Garage floor feedback - epoxy/tile what works best?

[AKcharger]

Hi guys

Planning on doing my garage floor and want to get smart on flooring options. Unfortunately most info I find on-line comes from manufactures and each one says 'their" system is the only way to go...kinda confusing. I'm looking for a  system mostly just to park on. It will only see very occasional light maintenance, no welding, jack stands or anything like that. So biggest 'threat" it will face is hot tires and tires sitting for weeks at a time in one spot

So for those that have experience what system did you use? how does it hold up? Is it worth the effort? What about the cost?

thanks in advance! 

[John L]

AK,
I've been a professional painter for 31 years so I may be able to help you out a bit. Epoxy will be your cheapest compared to any of the tiles systems I have looked at. It is a DIY thing and not hard to do at all, like painting your car the prep is everything. First and MOST important is, does your garage slab have a vapor barrier under it? Peeling paint is normally cause by moisture coming from behind the paint film and pushing the paint off the surface. Most newer homes will have this. If not put a 3x3 square of plastic down on the slab and periodically check and see if any moisture collects under it, if not you should be ok.
Now to the painting: 1st sweep and vacuum the floor. Next is the acid wash, you can get Muratic acid at Homers or any decent paint supplier (I use Sherwin Williams). Buy a cheap rag mop and dilute the acid by 20 to 40%, remember your High School chemistry and add acid to water not the other way around. Mop this solution over the entire slab and try to keep it wet while doing it you can keep a garden hose nearby to help. Once the entire slab has been treated with the acid wash/rinse the floor completely. Let dry for a few days depending on the local weather conditions.
Go to your local Sherwin Williams and ask for "Tile Clad Epoxy" it is a 2 part epoxy and what I use at work, I've always had great results using this product. Buy some throw away rollers and brushes, wrap your roller covers in macking tape and pull it off. Do this a few times and it will keep the loose fuzz from getting in you paint job. Mix the 2 parts 50-50, read and follow the directions to a T or you will have problems. Epoxy once mixed MUST sit for a while before you start to apply it. I like to thin my 1st coat about 20% with the proper epoxy reducer (Reducer 54) and cut in and roll it out just like you would a ceiling or wall. Let it dry 24 hours and then apply the 2nd coat the same way. If you want the little colored chips on your floor you broadcast them while your applying the second coat. If you use the chips it will require a clear coat, some people like the clear to add to the overall gloss of the floor, but I will warn you now that it is EXPENSIVE stuff.
After 3 days move in and enjoy your new floor.The comments I receive most from my customers is how easy the cleanup of the normal day to day messes is.You should be able to do a normal 2 car garage floor for around $300.00 in materials and misc. stuff. Buy good epoxy and stay away from the big box store floor kits. They do not contain true epoxy paint regardless of what the label says.
If you need any help with this PM me and I will get back to you with my phone number and answer any questions you may have.

John    

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

My concrete wasnt the greatest.  Tried many of the epoxy paints only for them to peel & look like crap the next year.....finally went with Race Deck tiles & never looked back 

[John L]

My concrete wasnt the greatest.  Tried many of the epoxy paints only for them to peel & look like crap the next year.....finally went with Race Deck tiles & never looked back 

If your concrete is bad or moisture is a problem no epoxy regardless of how much it costs will hold. In these situations the floor tile would be the best way to go. The prep of the slab for paint is so important I cannot stress the point enough. Also the use of a quality epoxy (not the kits sold at Homers) is also very important.
I do like the look of your tile floor especially the "Charger R/T" logo, very nice.

John

[green69rt]

I just did mine.  All that John said is true.  Prep is so important.    Attached pic shows mine after it was done.    Only diff for me was instead of using an acid wash, the company I used a diamond grinding disc to clean the concrete.  I chose that was because I didn't want to deal with the acid splashing and runoff.   I also didn't have to wait for the floor to dry from the rinse.

Another point is that the company I used spent a lot of time filling in the cracks in the concrete, not deep or wide but they showed up really bad after the epoxy primer was put down, so count on some time to do the repair.   Three guys came to my house at 9:00am and finally left at 9:30 that night.

Now I'll see how long it lasts??

[Paul G]

I used to live in northwest Indiana, cold wet winters, hot wet summers. Not one person I know who had the garage floors painted, epoxy coated, whatever had any luck with it. They all peeled up. One friend finally had his epoxy floored sanded off and applied porcelain tile like a car dealer show room. That lasted and held up with no problems. He does not do any serious work on cars though, so no telling how it would handle floor jacks and jack stands.

I am now in the desert southwest, Phoenix. Had my garage floor epoxy coated by a pro. Same procedure John L described. It is a beautiful floor and holds up to jacks, etc. It is scraped and nicked like crazy, but you cant hardly tell through the speckles. The hot dry climate does not bother it. I have friends here who have done the Home Depot DIY epoxy floor and it does not have the shine or durability my floor has. It does not peel up, just does not look as good.

OP being in Alaska, I would not recommend a floor coating. It wont hold up to the extreme weather and moisture IMHO. Go with a tile or decking.

[elacruze]

I used Epoxy from Home Depot. I had the same concerns and reservations that you have. After a year and a half I'm very pleased. I have no injuries to it, even though I've abused it more than I thought I would, with floor jacks etc.

Importantly, perhaps, is that I had fresh concrete with nothing on it to begin with, the garage was new. If your floor is already used, you'll have to be extra careful with the etching process. If you use a commercial-grade floor wash, rinse well and etch properly you won't be disappointed in even the HD epoxy. Cleaning and oil removal can't be stressed enough.

[Homerr]

garagejournal.com forums are also a nice resource, I've browsing them for ideas for a while now.

