Epoxy finished floor in your garage.

Hardware store employees used to know what they were talking about, and weren't ashamed to say "Let me find out" if you asked a question they couldn't answer. But that was many moons ago.
Nowadays, the employees just spout off some garbage advice represented as fact.
I made the same mistake once, asking a Home Depot employee in the paint department about painting a deck. The man gave advice as if he was a professional painter in a past life. As it turns out, he was totally wrong.
Never again. :)
 
Thanks for the pics. Rasky

RaskyR1 said:
I did my garage last year and went with a 1-part "Behr" epoxy, after the recommendation of a Home Depot employee. I degreased and pressure washed the floor with my 2750psi pressure washer. I followed that up with the acid etching and primer. I did add the anti slip additive which IMO only made the floor a PITA to clean. Within a few weeks some areas had peeled and I simply could not get the floor 100% clean ever again.

If I do it again I will rent a floor sander and use a better 2-part epoxy.

Week after coating...
done3.jpg




6-8 months later....floor is damp but you get the idea.
IMG_0504.jpg
Click to expand...

That is why I am not certain if I can tackle the project myself or hire a pro.
For me.. it has to last at least 5-10 yrs. without peeling and flaking off...otherwise it will look worst than bare concrete.
 
mrtonyn said:
That is why I am not certain if I can tackle the project myself or hire a pro.
For me.. it has to last at least 5-10 yrs. without peeling and flaking off...otherwise it will look worst than bare concrete.
Click to expand...

You're right. Floor preparation is the most important part of the job. But the product is important too.

According to Rasky, he DID prep the floor properly, but the paint failed.

I've never been a fan of Behr paint in any form... If I were doing it, I'd pressure wash, acid wash, pressure wash again, and apply SW 2-part epoxy.
 
I was thinking of doing this, only I have one major problem in my garage, right now... It is flat for the most part, but has an "ever-so-slight" slope in the wrong direction (meaning towards the house and not out to the driveway). Therefore, water just sits and sits in the garage and never runs out into the driveway, and there is no drainage.

I thought that I might be able to fix this by laying an epoxy floor, but I doubt I would be able to make it slope downwards towards the driveway, right?
 
User Name said:
Heck, I'm trying to figure out how the heck you found a HD employee.

At least Lowe's has those "press for assistance buttons".
Click to expand...

HD has them too....at least the ones in my area do. :D

I have found some very knowledgeable employees at HD many times...I've also had many that didn't know their head from their a$$.
 
RaskyR1 said:
I have found some very knowledgeable employees at HD many times...I've also had many that didn't know their head from their a$$.
Click to expand...

As Heatgain (Gary) stated... it used to be that "Hardware" store employees were helpful and knowledgeable. They would find exactly what you were looking for and know exactly what they were talking about...

Then in the '80's emerged the Hardware "SUPERSTORE"... the worst thing that could have happened. Last time I was in Home Depot, I knew at least 100 times more than the pimply-faced kid who tried to "help" me.
 
I need to find out the difference between acid cleaning/etching

versus the diamond sanding/buffing machine method.
Perhaps it depends on the condition of the concrete surface????
Like in my case the...the floor is about 6 years old and relative in good condition...so which method would be better? maybe do both??? or it also depends on which product/brand I go with.
 
mrtonyn said:
versus the diamond sanding/buffing machine method.
Perhaps it depends on the condition of the concrete surface????
Like in my case the...the floor is about 6 years old and relative in good condition...so which method would be better? maybe do both??? or it also depends on which product/brand I go with.
Click to expand...

I will definitely use a sander next time. I think prep is probably most important and the brand/type second most.
 
I did my last garage with the Rustoleum 2 part epoxy. The concrete was stained but smooth, I cleaned and used muratic acid to etch (giving a surface for the Epoxy to bond) use the amount recomended, its expensive but my buddy tried to get by on covering twice the recommended area, big mistake. I sold the house but the coating was still looking good after 5 years. If your concrete has fiberglass in it you may haveto sand it instead of acid, I would check with someone who is more experienced than I on that.
 
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