Epoxy Floors

[bofa]

We are building a new place and I always wanted epoxy in my old garage but it was too much of a pain to remove everything and not be able to use it a few days. This time I have the opportunity to get it done before we move in and on relatively fresh concrete.

So, any pros/cons, like/dislikes, preferences, etc? Will it hold up well to road salt and similar materials? I was thinking the anti-slip granules would be pretty helpful in this area too.



Oh yeah, and :worthless

 

[zopperman]

Not quite a floor, but my fraternity has a table that's covered in beer caps and filled with 1/4" of epoxy. It's held up to a lot of abuse, the surface gets tacky sometimes and can be annoying to clean. Make sure you get good stuff too, this yellowed after a year or so even though it's in a basement

 

[MtnT4R]

No personal experience, but I have always planned on doing this when I own a place with a garage. I'm surprised more people dont do this, especially around here. Every place I've lived in has had nasty stained concrete, and awful grime buildup from depositing dirty mag chloride after parking in there all winter long. I dont really see any downside :tea:

 

[GMZ]

Make sure you dont get water based epoxy, its cheaper but not as durable. There is a brand over on GJ that is very highly regarded.

ETA: Epoxy-Coat is the brand.

 

[zopperman]

US composites FTW - used them for all my boat stuff, they're awesome

 

[hikenbike]

I've done it and it's great. Be sure to add the grit to it, follow the directions to a T, be patient, give it more than the time recommended to dry, and only do it under what will be guaranteed dry conditions for a couple of days.

 

[bofa]

I'm considering paying a pro. :behindsofa:

 

[RunninInGA]

As with everything else, pay close attention to prep work and procedure for best results if done by yourself.

I'd pay a pro to do it too.

Why not tile that sumbich?

 

[bofa]

As with everything else, pay close attention to prep work and procedure for best results if done by yourself.

I'd pay a pro to do it too.

Yeah the last thing I want to do is screw up $400+ in materials and end up paying a pro more to not only do it right, but to undo what I did.

Good suggestions though, guys. I'll be sure to ask about the products they use. It looks like we'll have a foot or two of concrete wall around the perimeter too, so I'll probably have them do that as well.

 

[bofa]

Why not tile that sumbich?

Sneaky edit...

You know, I thought about it... but then I realized what a pain in the ass maintaining grout is. Almost the entire first floor is going to be tiled and all of the wet areas upstairs as well, so I think I'll already have my hands full.

 

[RunninInGA]

Looks like it can be installed by two dudes in sandals.

 

[bofa]

Looks like it can be installed by two dudes in sandals.

Dammit, and I just threw away my Jesus slippers...

Edit - I think that's a chick on the left. lol

 

[CXS]

Every place I've lived in has had nasty stained concrete, and awful grime buildup

Isn't that the definition of a garage? If mine was nice my wife wouldn't mind coming in to it, as it is it's MY garage!

 

[NorCal7]

I got my garage floor done with epoxy by a professional about a year and half ago when my wife and I bought our first house. I can honestly say it is one of the best decisions we made. It looks so much better and one of the best improvements we've made to the house so far. Every time someone comes over to the house they always comment on how nice the garage floor looks. And working on the 4runner in the garage getting on the floor with the epoxy is much better!! You should definitely do it!!

 

[bofa]

Isn't that the definition of a garage? If mine was nice my wife wouldn't mind coming in to it, as it is it's MY garage!

I might be a little too OCD for this. I usually clean my garage floor 3-4 times a year (and I mean scrub, spot treat, etc). In my old place we had what appears to have been an incorrect concrete mix so the floors were very chalky and dusty and that drove me nuts. It tracked into the house, cars, and got all over everything in the garage.

If my wife ventures out there I start asking her to do stuff and that usually takes care of it.

 

[Thai]

Had mine garage professionally done back in 2006. Within 1-2 years, it started to peel. Now, it looks horrible. IMHO, not worth it, esp the price i paid for mine. YMMV.

 

[bofa]

Had mine garage professionally done back in 2006. Within 1-2 years, it started to peel. Now, it looks horrible. IMHO, not worth it, esp the price i paid for mine. YMMV.

Any idea why that happened or what product and method they used? I've heard of bad experiences with this, but it was usually the result of bad prep or the lowest bidder. It makes me a bit nervous since I don't have anyone to refer me here.

 

[Thai]

Any idea why that happened or what product and method they used? I've heard of bad experiences with this, but it was usually the result of bad prep or the lowest bidder. It makes me a bit nervous since I don't have anyone to refer me here.

I went for the top at that time...Rust-Oleum. I think that i went thru Home Depot. They were the official installer for Rust-Oleum.

If i had to do it again, then i would NOT do it. YMMV.

 

[CXS]

I'm not an expert but I do know your garage floor needs a minimum of 30 days to properly cure in ideal situations. Being a porous material our weather changes over that period can vary proper curing considerably. You've already seen how much things can change in a week's time. It's easy for a contractor to sub it out to someone who will tell you it's fine do do in a week and then leave you to deal with the sub when things go wrong and leave you with a permanent problem.

As convenient as it may be to get it done you would be wise to wait until Spring to ensure it can be done right the first time.

No offense to Thai or anyone who uses or subs for Home Depot but they're not the most reliable to hire through for quality workmanship. They just take a cut and assume no liability.

 

[Thai]

No offense to Thai or anyone who uses or subs for Home Depot but they're not the most reliable to hire through for quality workmanship. They just take a cut and assume no liability.

None taken...found out the hard way!