Epoxy-Sheild Floor Installed this weekend

**BJ007** · 03-26-2007, 11:59 AM

New Update...

3 weeks later we are still looking good. I would definitely recommend the clear coat for the top as well. I moved some heavy stuff on a dolly this week and it didn`t even mark the floor. At the advice of a friend, I made cardboard runners out of a bunch of boxes we had from moving. We park on those now and will for the next few weeks.

**Quik89si** · 04-22-2007, 10:56 PM

Where is the clear-coat for the Rust-Oleum epoxy kit found? I cruised Lowe`s today and just saw the kits - gray and tan.

**MaThGr82** · 04-22-2007, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by Quik89si

Where is the clear-coat for the Rust-Oleum epoxy kit found? I cruised Lowe`s today and just saw the kits - gray and tan.

That is all that is needed.

**Quik89si** · 04-23-2007, 09:13 PM

So the clear-coat comes in the standard kit? From BJ007`s posts above, it sounds like he "opted" for the clear-coat rather than using something that was included in the kit.

**BJ007** · 04-24-2007, 07:40 PM

The clear coat is an extra product that you can purchase. So, for a 2 car garage, I used 2 kits of the grey water based epoxy and 1 kit of the Rustoleum EpoxyShield clear coat. So 3 boxes total. Go to HD and check it out, it will make perfect sense then.

Update - Still going strong. Can`t believe it has already been what, 7 weeks? I used the cardboard runners I made for quite some time and recently threw them out. Just requires a little mopping once in a while and looks great.

An idea that someone may or may not want to use... You can lay down a vinyl logo/stickers on top of the base coat, then lay the clear down on top of it. Just an idea in my head. If you plan on selling your house soon it wouldn`t be a great idea, but if you are a die hard fan of a certain car, that would be pretty sweet. Wish I would have done that, but hindsight is 20/20.

**MaThGr82** · 09-24-2007, 12:12 AM

I have been meaning to take some photo`s of the garage to show how this is holding up after two years, but I am afraid of how you all will laugh at the mess I have created in my garage.

The bottom line though, the garage floor is really holding up well. I only mop it down every other month or so and it is really nice still. There are a couple of scratches from dragging a ping pong table across the floor one night.

**MikeWinLDS** · 09-24-2007, 12:23 AM

What kind of protection does doing that epoxy on your garage do? I think there`s someone in our neighborhood that did something like this to their driveway too, even though it was against the HOA to do it.

**MaThGr82** · 09-24-2007, 12:27 AM

It seems to provide adequate protection for day to day use. My truck is leaking coolant and it has no problem with that. I just wipe it up and it is fine.

**MikeWinLDS** · 09-24-2007, 12:40 AM

So pretty much water, oil, and chemical proofing?

**MaThGr82** · 09-24-2007, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by MikeWinLDS

So pretty much water, oil, and chemical proofing?

I would say so. I haven`t had too much else to mess with it.

**Old Pirate** · 09-24-2007, 01:25 PM

It`s all in the prep work that matters the most, The best ones on the market is U Coat it, Sherwin Williams epoxy kit for garage floors, for do it yourselves folks.

**ssmokn** · 09-24-2007, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by MikeWinLDS

So pretty much water, oil, and chemical proofing?

I did my floor about three and a half years ago with a high solids, industrial two- part epoxy flooring made by a local company in my area. This stuff has proven to be pretty bullet proof.

Over the past few years I had a brake line rot through on my F350 while I was away on vacation. Had brake fluid (maybe a 6 inch puddle) sitting on the floor for over three weeks by the time I returned and actually used the truck. I wiped up the brake fluid and it didn`t even leave a stain in the paint -- nada, nothing.

I also had a battery charging on my bench over night. My charger was old and malfunctioned. Over charged the batttery sending acid EVERYWHERE. A huge puddle. Ruined my benchtop, bench frame and one of my cabinets. I had a huge puddle of battery acid on the epoxy flooring for about 24 hours. I neutralized it with lots of baking soda and water and then washed the floor. It discolored the epoxy where the acid sat but the integrity of the finish was fine and it didn`t eat through it.

If you use a quality product geared towards commercial/industrial you will have good results. As said before, prep is 110% of the job.

I was going to recoat my floor recently but I decided to step it up a notch. I had the floor diamond grinded to the bare concrete (that epoxy was tough -- took two men 9 hours of continuous grinding) and then had a four layer quartz aggregate two part expoxy flooring system installed. It is unbelievable. The coating is probably 3/16"+ thick. Cost a kings randsom but looks very nice.

Stay away from the retail warehouse epoxy. Most of it is junk. A lot depends on prep and how you use your garage but if you want something to last look at the commericial/industrial products. You will have to search online or using your phone book. These places don`t advertise and usually don`t deal directly with retail consumers (but most will if you find them -- they will often guide you through the process or recommend professionals that use their products).

**Ralliart16** · 09-24-2007, 04:31 PM

I`ve used the rustoleum epoxyshield shown by the thread starter, its "good enough" for the average home user. By this I mean, it will resist tire pickup, mild chemicals, and other things fine.

However, if you plan on doing intense automotive work, or spill heavy chemicals, the floor doesn`t like it too much. When using a floor jack and lifting heavy vehicles, the paint will chip a little bit because of the large amount of stress on a small area. Also, if you leave things like oil drips and such for an extended period of time, it will slightly stain the paint.

I will say however rustoleum really backs up their product. If you have an issue and call up their customer service, they are very willing to work with you. I`ve had them send me another box of paint for free due to a color inconsistency in one of my cans

**BA_Titan** · 10-03-2007, 12:52 PM

Mine has been down for almost 4 years now with zero problems. It`s starting to get some wear marks from the tires but other than that still going good. Wish I had top coated it with the clear but didn`t know they had it back then. I used the "retail" Rustoleum gray.

Think it`s just like detailing..... All in the prep! 10 hours of, power wash, 2 times Simple Green and rinsing, lots of rinsing. Used a new push broom to scrub with, hand scrubbed a few spots. My 2 car garage was 17 years old when I did it and pretty clean for it`s age.

And make sure you rinise, rinse after using the etch stuff.

**BJ007** · 10-06-2007, 06:38 AM

Rustoleum stuff is great, its all in the prep as everyone else said. Perhaps the people that knock it without experience enjoy paying significantly more for the same results?