With a relatively new house that I purposely built with 2 nice sized double attached garages, I want to get the garage floors protected from spills, road salt (I live in WI), etc. before they get too stained up. And now that I am actually modding the car, the chances of that happening has greatly increased (especially since finding this forum, as my car was bone stock 2 months ago!).

I started doing some research on good quality DIY epoxy coatings and looking for any real world feedback for those who might have done something similar to your garages.

I found 2 that look like decent products.

The First is a water based product from UCoat It http://ucoatit.com/pgs/main.htm. This one has to be good for Jay Leno to use it in his garage, right??

And the second one is more of an industrial coating from Epoxy Coat http://www.epoxycoatfloorpaint.com/catalog/.

I only want to do this once and I have heard horry stories about garage floor coating peeling, chipping, etc way too soon after install (I know prep is key, but as is having a good product), so if anyone has experience with these or any other garage floor coatings, please chime in.

Thanks!!

 

I am researching the same too for my garage. I hear the u coat it is VERY good and being water based the smell and vapors are 100 times better then the epoxy coatings. Some say if the garage is attached you won't be able to live in the house while the epoxy coating cures.

 

I used the rustoleum garage floor paint and I am really happy with it considering the price. It has wore thin in a spot or two over the years but that could be from my paint job. Can't beat the price compared to the others. I figure another year or two and I will repaint it and still be ahead of the game. Fumes wern't that bad just left the door open a tad over night.
You do need to let your concrete cure a year I believe is what it said.

 

I also used the Rustoleum epoxy garage floor paint that can be found at Lowe's or Home Depot. I put on one coat and have been happy. It has also worn in one spot about a 6" circle, but as Glenn said I'll recoat and be good.

The only thing I would watch out for is that it is very slippery when wet. Don't be shy with the little plastic pieces that are supposed to be sprinkled all over the top. These help with grip. But clean up is a breeze and it looks fantastic.

 

thanks for the input and I will take a look next time I am near a Lowes. Do you recall what it cost? But with the other 2 I was considering both north of $500 to do both my garages, I am sure this would be a ton cheaper.

 

I think at the time it was $70 or so for each kit. And one kit will do 250sq.ft. they say. I bought three kits and did three garages, which were about 800 sq.ft. total. Used a low nap roller on an extension pole for the main part and a throway brush to do the cutting in at the edges. It is a 2 part epoxy and needs to be done in certain temperatures. Included is an etching powder for cleaning the floor. Warning:It doesn't mix well with bleach, found that out the hardway. My nose hairs are starting to grow back again but everything still tastes like playdoh

The better you clean the concrete, the better it will stick. And use those sprinkles, like I said they help with pedestrian grip. I like it. It's a good deal. I got the tan color and it looks like commercial 12" vinyl tile flooring we have in our offices on the floor, minus the grid lines of course.

I'll do it again if I ever move, so I think thats a good recommendation.

Good luck.

 

thanks. This is definitely something I want to do in the spring and eventhough I will probably need 4 kits, it will save me money I can spend on more car mods as I am definitely addicted now!

 

I got mine on sale at menards for under 50 a box. The flakes are for looks only from what I understand. It does get slippery but knowing that I have been carefull and haven't fallen on my butt yet. You can sprinkle sand on there before the paint dries that should do the trick if your worried about it. I like the smooth surface tho

 

 

thanks for photos Glenn. I am sold! As soon this weather breaks (which won't be for a couple months), that will be my first outside project... followed by finally getting my heater installed so I can actually do some modding when the weather gets crappy without having to deal with all the fumes from my torpedo heater. I made the mistake of picking it up too late and now I can't do the venting until things warm up!

Hey, where is Lockport?? I am just north of border between Kenosha and Lake Geneva.

I assume this is stiff, right?? $64 at Home depot!

 

yep thats the stuff. Lockport is about 25 miles or so south of Chitcago.

 

I was looking at getting that stuff but my concern is how slippery it will be when it is wet. Especially in the winter after snow has melted off of the car. Last thing I want is my wife to wipeout and break something just because I wanted a cooler looking garage floor.

 

you can spread some play sand or other anti slip stuff on the wet paint so you wont have that problem.

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=16
click download label for instructions.

 

Reviving an old thread as I am finally getting around to coating one of my garage floors as I spent the last 2 weekends building benches and painting, so I figured the time was right with it totally cleared out to epoxy the floors. Wait until you guys see the pictures when its done... stripes, Gladiator cabinets and the soon to be applied epoxy floor will make it quite the man cave!

Hey Glenn... how far out did you take the epoxy through the garage door opening?? All the way to the seam between the garage floor and driveway?

 

yep covered the concrete right up to the black top.