Garage prep - epoxy floor options

[Stangrob]

Gents,

Well, here’s something a little different for you. Roadster related but not exactly specifically.

I’m prepping my garage for my upcoming build, and plan to epoxy the floor. I’m just wondering what product you guys used? There are lots of options out there so I thought I’d ask for some feedback before I buy anything. Which ones did you like?

Thanks!

Rob

[cv2065]

The Rustoleum Rock Solid kit in Lowes or Home Depot is great. It's a Polycuramine product, which is better than Polyaspartic. Has a short pot life (30 mins) so you have to work fast or break the job up into sections. Don't get any waterborne products. They are too sensitive to perfect prep and not as durable.

Another option is an Amerlock 2 system by Pittsburgh Paints. It's an industrial product line that is used extensively at the theme parks and holds up to just about anything you can throw at it.

[FLPBFoot]

Prior owners used Rustoleum on the garage floor and it is holding up well. Only issue is they parked a car with hot tires (SWFL in August) on it about a week after it was installed. Tires pulled up the coating in the four spots. Probably needed to cure for a month or two to avoid that. Up in NJ maybe not an issue?

[DavidW]

Tnemec makes great garage floor product in many colors. I used their products 12 years ago and it has held up perfectly. The only thing I would have done different is used the glass beads for anti slip purposes. Prepping the floor prior to application is the most important factor with any product, good luck!

[Justin]

Just my 2 Pennie’s. My next garage will NOT have the chips added. I have a beige floor with white/black chips and I HATE that anytime I drop something small it disappears. I know solid colors look dirty fast but I would deal with it. If traction is the issue research glass beads of some sort of sand to add to the top similar to the chips.

[AtlantaCobra]

219592
Instead of Paint, consider Race Deck flooring. I did it and love it. You can design the layout on their website and installation is easy.
https://racedeck.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=72423355&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3OjGBhDYARIsADd-uX7zBFKjK7l6CDrABozyuTSz2NxcjsI2A99dBSr_BVwrcXgwA7 gerhIaAiE5EALw_wcB

[cv2065]

Just my 2 Pennie’s. My next garage will NOT have the chips added. I have a beige floor with white/black chips and I HATE that anytime I drop something small it disappears. I know solid colors look dirty fast but I would deal with it. If traction is the issue research glass beads of some sort of sand to add to the top similar to the chips.

Good point. If you do add chips, you can't cheap out and have to add the clear topcoat, otherwise the dirt gets trapped up underneath the chips. Ask me how I know.

[cv2065]

Prior owners used Rustoleum on the garage floor and it is holding up well. Only issue is they parked a car with hot tires (SWFL in August) on it about a week after it was installed. Tires pulled up the coating in the four spots. Probably needed to cure for a month or two to avoid that. Up in NJ maybe not an issue?

Probably the waterborne, one part stuff. It just doesn't hold up over time and if not given enough time to cure, the hot tires will pick it up. Even then, I wouldn't put it down.

[Rian_Colorado]

As has been mentioned - do NOT add chips! Go with ONE solid color, and have it clear finished with the grit add for traction. Looking for ANYTHING that you drop on that stuff can take hours...

[CW_MI]

I've heard epoxy flooring on anything other than new concrete just doesn't last. Not sure if it is true or not. Being that my garage concrete is decades old, I'm not even considering it. I did run across a video on SnapGrid Stone, a tile made from recycled materials, that looks interesting. I'm considering going with it.

https://youtu.be/w2QbRkWopQ8?si=7--FKWZQ6HsP1WvL

https://perfectsurfaces.com/product/snapgrid-stone-garage-tiles/

[mrglaeser]

Just my 2 Pennie’s. My next garage will NOT have the chips added. I have a beige floor with white/black chips and I HATE that anytime I drop something small it disappears. I know solid colors look dirty fast but I would deal with it. If traction is the issue research glass beads of some sort of sand to add to the top similar to the chips.

This is the bane of my existence some days. I have white, grey, and black chipped floors and lose every nut, bolt, screw, washer, pin, etc gets lost. I am getting really good at pressing my face against the floor and scanning for shadows using a flash light. If I were to do it again I would do a solid floor with a color. Not Grey, White, or black. It does look nice even when dust collects but if you are working something finding dropped hardware really eats up time.

