seemed right... Then I see it posted here. Have you used it? Are these hard or spongy balls? (ok, here come the jokes). I guess I would be interested in a total cost estimate. This sounds like what I'm looking for. I also think the primer coat makes a lot of sense.

Mike

[Mike OMelia]

Just had a thought. I wonder why Linex does not do this?

[Mike OMelia]

Will, why can't u mix the shark grip with the epoxy? Will it react? Also, what epoxy base cost do u recommend?

Mike

[John M Wilson]

I just did my 2+ car garage with Rustoleum 2-part Epoxy paint ... This is the second time I've done this floor with the Rustoleum epoxy. The first time was over 10 years ago, and it held up pretty well.

I'm about ready to re-coat my garage floor also. I used the Rustoleum 2-Part about 10 years ago, and it needs some "freshening". John, did you do the primer/prep work over the 10 yr old coat of Rustoleum, or did you just re-coat it? I'm wondering if I need to do anything special to put epoxy over epoxy, other than use the etch included in the kit.

If anyone else has advice on recoating existing epoxy, I'm all ears (sorry for the inadvertent thread hi-jack).

[Todd Brewer]

After a lot of research I have decided to go with Armor II from http://www.armorgarage.com/. I am not one to save a few bucks then have a problem down the road. I believe you get what you pay for. I want to do this once an have it last for a long time, hopefully longer than me, and I hope to be here for a long time. LOL

I posted a thread on leveling my floor and no one had a really viable solution. Armorgarage has a product that can be used to level the floor, and it is totally compatible with the epoxy coating.

Look at their comparison page to see how much you have to spend on the other brands to equal the thickness of their product. http://www.armorgarage.com/qatestsection.html

And no I am not affiliated with them. Just impressed with their very well documented comparisons and their customer service. They did not push me towards their highest end product, although I am tempted to spend an extra $500 to get the very best. (I need enough to do about 1100 square feet).

A couple of previous posts talk about re-coating after 10 years, think about the cost and hassle of re-coating vs. buying a top quality product in the first place and having it last a lot longer.

I plan to order their product in the next day or two. If someone has a problem with their product please post.

Todd

[Mike OMelia]

Makes sense to me. The very first hot tire peel up means you just blew 300-500 dollars.

Mike

Ps: line x does have a product at $7 a sqft!!

[John TenEyck]

I'm about ready to re-coat my garage floor also. I used the Rustoleum 2-Part about 10 years ago, and it needs some "freshening". John, did you do the primer/prep work over the 10 yr old coat of Rustoleum, or did you just re-coat it? I'm wondering if I need to do anything special to put epoxy over epoxy, other than use the etch included in the kit.

If anyone else has advice on recoating existing epoxy, I'm all ears (sorry for the inadvertent thread hi-jack).

Hi John. Yes I put the new layer over the old, but only after I repaired all the spalled areas (which were due to underlying issues and not any fault of the epoxy topcoat), and after I degreased and etched the entire floor. I also was worried about the fresh concrete repair sections absorbing the epoxy topcoat preferentially compared to the epoxy painted areas, which is why I decided to put a primer down first. HD sells a styrene based primer for uncoated concrete, but it can't be used for concrete that has been coated previously. So I went with their acrylic based primer which is good for concrete, wood, and metal. I'm glad I took this extra step as the finish coat of epoxy spread like a dream on top of it and it all has a nice uniform shine, although only time will tell about durability.

If you have a new concrete floor and live somewhere where they don't use salt on the roads I imagine the coating could last nearly a lifetime, especially if you clear coated it, too. My floor had serious spalling when I bought the house since it had never been coated and the road salt had done its nasty work, and I've been dealing with it ever since. I think the only way I could guarantee no future repair work would be to rip out the floors completely and have new ones poured. So in my case, 10 years between repairs isn't bad, and is driven more by how long the spalling repairs hold than by any degradation of the epoxy topcoat. In other words, I doubt it makes much difference which epoxy coating I use will have on the time between repairs.

John

[Harry Hagan]

I plan to order their product in the next day or two. If someone has a problem with their product please post.