[JB400]

If you have concrete and it is still in good shape, I'd recommend staining it and then put a coat of sealer on it.

[green69rt]

I forgot to say that my contractor used the Sherwin Williams product without the flakes.   Traction is fine and when I drop screws, etc. I can find them easily.

[AKcharger]

Great feedback thanks guys

How much did you spend on that racetrack tile??

[NHCharger]

I used the epoxy from H/D. I primed the concrete first. It has held up well but I actually work in the shop several nights a week. After 8 years I have worn the finish off the floor in the high use areas.

[green69rt]

I used the epoxy from H/D. I primed the concrete first. It has held up well but I actually work in the shop several nights a week. After 8 years I have worn the finish off the floor in the high use areas.

Good info.   I have to assume this paint will wear off, so...can it be overcoated with another layer??  Anybody know?

[NHCharger]

According to the info on the can I have left over I can repaint right over the existing. I can't even think of doing it until next year when I get my 68 project done (hopefully). I live on a dirt road and the area in front of my shop is all gravel. Tracking in all the sand and grit over the years has not helped.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Great feedback thanks guys

How much did you spend on that racetrack tile??

Race Deck can get a bit pricey.  Getting in on some of their sales that they run (Black Friday, Fathers Day etc) helps.  They discount the tiles & offer free shipping.  My 16x20 garage was about $800

[AKcharger]

Race Deck can get a bit pricey...My 16x20 garage was about $800

Hmmm, that's about what I thought...did it include the cool Charger name in the tiles?

[JB400]

I believe you can get any custom logo you wish.  Additional costs of course.


http://www.racedeck.com/gallery/

[green69rt]

Great feedback thanks guys

How much did you spend on that racetrack tile??

Race Deck can get a bit pricey.  Getting in on some of their sales that they run (Black Friday, Fathers Day etc) helps.  They discount the tiles & offer free shipping.  My 16x20 garage was about $800

When I was researching my epoxy floor the kits came in anywhere from $250-$500.   Contractors wanted anywhere from $1000 to $1800 including paint.  My floor is 22' X 21'.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Race Deck can get a bit pricey...My 16x20 garage was about $800

Hmmm, that's about what I thought...did it include the cool Charger name in the tiles?

LOL nope those custom logos are BIG bucks from them.....what you see on the floor is a $25 decal I had made up at Carlisle a few years ago

[John L]

If you have concrete and it is still in good shape, I'd recommend staining it and then put a coat of sealer on it.

This is also an option, but the same requirements apply to the sealer used after you stain as would the epoxy. Any moisture coming from under the slab will cause problems with anything you put on the top of the slab. The house I'm currently working on is going to have the entire basement floor stained (I'm not doing that portion of the job). I am going to make sure I'm there when the contractor shows up to do it. Really curious as to how it's done. 

[ws23rt]

If you have concrete and it is still in good shape, I'd recommend staining it and then put a coat of sealer on it.

This is also an option, but the same requirements apply to the sealer used after you stain as would the epoxy. Any moisture coming from under the slab will cause problems with anything you put on the top of the slab. The house I'm currently working on is going to have the entire basement floor stained (I'm not doing that portion of the job). I am going to make sure I'm there when the contractor shows up to do it. Really curious as to how it's done. 

Does the proper sealer stop moisture from penetrating the concrete or just minimize it?

Another thought/question I had about the tiles.  If moisture does migrate through the concrete would that cause problems with the bonding of the tiles?

[Paul G]

My garage is 20x 44, the guy charged me ....... $1800 if I remember correctly, to lay down the epoxy coating. Not cheap, but glad I did it.

[bill440rt]

I too used an epoxy kit from H/D, think it was made by Rustoleum. It was done about 12 years ago, and the floor was a mess.
It's held up pretty good, but is now coming up in spots. I really should re-coat it, it'll be good for another 12 years.
Not the best stuff out there, but it's done the job.

[John L]

Does the proper sealer stop moisture from penetrating the concrete or just minimize it?

The sealer protects the surface, and when staining the concrete, it brings out the color very similar to putting a coat of varnish on a really nice piece of wood. It does stop moisture from penetrating the top surface but cannot stop moisture coming up from under the slab. That is where the problem lies and why a vapor barrier is so important. Peeling paint is almost always caused by moisture coming from the back of the substrate and pushing the paint off the surface. If you ever have a house with a constant problem of paint peeling off the first thing to check is the attic ventilation. This problem is actually becoming less common with the changes in most building codes. Most garage and basement slabs on newer homes (mid 70's early 80's) will have a vapor barrier mandated by code. It could still be missing if the contractor/builder was a cheap ass. Many times you can drill a 1/2" hole in a corner somewhere and check if your still not certain.
The use of a good quality epoxy is cheap insurance for a long lasting job. If you use a cheaper type of paint that may not hold up as well, the real trouble will be when you want to refinish the floor. Now you will have exposed areas of concrete and other areas of older paint. The new coating goes over top of all of this and usually the older paint will start to fail in other areas and take the new paint with it.
I epoxy coated my garage floor 15 years ago. The only spot where the epoxy is gone is where I was beating on a piece of steel directly on the floor and chipped the concrete. If you pay a bit more for a higher quality epoxy, and apply it properly, it will usually be cheaper in the long run as your not having to empty of move stuff around as often. Think of it this way, would you rather empty your garage every 5-10 years or do it every 20 to never again.
Please forgive me for the long winded answers, I've been a painter for 31 years and answer these kind of questions all the time. I always try to get my customers to think in the long term and it's not always easy. People are price conscious and I understand that but paying for better materials upfront will usually save money in the long term. 

[ramairthree]

I was going to Epoxy.

I could not support the time needed to leave stuff out of the garage or have the time off to do it all at once.

I got racedeck at a sale time.