[Al_C]

I've heard epoxy flooring on anything other than new concrete just doesn't last. Not sure if it is true or not. Being that my garage concrete is decades old, I'm not even considering it. I did run across a video on SnapGrid Stone, a tile made from recycled materials, that looks interesting. I'm considering going with it.

https://youtu.be/w2QbRkWopQ8?si=7--FKWZQ6HsP1WvL

https://perfectsurfaces.com/product/snapgrid-stone-garage-tiles/

This is a limited sample size (just me...), but my concrete was about 25 years old at the time and the first application lasted 10 years.

[Stangrob]

Wow, this is very interesting - I never heard of the "can't find the part" issue with the speckled epoxy finish. I like the look, but never considered that it could become a black hole, and I do drop stuff on a fairly regular basis ;)

I did look at the Race Deck tile that AtlantaCobra recommended. It's a bit more that I was planning to spend, but it definitely seems like a good option, especially when you consider the lower cost of installation. I'm going to look into it further ;)

Thanks for the excellent feedback!

Rob

PS: my concrete floor is about seventy years old, but in pretty good shape regardless.

[Nigel Allen]

My bare concrete floor was in reasonably good condition, with a few cracks and lots of paint and varnish splatter from previous owners woodworking hobby. I looked at race deck, but it was ridiculously expensive in Australia. My business does generator maintenance for a supermarket chain and I noticed that they had installed commercial grade hybrid flooring in their selling areas. It had stood up perfectly to several years of shopping carts, loaded pallet jacks, scissor lifts and general foot traffic. I spoke to their flooring contractor and he came round and laid the same stuff in my garage for a 1/5 the price of race deck. Laid and driven on in one day! It has been down for two years now and has zero wear or damage despite my wife parking her car in there daily.
We were supplied with a pack of spare planks in case there is damage in future (each plank is lightly adhered to the floor and can be individually replaced).

This stuff is rock hard and impervious to oil and has not scratched or faded. There are heaps of colours and styles available and as you can probably tell, I am definitely a proponent.

I probably would not do welding / plasma cutting in there, but I dont do much these days and have another space for that.

The end result looks great and allows the space to double as a man cave for my son and friends.

219603

Cheers,

Nige

[JimStone]

My bare concrete floor was in reasonably good condition, with a few cracks and lots of paint and varnish splatter from previous owners woodworking hobby. I looked at race deck, but it was ridiculously expensive in Australia. My business does generator maintenance for a supermarket chain and I noticed that they had installed commercial grade hybrid flooring in their selling areas. It had stood up perfectly to several years of shopping carts, loaded pallet jacks, scissor lifts and general foot traffic. I spoke to their flooring contractor and he came round and laid the same stuff in my garage for a 1/5 the price of race deck. Laid and driven on in one day! It has been down for two years now and has zero wear or damage despite my wife parking her car in there daily.
We were supplied with a pack of spare planks in case there is damage in future (each plank is lightly adhered to the floor and can be individually replaced).

This stuff is rock hard and impervious to oil and has not scratched or faded. There are heaps of colours and styles available and as you can probably tell, I am definitely a proponent.

I probably would not do welding / plasma cutting in there, but I dont do much these days and have another space for that.

The end result looks great and allows the space to double as a man cave for my son and friends.

219603

Cheers,

Nige

That's pretty slick, I must say

[cv2065]

I've heard epoxy flooring on anything other than new concrete just doesn't last. Not sure if it is true or not. Being that my garage concrete is decades old, I'm not even considering it. I did run across a video on SnapGrid Stone, a tile made from recycled materials, that looks interesting. I'm considering going with it.

https://youtu.be/w2QbRkWopQ8?si=7--FKWZQ6HsP1WvL

https://perfectsurfaces.com/product/snapgrid-stone-garage-tiles/

Old floors are fine as long as they grind them down. If not, then yeah, it’s doomed to fail as concrete can get impregnated with oil and chemicals no matter how you clean it. You don’t have to grind with brand new concrete. A chemical etch will do.

[cv2065]

I've heard epoxy flooring on anything other than new concrete just doesn't last. Not sure if it is true or not. Being that my garage concrete is decades old, I'm not even considering it. I did run across a video on SnapGrid Stone, a tile made from recycled materials, that looks interesting. I'm considering going with it.

https://youtu.be/w2QbRkWopQ8?si=7--FKWZQ6HsP1WvL

https://perfectsurfaces.com/product/snapgrid-stone-garage-tiles/

Old floors are fine as long as they grind them down. If not, then yeah, it’s doomed to fail as concrete can get impregnated with oil and chemicals no matter how you clean it. You don’t have to grind with brand new concrete. A chemical etch will do.