Todd

Todd,

We're going to need plenty of before and after photos—especially the repaired areas, and also cost/ft2.

[David Hawxhurst]

Just had a thought. I wonder why Linex does not do this?

there is a company south of me that is doing such. i think it may have been rhino but they're pretty close to the same thing. i asked for a quote and it was a couple grand for a 20x20 garage. i do believe it would hold up and last longer than epoxy.

[Steve Pippins]

Mike, the U-Coat-It has held up extremely well. There is absolutely no hot tire pick up.

Steve

[Will Rowland]

Will, why can't u mix the shark grip with the epoxy? Will it react? Also, what epoxy base cost do u recommend?

Mike

The Shark Grip will sink to the bottom very quickly. It has to be kept in constant suspension, thus the reason you put it on mixed with a urethane, with a roller, from a pan. If you put it in the epoxy, when you pour the epoxy out on the floor, before you could spread/backroll the epoxy, the Shark Grip would sink instantly, and you would end up with piles of SharkGrip everywhere (you can't really spread it once it has "sunk").

The best technique I've found for spreading the SharkGrip evenly is to mix it thoroughly with the urethane, and the pour the whole mixture into an oversize paint tray. Dip the roller in the tray, and then do a "sacrificial" roll on a long piece of cardboard or masonite. This way, you evenly coat the roller - otherwise you will get a big blob of the Sharkgrip at the initial contact point on the floor. Once the roller is evenly saturated, dip it again in the mix, and then start the roller "moving" on just the edge of the roller, i.e, you get it "up to speed". Then gradually lay the roller flat while it is moving. With this technique I've been able to get a super even application of the SharkGrip. If you just plop the roller down on the floor, and then start rolling, you get a noticeable blob of the SharkGrip/SuperGrip (I made this mistake on my very first shop floor).

A few weeks ago I did another shop building, and I used EpoxyCoat, which is a 100% solids product. You can buy it at some Lowe's or off their website. Note that they have a big presence on the Garage Journal board, and if you mention you heard from it there, they will give you a discount. The urethane I used was Wolverine Coatings Endurashield, which I bought from Alpha Garage.

When evaluating epoxies the big thing to consider is what the final thickness of the coating is. A gallon of a 50% solids epoxy will only be half as thick as a gallon of a 100% solids, once dried. A lot of the non-100% solids products are really just glorified paint. I think Epoxy Coat on my last project ending up at 9 mils thick, plus another 3-4 mils of the urethane. When I did my main shop, I used all Wolverine products (bonding agent, epoxy, urethane) but much thicker - I think my total coating was 32 mils. (Hammers bounce off it, and it is impossible to damage).

Cost wise, my other shop building at 480 sq ft cost around $275 for the Epoxy Coat plus around $200 for the SuperGrip + Endurashield. When I did my main shop (600 sq ft) with all Wolverine products 3-4 years ago, and the total cost was a little over $1000 in materials. No doubt that the thicker coating is preferable, but cost-wise I couldn't justify for what is essentially a storage building for me.

Prep is of course the key to success, like anything. If you use a muriatic acid wash, you absolutely must completely neutralize it and remove 100% of the residue. This may take quite a few complete cleanings with a pressure washer. IMHO, not removing all of the residue is what causes most people's floors to fail. This is why I think you are better off renting an EDCO or similar grinder instead of the acid wash. Yes, the upfront cost is higher, but the time involved will be much less, and you will also be much more successful at smoothing surface imperfections.

A couple other tips...I really like the Wooster Epoxy-Glide rollers (probably have to buy them online). A lot of standard paint rollers will shed with the 100% solids epoxy, even if you tape them off before hand. I would also use an 18" roller to bankroll the epoxy after you spread it, as it goes MUCH faster than with a 9". I would also invest in a high-quality notched squeegee to spread the epoxy, and get a quality 12' roller extension handle. Once you start mixing the epoxy, the clock is ticking, so you don't want to be dealing with flimsy handles, squeegees, etc.

Keep in mind the above is really in reference to 100% solids products...the other Behr/Quikrete/etc products are probably easier to apply, but unlikely to last as long.

