Garage floor coating. Best, most popular???

[fordracing65]

What is everyone using for their garage floor. Trying to do epoxy, sealant, paint, etc. Trying to do it on the cheap. What is the best most popular coatings out there?? Thanks.

[DanEC]

If you haven't discovered it already you might rummage around in the Garage Journal forum. The floor area on the forum is real active. The problem is the more you study the options, get additional input and look at more products, read user complaints/disasters and look at prices and disruption of your garage - enormous confusion sets in and you decide that bare concrete doesn't look all that bad. At least that's pretty much where my exploration of the subject led me last spring. I sort of concluded the only practical time to deal with an epoxy coated flooring is when the garage or house is first built. I don't have the luxury of cleaning my garage out and parking 4 expensive cars, a lift and tool boxes in the driveway, out in the weather while media blasting a floor, coating it and then letting it cure for a week. And I use car dollies to move some cars around and that sort of ruled out something like RaceDeck tiles for me.

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Good luck and let us know how it works out.

[razerwire]

Just get ceramic tile and be done with it. Picked up 12 x 12 tile in Mexico for .50 cents each, used half thickness of thinset with tight joints, been down for ten years. Run fork lifts around on it and drive 50,000 lb motorhome on it with no problems. Do half of garage and move stuff and do rest. I cut tile around two post lift, lathe. and bridgeport mill, four post lift sets on top of tile, no problem

[RockBit]

On the advice of a friend, I used UCoatIt.com. About $1.25/sq ft and was easy to do, as the instructions provided were good. The finish seems very hard, resists scratches, and looks great.

I am happy with it.

[Dimis]

Carpet tile squares and a drip tray...
Particularly if in a home garage which is more for storage than engineering purposes

Less dust (I didn't believe this, but hey you live and learn...)
Warmer.
More comfortable to roll around on when playing pretend mechanic
Cheap to replace a square or two if they get damaged or soiled.
Allows you to double the room up into a party room, poker room, theatre room or any other room your little heart desired.

[fordracing65]

Where do you get carpet tiles.

[Rjw289]

RaceDeck flooring. Easy to install and clean.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by fordracing65

Where do you get carpet tiles.

Carpettiles1 Carpet Tiles - Carpet Tiles Australia Wide

But shipping from Aus might cost you a tad more than it's worth.

Local home depot maybe? Ebay?
Google your local carpet guys.

[twobjshelbys]

I used a commercial 2 part that I got at home depot. Had some color flecks that I didn't use. Made 5 gallons at a time only so I ended up letting everyone gallons harden in the pail unused. When mixing be careful as they can vary and it is hard to get the timing to box two things gallon pails. Have a third pail but you have to be fast. Having two people helps.

[Jaydee]

I like having the black oxide mixed into the top later at the time of laying the concrete and then screeted to a water proof smooth finish. Doesn't soak in oil, easy to wipe of oil with some metho or turps. And easy to sweep.
JD

[RamblinWreck]

I had an epoxy aggregate floor professionally installed and initially it looked fantastic - really rich looking and very durable. Within a couple of years it began to yellow and chalk. Five years later it's chalky throughout with a yellow band along the front of the garage doors where the sun hits it when the doors are open. Don't know if it was installed improperly but won't be using this type again.

In my manufacturing plant, I had the concrete floors polished to a 1000 finish. After polishing they apply a densifier which hardens the surface (but doesn't seal it). After eight years of rough treatment including lots of forklift traffic the floor still has a polished look. I'll use this on my next garage floor. A word of warning though, the concrete is not sealed and will stain if oil gets on it so need to use drip pans. The rubber forklift tires have not marred the concrete so don't think car tires would either.

[hinoonaz]

I have tried painting with not so good quality and results. Have done ceramic tile. Carpet in a non mechanic type garage setting. Currently after 8 years a commercial two part epoxy. The first coat is reduced by about a third to half and full strength on final coat. If I had to do over, I would polish the floor. IMO
Gary

[Phx Mike]

I have a 4-step chip coat floor from Brilliant Floors. Has been really durable and highly repellent to all fluids. Only drawback is if you drop a nut or washer it is really hard to find it on the multi-color chip surface.

Commercial Coatings & Epoxy Flooring Solutions

[ACHiPo]

I've been wondering the same thing for a few years. Visiting Garage Journal makes for analysis paralysis, thus I'm still wondering.

I'm leaning heavily toward Swisstrax or Racedeck--it's competitive to epoxy without the prep and disruption. Tile is also an attractive option, but more expensive, and I've heard that you need to be careful which type you select, as cracking can be an issue. The loose-lay vinyl or carpet tiles look intriguing as well--if you get an oil drip just replace the tile.

I'm starting to see why I haven't done anything yet

[lippy]

Griot's epoxy garage floor coating. I use the light tan. I've had it in two houses and it looks good and holds up well. Get a painter to do it. You need to clean the concrete and etch with muriatic acid first.

[Chilibit]

I covered mine in black walnut hardwood and then had vinyl wrap made that looks just like raw concrete to cover it because of all the snide remarks from true mechanics. Just kidding as you well know. I just sealed (varnish) the concrete and with equipment that can and will make inch deep gouges in 4k psi concrete it was just as well.

[Jaydee]

I have used floor single pak waterbased paint , but it seems to react with tyres and stain where you park for several days. I like the thought of ceramic tiles. But wouldn't it chip easy if you dropped spanners or use car trolley jacks?
JD

[DanEC]

Snap together laminate flooring is available in some fairly inexpensive types and quick/easy to install with no floor prep. I also understand there is a type available with a synthetic backer rather than a processed wood type material - not susceptible to water damage. And the hard/dense floor surface would seem to be friendly to casters and jacks. Heavier dropped stuff would definitely put a dent in it. Has anyone ever tried this? Would have to be careful with brake application as it would push and slide.

[Y22C]

I have this product down
H&C Concrete - Products - H&C® Shield-Crete® Epoxy Concrete Garage Floor Coating

Picked it up at a local Sherwin Williams paint store.

It has been down for 3 years now.

No hot issues, drag my Harley's kickstand on the floor with no issues.

Did not apply the "Shark Bite" traction additive,floor is not slippery.

Finished with 3 coats of clear

Overall very pleased with the resuts.

Ken

[fordracing65]

Anyone try metallic epoxy. Looks great.