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You will not be disappointed with the results. The biggest job is cleaning the used concrete.
I second the Sherwin Williams. I used a marine grade epoxy (2 part) they make it any color you want. I have had mine in the garage for 16 years and no pealing up anywhere. Plenty of scratches in it due to me dragging stuff across it but nothing thru the paint. Depending on where you live you may want to add sand in the walking areas. Up here in MN unless you have a heated garage the water will freeze and it is slippery as can be real quick.
I second the Sherwin Williams. I used a marine grade epoxy (2 part) they make it any color you want. I have had mine in the garage for 16 years and no pealing up anywhere. Plenty of scratches in it due to me dragging stuff across it but nothing thru the paint. Depending on where you live you may want to add sand in the walking areas. Up here in MN unless you have a heated garage the water will freeze and it is slippery as can be real quick.
The smooth finishes decidedly are slippery when wet.... but I added a product... it is called Shark Grip....vs. sand.....specifically intended for that purpose.... sand might work but the SG could not be seen...LK
I put TrueLock HD Free Flow over the top of my deteriorating epoxy floor. Epoxy was on the floor when I purchased the house and it was in bad shape. I have no idea of how it was installed or what product was used but I had no interest in going the epoxy route again. The grinding mess and days without use of my garage didn't sound very appealing.
Besides the fact that it looks fantastic, I was able to install about 800 sqft by myself in less than 8 hours including all edge cuts and trims at the cost of about $2.50 sqft. The Free Flow tiles are extremely quiet to walk on unlike solid tiles and can withstand vehicle rolling loads in excess of 36,000 lbs. Water, melting snow, dirt/debris falls through leaving a dry and clean surface to walk on. No more tracking debris into the house. Channels on the underside allow water to flow to a drain or it will evaporate just as it did before tile was installed. Routine cleaning is accomplished with a shop vac or power wash for deep cleaning where the car parks, or I can simply unsnap complete sections and slide out to the driveway for power washing. If I ever moved, I could also take the floor with me. It was really an easy decision for me.
I don't know how long it took to install your floor but when I had my floor epoxied the guys showed up at noon, ground the floor, cleaned the floor, painted the concrete edges of the garage walls and put the first coat of epoxy on and left. The next day they came back and put on the second coat and added the chips to give some traction and color differences. Two days later I was able to use to park the cars in the garage. When I chose the epoxy I wanted the vendor had two prices. Residential level at $1300 or commercial level at $2300. They didn't know how well the residential stuff would hold up to having brake fluid, brake cleaner, oil, dirt, brake dust, etc on it but they said the commercial stuff would hold up to anything I would do to it. Hot tire pick up was the least of my worries as brake fluid is a great paint remover. The other thing is epoxy works much better with my Max Jax lift which I need to roll around when I store the uprights. I can't imagine trying to roll it across a plastic decking. I notice none of the pictures showing race deck have any lifts in them.
Thanks, all for creating a good discussion on the common yet important question. One of my friends is planning for remodeling is an electronic workshop and he was little confusing for choosing bets floor for his needs. Although an expert from a local flooring installer agency as "cisneroscustomcoatings" suggested him few options including epoxy. After seeing this conversation I think epoxy would be a better option for his store after considering many factors.
A couple of years ago I decided I wanted to finish the floor in the garage. Actually bought the epoxy and started prepping the floor. Didn't feel that I was getting the sealant stripped enough using the xylene and figured I would need to grind it. At that point just didn't feel comfortable and that it would be more work than I wanted.
Ended up getting tile from Speedway Tile. Came out to around $2 sq/ft if I remember correctly. Installation was a breeze. Used landscape fabric underneath to help with the click/clack.
Floor still looks new once cleaned (vacuum and mop).
Don't have pics, but ended up using some of the epoxy on the wooden stairs in the garage and it has held up fine (it should, since it just gets foot traffic). Planning on using the rest of it on my wooden workshop floor (if I ever get it cleaned and things moved).
I applied Epoxy-Coat (brand name) in a 1500 Square foot concrete floor garage/workshop almost five years ago. It has held up well to floor jacks, road debris, dropped tools, and all manner of metal shavings, welding and grinding sparks, sawdust, sand, and more. Meticulous preparation and strict adherence to the application instructions are the keys to a lasting finish. I sweep it frequently and wash it when dirty. Only in a couple of areas where a 5800 pound tractor sits has the epoxy lifted under the tires.
I use Race Deck over a worn, painted "everyday use" 700 square foot concrete floor garage and it holds up well to winter road salt, slush, water and dirt. I wash and mop it when it gets really dirty. One thing to consider is that if your garage is open to the sun and you leave your doors open in hot weather it will buckle unless you provide adequate expansion gaps at the edges.
I have used a few pieces of Race Deck as a floor liner in my pickup trucks for 13 years and it has taken a beating but still does the job. With time I've noticed that dirt and water now tend to seep between the seams so I periodically remove it as a unit and clean underneath.
There is a wealth of information of flooring materials on this forum:
Because mine is a "working" shop and not a "display" shop, I wasn't sure how well a tile system would hold up under the abuse of engine stands, hoists, and so on. Maybe they're fine, but since I wasn't sure... epoxy.
Your success, however, DEPENDS ON THE PREP.
My house came with a coating that looked the same as pictured below, but it peeled within 2 years. They were out of business (no surprise) so I had to start over.
That meant getting the surface mechanically abraded until it was rough and ready for a new topcoat, which has lasted close to 10 years now without a single flake.
...and then there's porcelain tile. With the understanding that surface prep is important, porcelain is extremely durable- or so I've been told. Could be costly, too.
Any thoughts?
Has anyone thought of polished concrete? That seems to me to be a solution that you won't have to worry about lifting from hot tires (like epoxy), cleaning spills up should be easy, etc...
As much as I like the looks of any of the floor covering solutions, when I build my retirement home at the lake with the garages I've always wanted, I'm leaning toward naked concrete. My garage now and any I will have will be a working garage, my 67 Corvette drips oil and occasionally trans fluid from the powerglide burping, and I flush brake fluid in all my cars periodically, so spills are a fact of life. And I want a car lift, like lots of folks which will have to be bolted into the concrete.
Last edited by boxster99t; 07-15-2017 at 12:13 PM.
Has anyone thought of polished concrete? That seems to me to be a solution that you won't have to worry about lifting from hot tires (like epoxy), cleaning spills up should be easy, etc...
I hang out a lot at a local oldtimer's shop and he just has polished concrete, and by polished I really just mean smooth, not a polishing process. He cleans it with absorbent, as opposed to a mop, and it looks good to this day. It's easy to roll stuff on too.
Yea, honestly the polished or clear concrete is a good popular look these days and I bet it would hold up. Would be interesting to hear from others....something I was thinking of as well.
06-30-2017, 07:11 AM