[Mike OMelia]

Will, if the sharkgrip will sink, what about applying the epoxy or urethane, then use something to "blow" the sharkgrip onto the surface? Just curious. Would that fail since the top of the sharkgrip would not get coated?

[Mike OMelia]

I plan to order their product in the next day or two. If someone has a problem with their product please post.

Todd

Todd, that looks rather impressive. Are you planning on adding the anti-slip agent? and just what is it?

Mike

[Will Rowland]

Will, if the sharkgrip will sink, what about applying the epoxy or urethane, then use something to "blow" the sharkgrip onto the surface? Just curious. Would that fail since the top of the sharkgrip would not get coated?

The Sharkgrip looks and feels like a fine sugar. I don't think you could evenly blow it on to the epoxy, and, even if if you could, it might actually sink into the epoxy and not have much of an effect in the end. Since a urethane coat is much thinner, the Sharkgrip protrudes from the surface enough to add texture. By the way, I applied it at a rate of 4 oz per 250 sf. Much more than that, and it starts to get a little too dense for my liking. It doesn't take much to add enough texture to the surface. (For the record I've never actually used Sharkgrip; I used SuperGrip 850, but my understanding is that there are essentially - if not exactly - the same product. Supergrip does come in two varieties - 850 and 300, 850 being the larger diameter material.)

If you were using a solvent-based epoxy that you rolled on (and thus was a thin coat), you might be able to get away with mixing the Sharkgrip/Supergrip into the coating.

[Todd Brewer]

Todd,

We're going to need plenty of before and after photos—especially the repaired areas, and also cost/ft2.

I'll take before and after pictures.

My floor is fairly new. But I was stupid and agreed to let the contractor make the stress/crack relief lines then fill them in with slurry. He said I would only see a small crack and wouldn't have to see the deeper relief line. Well I wish I wouldn't have let him do that. I now have spider cracks, some where he made the relief lines but others that go in random directions. There are also some low spots, not really that bad, I'm sure most concrete floors have them. I'd like to have as flat a floor as possible so tables and such won't rock. They recommend cutting a v-grove into the cracks then filling with their joint and crack compound, about $150 for a gallon kit (two part mix). Not sure if that is one gallon total or each part is one gallon, I hope the later at that price! The same material can be used to fill low spots or other damaged areas. He claims it can go from feather thin to fairly thick, I don't remember exactly how thick but it was a lot thicker than the 1/8" or so I am trying to achieve. You mix it with playground sand.

The Armor II product is a solid color which is what I want. The product will run me about $1250 not including the crack and joint filler to cover an 1100 sq foot shop/garage. However that price includes everything you need, etching compound, neutralizing compound, rollers, two part epoxy, urethane top coat, and anti slip compound. He says the anti-slip compound doesn't affect the appearance but you can feel it. Finished thickness is 14 mils. Total cost (includes free shipping) is about $1500 (includes the crack and joint compound) for 1100 square feet. Nothing else to buy. I am thinking about the Ultra but it will cost an additional $500. But it is twice as hard and almost twice as thick at 23 mils. This means it will last almost 4 times longer. The Armor II is really, really hard but sometimes I just have to buy the best. :) He made no attempt to move me up the Ultra. I told him I had a work shop and garage and he recommended the Armor II.


Todd, that looks rather impressive. Are you planning on adding the anti-slip agent? and just what is it?

Mike

I am planning on using the anti slip agent that comes with the kit. I don't recall what he said it was. The nice thing about this method is it all comes as one kit and it's all compatible. I'll try to remember to get a description of the anti-slip material when I place the order. I was concerned about it looking too rough or being hard to clean. He said neither was an issue but I could use it half strength, or not use it at all but it would be very slippery when wet!

My only fear is the cracks coming through. If they come back as hair line cracks I won't care. I just don't want to see chips around the cracks.

Todd

[Mike OMelia]

Well I'm hoping u r able to report back on the anti-slip additive. How well it works and how well it cleans.

