Originally Posted By: Cujet
Don't do it. The coatings don't hold up. Especially on new concrete.
H+C concrete stain is horrible. It dissolves in any solvent. Peels up and lasts about a week.
The better epoxies hold up much longer. But, it is still the same, maintenance intensive situation after a period of time. You will eventually spend time or money or both "fixing" it.
My current house, 10 years old, does not have a coating, and does not need one. I've spent Zero time/money "fixing" the garage floor.
My previous house (owned 11 years) had various coatings. I spent way too much time dealing with that garage. I'll NEVER do that again.
Hogwash. When it's done right it wears like iron.
I can't speak for H+C concrete stain, but the epoxy in the photo above is..13 years old now? 14 maybe? I did it a couple years after I built the shop which was 1995. Doing the math I realize it's closer to 15 years old.
I drive chained up tractors (Ford N with loaded tires) on it in the winter, I pull in snow/ice/sand/salt covered vehicles and the snow/sand/ice/salt melts onto the surface, I've spilled just about every automotive chemical and fluid known to man on it. I have pulled countless vehicles in with hot tires in the summer with no problems whatsoever. Everything wipes up or mops up with a paper towel. When I do spill something sticky, or clean under the lift (spilled fluids mixed with dust and dirt) I dump mineral spirits directly on the floor, let it work for a few minutes, and use a sponge mop to mop it up. Again, never a single issue with the coating. The light color makes the shop a great deal brighter, and I can sit or lay directly on the floor without getting dirty.
The key is using a quality product, following the directions to a "T", and making certain the concrete isn't already sealed or wicking moisture through the surface. If you do it right the results are great.