[cob427sc]

In my old garage - before I moved - I coated the 3+ bays with the Rustoleum product. As stated above DO NOT ADD CHIPS! When you drop anything small it just disappears. The floor was only a month old when I coated it and had not been driven on. I did get some paint lift where the tires were parked in one bay. Not sure why. It was an easy to apply product and I would do it again without the chips!

[JimStone]

Here's a different option

I used Versatile High-Performance Products epoxy and polyaspartic coatings to do my garage 2 years ago. This is pro-level stuff. Turned out fantastic.

https://www.versatile.net/?srsltid=AfmBOopkg5KrecBUzwKe2vsUgirkRd7MVT-cyifk-og8Ok6fk4x7jb_D

My garage is about the size of a 2 and 1/2 stall garage. Needed 4 gallons of epoxy base coat, 100 lbs of flakes, and 5 gallons of polyaspartic top coat.

The polyaspartic top coat is incredibly hard, durable, and UV resistant. I highly recommend the upgrade from epoxy top coat which is less durable and will discolor with UV exposure


I absolutely LOVE my color flakes. This whole "I can't find my dropped nuts" thing is exaggeration. Just bend over and look horizontally and you'll find it.

The flakes add texture/non-slip, hides dirt/stains, and looks professional.



The key to longevity is definitely concrete prep. Cleaning/degreasing and diamond grinding the heck out of it.



https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=198668&d=1714190010

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=198672&d=1714190036

[JsMoose]

I've put down the Rustoleum product and it held up for almost 20 years. Hot tires started taking off bits of it. Prep is everything... follow directions.

Also, I wouldn't put down the "speckle" chips. It might look nice from a distance, but good luck finding any tiny screws, washers, etc. The floor I put in my house (referenced above) had no speckles... the one that came with my new house has them... it's a PITA.

Have fun and good luck,
Jay

[Joel Hauser]

Nige, Your floor looks great, but I'm curious how well the hybrid wood flooring holds up to jacks and jackstands. what brand did you use.
Joel

[cdurbin328]

219592
Instead of Paint, consider Race Deck flooring. I did it and love it. You can design the layout on their website and installation is easy.
https://racedeck.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=72423355&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3OjGBhDYARIsADd-uX7zBFKjK7l6CDrABozyuTSz2NxcjsI2A99dBSr_BVwrcXgwA7 gerhIaAiE5EALw_wcB

I did the same thing. 3 years and still looks great. I tried the DIY stuff from Home Depot and Lowes. Never holds up for me.

219624

[Nigel Allen]

Nige, Your floor looks great, but I'm curious how well the hybrid wood flooring holds up to jacks and jackstands. what brand did you use.
Joel

G'day Joel,

Don't recall brand, but it is a heavy duty commercial grade. It cost $3.5K to supply and lay a 30x25 area. I have used axle stands and trolley jack without issue. Unlike a linoleum, the tiles have a rock hard surface. It is only a wood look, and is more akin to a ceramic tile. Even heavy long term items like my work bench and tool chest have not affected it. It really is impressive. The only drawback to date is when we park a wet car in there. When it was bare concrete, the water would absorb into the floor. Now it puddles on top of the tile. Easy to mop up though. There are lots of finishes available, including checker plate. We went with timber look as our garage doubles as a man cave and my wife loves the look. Once laid, I edged with timber skirting. Looks a million bucks and only took a day from start to finish.

My suggestion if you are keen, would be to go to a specialist to ensure you get the right grade.

Cheers,
Nige

[MikeHolt]

For those of you that used race deck or other tile systems….how do you handle wet cars? Doesn’t the water puddle underneath, potentially causing mold?

I’m about to redo my attached garage and am wrestling with what to do with the floor. At 30+ yrs old, I don’t think epoxy will adhere well. But, I wonder about water retention with the tiles.

Cheers!

[egchewy79]

The Rustoleum Rock Solid kit in Lowes or Home Depot is great. It's a Polycuramine product, which is better than Polyaspartic. Has a short pot life (30 mins) so you have to work fast or break the job up into sections. Don't get any waterborne products. They are too sensitive to perfect prep and not as durable.

