resurfacing concrete garage floor

[Andrew Thuswaldner]

My concrete garage floor is quite pitted and rough likely caused by the salt from the previous owner's car. I am moving all of my tools into the garage and setting up my workshop and would like to make the garage floor smooth so I can move the tools around on casters, and it will be easier to sweep up and keep clean. So my question is, how do I first fill in the rough pitted concrete surface and then what would you recommend as a top coat (epoxy, paint, etc)? Thanks, Andrew

[Matt Meiser]

Quickrete advertises a concrete refinisher which is a thin cement from what I can see.

[Mike Marcade]

I used the 2-part epoxy coat on mine. It is really good stuff, it makes for a very durable coating.

[David G Baker]

Andrew,
I was at a local home show and got some literature on a capping product. I do not know the name of the product and no longer have the literature, but it is specifically designed for exactly what you want to do. You may have to find a way to neutralize the existing salt residue prior to doing anything. The end result bonds very well to the existing cement and is self leveling according to the manufacturer. The thickness is between 1/2" to 3/4". Spend some time Googling and you should come across the product. It may be a product that requires professional installation and probably won't be cheap.
I haven't checked out the Quickrete that Matt mentioned but It is worth researching.
The reason I initially did the research is because my garage floor was done in 3-4 pours at different times and the earlier pour was done by an amateur that didn't have a clue about the mix ratios. There are several gaping holes that the previous owner tried to fill with dabs of concrete patching material. The patch material is coming up. My floor is so bad that I think it is beyond capping and will probably have to be removed and replaced.

[Rob Russell]

My floor is so bad that I think it is beyond capping and will probably have to be removed and replaced.

David,

Fortunately, that can be done. Garage floors are poured last and are 'floating', so the existing floor can be jackhammered into pieces, removed and an entire new floor poured. Given that you're in Michigan, you could even put in radiant heat so the garage/shop stays at a constant temperature during the winter months. If money is an issue, you could do a lot of the work yourself, including removing the old floor a chunk at a time (put it in the trash) and installing the radiant heat.

Best,

Rob

[Matt Meiser]

Yep, my parents next door neigbors had to do this about a year after their house was built. The fill under the floor wasn't properly compacted and the floor collapsed when it settled. A Bobcat and a jackhammer made quick work of it. The contractor did everyhting in one day since there wasn't much form work to do.

[Jim O'Dell]

If it's just the top surface etched away, I would think the epoxy skim coat would be the most feasible and durable. Jim.

[David G Baker]

Rob,
I keep thinking about radiant heat, not for my garage floor but wishing I had installed it when I had my pole barn built.
I won't heat my garage because the warmth accelerates the corrosion from the road salt. I use my 2 1/2 car garage for vehicles and lawn equipment. I will probably have the old floor removed and a new one poured. Like Matt said the work won't be that expensive because no form work will be required and my property is mostly sand. This is a project a couple of years down the road. This year is 5 new windows and a new sliding glass door. I am getting a little old to knock out a garage floor by hand but when I was younger I loved tearing out concrete. I did it all with sledge hammers, steel bars and hydraulic jacks. I could use the front end loader on my old John Deere once I got it started. Hum, now you got me thinking.
Like Jim O. said if the surface isn't in real bad condition the epoxy skim coat could very well do the trick.
Happy New Year to you all.

[Daryl Upole]

Rob's idea is excellent. I've messed with a variety of rehabs and fixes on my own houses as well as many investments. I ALWAYS regret not just taking the time to tear it out and do it right. In my shop I had the radiant tubes installed when the floor was poured. The heat is not yet installed, but at least the tubes are there. Concrete guys in our area are used to this heat, so working around them was no big deal. And, if you do enough yourself, you can save some money. Our rates here have been less than $3 per SF for the guys to form, pour, & finish. Then you'd have to figure the concrete cost & equipment rental for the demo.

The other thing I did was run 1" pvc electrical conduit to strategic parts of the shop so I could have electric at machines in the center of the shop without tripping over extension cords. It's been easy to change, add 220, etc. whenever I want. Something that I did not do, which I regret, is to have a trench or provision for the dust collection under the slab.

