Dr.Boost

I'm looking for a good epoxy coating for the new garage and was wondering if anybody has done this? I'm not sure how much a company would charge to come out and do it, but I'm sure it's quite a bit more than I could do it myself. I looked at Lowes and didn't find any, but didn't look too hard. I'd really like a blue coating, but anything will do. I found this one on Egay, but I will need about 2 of these kits, so over $300 total.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...TODAY.m238.lVI

Is there anything cheaper/better?
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nascarfan

honestly it makes the floor look pretty but other than that its a waste in my opinion, the machine shop i used to work at used it for the first coat, it eventually came up after having coolent on the floor everyday in certain spots, lasted a little longer than cheap floor paint which we used ever since. I would say its not really worth the money when you can buy cheap floor paint and mix it with sand for extra grip but i really dont remember the price difference. The place i work at now had their floors sealed-dunno anything about the process, but its never slick and does not break down

Dr.Boost

Well I'd like to be able to clean up an oily mess after I'm done working on something and not have to lay in a puddle of oil/coolant/dog **** everytime I have to lay on the ground afterwards. Paint is ---- for floors and doesn't last nearly as long as epoxy.
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MikeJ-2009

I usually do a couple of them a year. I use the rustoleum brand from menards. I know most paint brands carry their own version. The key is to use an oil based formula. You can use the water based, it's usually half the price, but won't last as long.

So, I'll get the oil based two part kit. Acid wash the concrete and let it dry a day. Put the base down in 6x6 sections, or like 4 ft deep across the back wall. Buy extra flakes and it will give it more of a granite look instead of the here and there flakes they show on the box. The best way to evenly get the flakes down is to do your best impression of a gay guy throwing a baseball. All wrist, son.
Let that dry overnight, and then sweep the extra flakes off that didn't stick. There will be quite a bit, but don't sweat it. Then put a fatty layer of clear, let it dry 24 hours before walking, and 7 days before driving on it, and you're golden.

For referance, I've charged as much as $3.30 sq/ft for this whole process done. You may spend $300 for all the correct materials, but I can't imagine saving $200 by buying the cheap ----, no clear, ect. and trying to figure out how to fix a chipping floor, because then you have to strip it all, or redo it only to find it will chip again.

Dr.Boost

It would cost me $1700 to have you do it. I guess spending the $300 isn't so bad. It's a 2 part system with the acid wash ---- included and a bunch of the srpinkles. I planned on washing the ---- out of it one day with a pressure washer and then the acid, painting the entire garage the next day and clear the next day, so 3 days and then let it dry for another couple days. I have 12 days to do what I want before I actually have to live in the house so that should work good. What do you think of that Egay system?
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MikeJ-2009

Yes, and I believe that's still cheaper than Rustoleum at home services does it through home depot, so it's either do it yourself, or hire me or Rustoleum. In the world of grandpa not willing, I'll get that job.
But anyway, I wouldn't trust that ebay stuff. If I were you, I'd go to Dunn Edwards or Sherwin Williams and see what they have in OIL BASED. If the garage floor is relatively clean, i wouldn't spend the time with the pressure washer. That acid ---- basically takes a real thin top layer off the concrete, and should get it down to what you need. Plus, the water from the washer will get all over the walls/everywhere.
Once it's clean, put the base coat down say 5-6 feet from the back garage wall, from one side to the other. When you throw your flakes, only throw them on the back 4 ft, so you have a buffer. If you get flakes all over the unpainted floor, you're bound to paint over one of them and it'll come up later showing bare floor, or it'll just be a mess in general. Throw more flakes than you think you want, because about 30% of them will sweep up the following day when you are going to clear. All of them hit the floor, but not all of them stick. The clear is a protectant, makes the floor more shiny, and most people who don't use it end up with a floor that looks like a painted floor with flakes, and not a real deal industrial floor like you're looking for.
Don't put that anti-skid bullshit in the clear. It doesn't make ---- for difference, except when you mix it into the clear it all goes to the bottom after a couple minutes, like sugar in kool-aid, and won't distribute evenly even if you wanted to.

Also, if you have any significant cracks, you can fill them with a two part crack filler. That's gonna add a day.

Dr.Boost

We have a Lowes and a Home Depot here. None of that fancy ---- you talk about. :P Can I get anything good there? The floor is pretty dirty right now. Someone definitely had an oil leaker and the walls I'm not so worried about since I'm going to be painting them. I thought about paiting the walls before doing the floor, but I don't want to ---- up the walls with the acid wash and ----.
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ifly87

Dont cheap out on it. The stuff on the hangar floor at school has been on since 1990 and still looks nice, its nearly 20 years old and gets abused pretty bad. Keep it clean and it will last along time.

MikeJ-2009

Home depot will have the rustoleum brand, but I find that they only sell it in "all in one" kits, and they usually don't have the oil based stuff because it's not as home owner friendly as the water based. If they have the oil based, get that. If they don't, don't get anything.

Here's the rustoleum page on all their products.
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGBrand.asp?bid=8

This is the one you want. Emphasize the word "professional", and not "garage floor coating" or other generic terms. The professional is the oil based.


Here's the chips. They come in all kinds of colors.


This is the clear:



Now, it's kinda fucked up because you pay $90 for one kit, it's two gallon containers that you mix together and end up with under a gallon of material. You'd think there was gold in it, but until I find something else I like, I've gotta get it.

If it helps you at all, I've got a kit of base coat left over from last year. Some guy wanted his basement all done up in tan. I bought too much, and I never keep receipts. I figured I'd just wait for the next job to roll in and buy the ones I needed, and return the box with the tan ones in it. It's all brand new, and just chillin in the garage. If you can figure out a way to swindle this kit from me and pay less than retail for it, I'm all ears.

Reddy

I used the home depot stuff and that stuff lasted 6 months before it looked like ----. I just recently used this stuff: http://www.epoxy-coat.com/

You can tell this stuff is definitely better and seems like it'll hold up better. Its solid expoxy unlike that other stuff that uses clearcoats and stuff. I didn't put the anti-slip or flakes in it and I think it looks better and isn't slippery.


DSC01105.jpg?t=1206098289


DSC01115.jpg?t=1206098313


I paid a little over $600 and so far its definitely worth the money.