What to do w/ the floor

thevolvoguy · 06-06-02, 11:06

Im tired of an ugly cement garage floor. I have two options... should I paint(epoxy), or tile? I have heard good and bad about both. I really like bjones's floor. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

bretfraz · 06-07-02, 06:07

Well, against some of the commentary here, I epoxy sealed mt garage floor with the Rustoleum system purchased at Lowe's. Needed two kits to do my floor (20x20). Cost was $55 per kit, plus necessary tools like paint rollers, trays, etc.

I did my floor in March and so far it's holding up beautifully. It's meeting my expectations.

One nice thing about the Rustoleum kit is that they include a citrus-based floor cleaner that will not harm plants and grass and doesn't require protective equipt to wear. Most epoxy sealing systems require you to use muriatic acid which is nasty stuff. With the damage to your floor it may be necessary but I'd try to avoid it if possible.

Do an internet search on concrete sealants. There are several companies with websites that will show you some amazing floors. Then decided whether to epoxy or tile.

dbackfan · 06-07-02, 07:51

Polyurethane. Can't be beat.

Cork · 06-07-02, 10:59

Did you have the polyurethane installed by a pro or did you purchase a kit and install yourself? Looks great!

dbackfan · 06-07-02, 02:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Cork
Did you have the polyurethane installed by a pro or did you purchase a kit and install yourself? Looks great!

I had it done by a professional. Originally, I did an epoxy coat with a kit I purchased from Home Depot, but after a couple of years it was stained and hard to keep clean.

The professional installed polyurethane is much much nicer. It cleans up with a wet mop and it's almost impossible to stain. Well worth it and it looks much better than the "do-it-yourself" jobs.

Gene Arch · 06-13-02, 06:17

I went Epoxy, it's been almost a year and it looks as good as day one.. I really like the "granite look".

Shiny Lil Detlr · 06-13-02, 06:44

I'm buying 1' square vinyl tiles from home depot and laying a black/white checkered pattern in my "detailing garage" (I still do alot of my detailing from my mom's garage since its laid out the best for my purposes).... and then topping the tiles with one of the 9'x20' mats from sam's club.

BradE · 06-13-02, 07:39

I have a 2-part epoxy floor and have a garage mat on top of it.

Hyates · 06-14-02, 07:24

For those with epoxy floors, how durable is it? I would like to epoxy our garage floor but I also use a trolley jack, and jackstands on a regular basis along with car ramps (Rhino ramps). I also want to wheel a table saw on the floor.

With the intended use that I have, would the epoxy hold up? Will it chip easily? What about the product lifting? I live on the 'wet coast' and there's a fair amount of moisture for about 5 months of the year from the car.

Any thoughts/comments appreciated.
Harry.

BradE · 06-14-02, 07:56

Hyates,

If you are going to get an epoxy floor get it done professionally. You will be really disappointed with DIY kits, I tried several of them and they all failed within one year. For proper application of the paint the floor needs to be etched with muratic acid and this is really not something for the DIY'er. After having my floor professionaly done I have not had a single problem. I use ramps, jackstands and floorjacks on it with no chipping. I think Brad B. even does some welding on his and the hot embers to even hurt it.

Hyates · 06-14-02, 08:03

Showroom: Thanks for the prompt reply, and advice

I think you're right about the professional application. I've been reading on Rustoleum's site about their products. Totally different line of kits for home versus industrial/commercial applications. There has to be a reason for this besides cost.

Thanks!
Harry.