That being said, a few years ago I rented a shot blaster to remove paint from a concrete floor from an industrial supplier. They told me about a new product at that time that you poured onto a bad floor and it self-leveled, could be very thin, and had a 3,000 psi strength rating. I have no idea of the cost or product name, but it was out there. That sounds like an alternative for what you describe.

[James Jaragosky]

I used the 2-part epoxy coat on mine. It is really good stuff, it makes for a very durable coating.


I did a three month stint working on building maintenance at central steel and wire in Chicago.
It has acres of concrete floor all pocked, from the tons of steel stored on it.
I spent quite a bit of time on my knees fixing the floor with a two part epoxy product; we would add some sand to reduce the slipperiness of the product. It was very durable after 24 hours they were driving forklifts over the stuff. But it wasn’t cheap It was around $125 a gallon if they weren’t pulling my leg. I believe they got it at granger or McMaster Carr. But even if it cost 3 or 4 hundred to recoat your floor it would be cheaper than a tear out. Also the stuff is impervious to spills salt ect…
Just my 2 cents
Jim j.

[Tom Godley]

I have used products from a company called Abatron -- you can google them.

I used three different products to fix my old concrete pool over 10 years ago.

They have a product just for your application -- like many projects it is all in the prep work. This is especially true for epoxy products

I have also noticed "concrete restoration" listed as a sideline for many companies.

The good products do work -- but they are $$$.

Abatron often has an add in FineHomebuildng -- for wood restoration -- I have not used any of the wood products

[Jim Becker]

One other small advantage to removing the old floor and replacing with or without radiant heat...you can make it level. :)

[Keith Cope]

Andrew,

We often use the Retroplate System on warehouse floors with great results. I don't know how cost effective it would be on a small scale but the results are fantastic. Here's a URL: http://www.retroplatesystem.com/

[Russ Filtz]

Just make sure you prep it well or the old oil will wreak havoc on the new coating. I would at least do a high-pressure wash followed by an acid wash and rinse.

[Chris Padilla]

http://www.ucoatit.com/

The folks over on the BMW site I moderate really like the above product. I have no personal experience with it other than the good reviews I've heard. Check it out.

[James Jaragosky]

I did a three month stint working on building maintenance at central steel and wire in Chicago.
It has acres of concrete floor all pocked, from the tons of steel stored on it.
I spent quite a bit of time on my knees fixing the floor with a two part epoxy product; we would add some sand to reduce the slipperiness of the product. It was very durable after 24 hours they were driving forklifts over the stuff. But it wasn’t cheap It was around $125 a gallon if they weren’t pulling my leg. I believe they got it at granger or McMaster Carr. But even if it cost 3 or 4 hundred to recoat your floor it would be cheaper than a tear out. Also the stuff is impervious to spills salt ect…
Just my 2 cents
Jim j. This is the stuff I was talking about.
along with the usual disclaimer, That I am not affiliated with the companies involved with the manufacturer sale or distribution of this product.
In other words just a satisfied customer recommending a product that worked really well for me.
Epoxy,Brushable
here is a link to the stuff i have used
http://www.indfloorcoating-repair.com/flreprod.html

JIm J.

[Mike Marcade]

Here is my garage shop floor. It is coated with the 2-part Epoxyshield coating with interlocking tiles over the top in the center of the floor.

Please excuse the mess, I am still working on getting the whole thing set up. :o

[David G Baker]

Mike,
You call that a mess? That is neater than any room in my house, garage, pole barn or shop. Great looking shop.
I like the tiles I have been looking at the inter-lockers for a while.

[Mike Marcade]

I just meant the stuff laying about.

Thanks for the compliment David. I got my tiles from Sams club online and it was a pretty good deal. They look just like the Racedeck Circletrac for much less money. Sam's actually screwed up and sent 2 extra boxes of tiles in both colors, so now I have plenty of extras if some get damaged.