deciding what to do with my new garage floor as we will be closing soon. we have a new concrete slab that was poured in the garage and I want to preserve the concrete floor. had a moisture barrier and drain installed. I will be mostly detailing in the garage with some light duty maintenance work. was going to do car mats but wondered about moisture getting under the mat and sitting there. garage tile floors are nice but they are expensive and have heard some of them move upwards in the direct sunlight. thinking I may just seal the concrete with a good clear epoxy sealer ( may have to add some fine texture so it is less slippery in the winter) so what do you have on your garage floor ?
garage floor options
- Thread starter matrass
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My father has tried a bunch of those coatings. They all seem to last for a few years. The warm tires pull it up slowly so you get random spots where it's missing and eventually have to redo it.
I think until you go for a very expensive professional coating, or even for those interlocking tiles, they're all pretty much the same.
I think until you go for a very expensive professional coating, or even for those interlocking tiles, they're all pretty much the same.
Used to work (30 years) for a major resilient flooring manufacturer and you hit the nail on the head. Even with a vapor barrier, moisture will collect between the upper surface of your concrete and the bottom of a rubber/tile/vinyl floor. One way to test for the seveity of this is to put down a piece of Saran warp and use wax to form a seal around the edges. Wait for about a week and take a look through the Saran. If you see moisture, this is indicative of a moisture issue. If you don't see any, the rate of permeation of moisture is low and you might be able to use the rubber/tile/vinyl floor. Moisture under this will, however, lead to mildew, mold and eventually odors.
If you use epoxy, you should do it according to the manufascturer's instructions as to age of concrete, temperature, preparing the surface, etc. All of these issues ARE IMPORTANT in gtting a good bond.
If you use epoxy, you should do it according to the manufascturer's instructions as to age of concrete, temperature, preparing the surface, etc. All of these issues ARE IMPORTANT in gtting a good bond.
I tried vinyl tiles...came up. I tried "one-part" epoxy...hot car tires picked it up. Bought the two-part epoxy kit from Lowe's (Rustoleum brand I think) and it has been down for 12 years now and looks brand new. As said above, do it by the book.
thanks for the advice so far everybody. the more I think about the cars mats that more I do not like them. the system I am looking at is not stuff you buy at Lowes or Home Depot. Standard Epoxy Clear Sealer/ is laid down in two coats then the topcoat ( layer #3 ) is a Clear Urethane coating. I looked at the tiles and they seems to move and buckle a lot not to mention they are expensive.
Here is the stuff I am looking at http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/ultimate-clear-sealer-system-p-278.html, has anybody used it ?
Here is the stuff I am looking at http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/ultimate-clear-sealer-system-p-278.html, has anybody used it ?
Originally Posted By: Maximus1966
I tried vinyl tiles...came up. I tried "one-part" epoxy...hot car tires picked it up. Bought the two-part epoxy kit from Lowe's (Rustoleum brand I think) and it has been down for 12 years now and looks brand new. As said above, do it by the book.
sounds like your coating is holding up well ! thanks for the experience you had. do you find is slippery or did the kit include something to make the floor more textured?
I tried vinyl tiles...came up. I tried "one-part" epoxy...hot car tires picked it up. Bought the two-part epoxy kit from Lowe's (Rustoleum brand I think) and it has been down for 12 years now and looks brand new. As said above, do it by the book.
sounds like your coating is holding up well ! thanks for the experience you had. do you find is slippery or did the kit include something to make the floor more textured?
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I just closed on a new house last fall, and after going through all the options I ended up ordering a G-Floor mat from Sam's Club.
The DIY epoxy applications never last around here, and I was getting quotes of over $2k for professional finishes. I spent $300 on two mats and they were great over the winter and are really easy to sweep out.
The DIY epoxy applications never last around here, and I was getting quotes of over $2k for professional finishes. I spent $300 on two mats and they were great over the winter and are really easy to sweep out.
JHZR2
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Dealerships sometimes have what strikes me as a thick grey or blue paint on the floor. Reminds me of the glossy line paint they use on some parking lots and roads. That stuff usually needs to be ground off.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Dealerships sometimes have what strikes me as a thick grey or blue paint on the floor. Reminds me of the glossy line paint they use on some parking lots and roads. That stuff usually needs to be ground off.
from the sounds of it that might be epoxy as the ones i have seen can be grey as a standard color or you could pay more for a another base color.