Mike

[Bob Falk]

I used the Armor product 12 years ago for a basement shop floor. Worked great and held up well as long as I owned the property and I believe still it (since sold). I used the Rustoleum product on my current basement shop floor and it has peeled and flaked off in many spots.....I learned my lesson about being cheap. When I redo my floor it will be with the Armor product.

[Todd Brewer]

Bob,

I am realy glad to hear that, well the part about the armor product, sorry the other product didn't work out. I admit I am only getting my information from the Armorgarage web site so I am taking their word about the quality. I'm thrilled to hear from someone that has had experience with two different products.

I haven't ordered yet. Crazy busy at work.

Todd

[Mike OMelia]

Todd, how big a floor are you covering? (sqft). I'm interested in ur product choice and total cost.

Mike

[Todd Brewer]

Todd, how big a floor are you covering? (sqft). I'm interested in ur product choice and total cost.

Mike

Hi Mike,

See post 24 for a lot (too much?) information. My square footage is about 1100 sq ft.. I am going to move everything out of the shop, do it first, then move everything back in including stuff from the garage side. Not looking forward to that, which is another reason why I only want to do this once. :)

[Bob Falk]

Todd, I think you can purchase extra paint chips to toss on the paint while wet (for traction)....I suggest purchasing extra.....I worried that I wouldn't have enough to cover the whole area...extra will ease your mind during the process and result in a floor that is more even looking in appearance. bob

[Carl Beckett]

Thanks to all for a very relevant and useful post. I have a project coming up (2 even) requiring a floor coating. This thread has been very useful, and I look forward to seeing pictures of the process and finished results!!

[Todd Brewer]

I don't want the "chip" look. I want the solid color. The solid color is actually more durable than the chip option. The solid color comes with anti slip additive.

[Todd Brewer]

I'm so busy at work right now (good thing), but I managed to get a call into the epoxy dealer today. I ended up ordering the Ultra even though the Armor II was sufficient for my application. I just can't help myself, I often upgrade to the better/best product, and when I don't, too often I regret it. In this case it may be a waste of money. Cost me almost $500 more. But as the saying goes "quality is remembered long after cost is forgotten". Or put another way...
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin

Ok, no more philosophizing. LOL

It will be about 2 weeks before it arrives, then, depending on work, it may be a while longer before I'm able to apply it. I will report back, I will likely start a new post as I think this should be in the workshop section not the tools section. I'll post a link in this thread so you guys can find it.

[Gregg Williams]

I haven't used U-Coat-It before but my brother has. I forget the brand that I used for my epoxy floor but it turned out pretty good. Wasn't to difficult either.

[Todd Brewer]

I bought the epoxy to cover up an ugly cracked and uneven concrete floor. I had hoped to repair and level the original concrete floor but it just wasn't going well. My original concrete floor was so cracked and uneven I had hoped to use the epoxy to cover the repairs. I rented a commercial concrete grinder to try and level out the high spots. But attempting to put down a level coat of an epoxy filler turned out to be too difficult. (Filler was for uneven areas and filling cracks prior to applying the epoxy). I ended up having the concrete torn out and replaced. Now that I have a new (for all intents and purposes) level concrete floor without a bunch of cracks I'm debating even coating it. High quality epoxies are said to be very durable but now I fear damaging the epoxy. I already bought the epoxy but may not use it. The new floor was installed in the fall and had to give the concrete plenty of time to cure and thoroughly dry before applying the epoxy. It's not warm enough in the winter, so will wait until spring and then decide.

Any stories about durability of your epoxy floors? Dropping tools, welding splatters etc?

[Bob Falk]

I have done two different basement shops with Armorgarage (epoxy) and Rustoleum.....would never do Rustoleum again.... peeled up and flaked off.....probably due to moisture....the Armorgarage is a much higher quality product, but much more expensive, but it stayed put even under the same conditions.

[Gregg Williams]

I haven't heard much positive things from Rust-Oleum either. I wonder what kind of epoxy the industrial companies use? Here in Indianapolis we have only have a couple companies that I know of. I think http://www.surfacesolutionsusa.com/ is the main one. Has anyone ever just called an industrial company to see what they recommend? I have thought about doing that.