Another option is an Amerlock 2 system by Pittsburgh Paints. It's an industrial product line that is used extensively at the theme parks and holds up to just about anything you can throw at it.

I used the rustoleum rock solid kit on a newly poured slab in my garage. My impression is that it looks good for a while, but will eventually get dull as it gets scratched. Don't drop heavy things on it as it'll chip off and it doesn't hold up to welding spatter. I have several areas where the slag has burned holes in the finish.
At the end of the day, it doesn't bother me too much as it's a work space and not a show room, but was hoping for a slightly more durable finish.

[cv2065]

I used the rustoleum rock solid kit on a newly poured slab in my garage. My impression is that it looks good for a while, but will eventually get dull as it gets scratched. Don't drop heaving things on it as it'll chip off and it doesn't hold up to welding spatter. I have several areas where the slag has burned holes in the finish.
At the end of the day, it doesn't bother me too much as it's a work space and not a show room, but was hoping for a slightly more durable finish.

Mine lasted about 10 years but did have the occassinal chip from and engine crane. Brake fluid does a great job at cleaning it. :p Although I don't know many coatings that will withstand welding spatter.

[JMD]

My bare concrete floor was in reasonably good condition, with a few cracks and lots of paint and varnish splatter from previous owners woodworking hobby. I looked at race deck, but it was ridiculously expensive in Australia. My business does generator maintenance for a supermarket chain and I noticed that they had installed commercial grade hybrid flooring in their selling areas. It had stood up perfectly to several years of shopping carts, loaded pallet jacks, scissor lifts and general foot traffic. I spoke to their flooring contractor and he came round and laid the same stuff in my garage for a 1/5 the price of race deck. Laid and driven on in one day! It has been down for two years now and has zero wear or damage despite my wife parking her car in there daily.
We were supplied with a pack of spare planks in case there is damage in future (each plank is lightly adhered to the floor and can be individually replaced).

This stuff is rock hard and impervious to oil and has not scratched or faded. There are heaps of colours and styles available and as you can probably tell, I am definitely a proponent.

I probably would not do welding / plasma cutting in there, but I dont do much these days and have another space for that.

The end result looks great and allows the space to double as a man cave for my son and friends.

Cheers,

Nige

Do you have a product name or description of what type of flooring it is? I would love to find that or an equivalent product.

[Nigel Allen]

Do you have a product name or description of what type of flooring it is? I would love to find that or an equivalent product.

See post 23

[AtlantaCobra]

For those of you that used race deck or other tile systems….how do you handle wet cars? Doesn’t the water puddle underneath, potentially causing mold?

I’m about to redo my attached garage and am wrestling with what to do with the floor. At 30+ yrs old, I don’t think epoxy will adhere well. But, I wonder about water retention with the tiles.

Cheers!

No problem with wet cars. Don't use the tiles they offer that you can see through them. Use the solid ones. They have a breathable system underneath. They go together tight enough that water doesn't go through.

[Wizbangdoodle]

I used a company called Garage Force. Since my floor is 2200 sq ft, I did not want to do it myself. They come in and grind the concrete and then lay down a clearcoat and then throw chips on it. In hindsight, I don't like the chips. As has been mentioned, I lose stuff on the floor. However, they do have a lor of colors to choose from, so you might be able to get a color combination that will work for you. I'm really happy with the results. The floor is tough as nails and it cleans up SO easy. I have had all kinds of crap spill and drop on the floor and it wipes right up.

[runamuk]

I used commercial grade VCT tile from Lowes. this stuff is cheap and durable, and I like the look of black and white checkered tile.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Armstrong-Flooring-Imperial-Texture-12-in-x-12-in-Cool-White-Commercial-VCT-Tile/5013782915

[AtlantaCobra]

No problem with wet cars. Don't use the tiles they offer that you can see through them. Use the solid ones. They have a breathable system underneath. They go together tight enough that water doesn't go through.

I think I paid about $1600.00 for the two car garage

[Stangrob]

So, after taking a hard look at my 70+ year old garage floor I opted to pass on the epoxy and instead ordered flooring from Race Deck. It should here early next week :)

Rob

[Stangrob]

So the floor (and garage) is finished for now! I think the floor came out great. My chassis dolly is almost done, and the kit will be here this coming week. Wish me luck!

Rob

[cv2065]

Looks really nice. I think I'll go that direction next year.

[Stangrob]

It looks even better now with a car in it :D

Rob