Dealerships sometimes have what strikes me as a thick grey or blue paint on the floor. Reminds me of the glossy line paint they use on some parking lots and roads. That stuff usually needs to be ground off.
from the sounds of it that might be epoxy as the ones i have seen can be grey as a standard color or you could pay more for a another base color.
Also, in your neck of the woods and you park your cars in the garage, your going to have a lot of salt dripping off the cars in the winter. I'd try and find a good epoxy coating that is resistant. Really good idea having a floor drain....wish mine did.
Originally Posted By: matrass
Originally Posted By: Maximus1966
I tried vinyl tiles...came up. I tried "one-part" epoxy...hot car tires picked it up. Bought the two-part epoxy kit from Lowe's (Rustoleum brand I think) and it has been down for 12 years now and looks brand new. As said above, do it by the book.
sounds like your coating is holding up well ! thanks for the experience you had. do you find is slippery or did the kit include something to make the floor more textured?
My garage floor was not super slick...more like a typical sidewalk. Although seeming fairly thick, the epoxy did not "fill in" the texture enough to make it slick. In other words, it's almost like I just colored the concrete surface that was there...plenty of traction. The kit comes with some colored flakes that have decorative value, but I don't believe that they really add any grip. YMMV according to how your floor was originally finished.
Originally Posted By: Maximus1966
I tried vinyl tiles...came up. I tried "one-part" epoxy...hot car tires picked it up. Bought the two-part epoxy kit from Lowe's (Rustoleum brand I think) and it has been down for 12 years now and looks brand new. As said above, do it by the book.
sounds like your coating is holding up well ! thanks for the experience you had. do you find is slippery or did the kit include something to make the floor more textured?
My garage floor was not super slick...more like a typical sidewalk. Although seeming fairly thick, the epoxy did not "fill in" the texture enough to make it slick. In other words, it's almost like I just colored the concrete surface that was there...plenty of traction. The kit comes with some colored flakes that have decorative value, but I don't believe that they really add any grip. YMMV according to how your floor was originally finished.
After it aged a year, I coated my shop floor with a tan colored commercial epoxy. After 16 years it still wears like iron and looks good.
It's had snow, salt, tires, chemicals and tractors with tire chains on it without problems. No matter what material you use, what's really going to determine the success or failure is the surface prep.
It's had snow, salt, tires, chemicals and tractors with tire chains on it without problems. No matter what material you use, what's really going to determine the success or failure is the surface prep.
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
After it aged a year, I coated my shop floor with a tan colored commercial epoxy. After 16 years it still wears like iron and looks good.
It's had snow, salt, tires, chemicals and tractors with tire chains on it without problems. No matter what material you use, what's really going to determine the success or failure is the surface prep.
Thanks for the pic of your garage and your experience with the epoxy. like you say prep is key so I wanted to work on the garage in steps. sweep up dust and etch concrete one day, let it dry for a day or two, apply first coat of sealant , wait a day or two, apply second layer of sealant , wait a day or two then apply final top coat. after the final coat let it cure for a week before any car traffic on it. ( I know overkill but if I in no hurry why not let it just sit ) we are not planning on moving into the new house for a few weeks after we close as my wife will be moving stuff over and organizing stuff. this gives me at least 2 weeks of time.
After it aged a year, I coated my shop floor with a tan colored commercial epoxy. After 16 years it still wears like iron and looks good.
It's had snow, salt, tires, chemicals and tractors with tire chains on it without problems. No matter what material you use, what's really going to determine the success or failure is the surface prep.
Thanks for the pic of your garage and your experience with the epoxy. like you say prep is key so I wanted to work on the garage in steps. sweep up dust and etch concrete one day, let it dry for a day or two, apply first coat of sealant , wait a day or two, apply second layer of sealant , wait a day or two then apply final top coat. after the final coat let it cure for a week before any car traffic on it. ( I know overkill but if I in no hurry why not let it just sit ) we are not planning on moving into the new house for a few weeks after we close as my wife will be moving stuff over and organizing stuff. this gives me at least 2 weeks of time.
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