Flooring question

[CarterD2015]

I am in the process of building my first shop and I have no idea what to do with the cement floors. I intend to use the bulk of the space for storage of completed vehicles and use one 20 ft bay with a two post lift to work in. I would like for it to look nice for years to come.

With that said should I use one of the two part epoxy systems, or garage floor epoxy paint or just seal the floor? I am also open to any other ideas.

Tell me what you guys think. Thanks for the input.

[Advanced Design]

I don't have experience on the epoxy systems though I am sure someone here will jump in. Wow, your building looks huge! What are the dimensions?

[CarterD2015]

The building is 60 x 60. It will have a 20 x 30 "mother-in-law" quarters and a 20 x 20 room for me. I can't wait to get it finished.

[Advanced Design]

Sounds like a great building! Wife and I have talked about doing something similar. They call them a shouse around here. Combination shop and house.

Car dealerships typically have an epoxy applied which lasts for years under heavy use. Perhaps you could consider that?

[_Ogre]

seal it and be done, is what i've always done in the past
do it before you get oil all over it

[BlueBullet]

When I talked to my concrete guy he said leave it or use high grade epoxy. The do it yourself stuff you get at Menard's or stores like that do not hold up. I left mine because of budget.

[CarterD2015]

I've read many horror stories about the diy epoxy coatings. I would hate to install it and have it start to bubble and peel. I would be putting it on 2600 sq ft and it would a nightmare to fix if it wasn't right.

Right now I am leaning toward painting the floors.

[bs46488]

Dennis,

I bought a house a couple of years ago and before we moved anything in, I did the DIY epoxy from the box store. When we first moved in it looked great.

Unfortunately a couple of years later the floor has started to fail in spots. And when I scrub areas to clean up spills the finish is "off" (kind of like I smeared it)

The other unexpected issue....I picked the tan floor with the white/black/brown flakes. It makes the perfect camouflage for dropped nuts and bolts. I dropped a grade 8 washer the other day and spent 10 mins trying to find it on the floor.

[Rod Run]

I have used the DIY epoxy system and had excellent results. Other I know have had good and bad. The good ones did it right and the failures took shortcuts, because they "didn't think all the steps were important".

You have to follow the directions EXACTLY as stated or you will have failures.

Just like bodywork on a car.... Prep is the most important part. Once cleaned, don't assume the floor is ready to coat. Test it out first as they say to do.

Also, do it only in-between the temperature range that they say is necessary. Any colder and you will end up with lifting. I also waited almost a week more than recommended, before I put it to any abuse.

Just be careful of your color choice or you will be losing stuff on the floor. LOL

There are also major differences between water-based and solvent-based systems

[CarterD2015]

I think that I am going to paint the floor.

http://www.eastwood.com/drylok-e1-ep...ural-sand.html

That way it can be touched up if needed. If it fails it will be easier to remove. I realize that may not be as durable. It will be easier to change colors if I want to in the future. Not to mention that it is 1/3 the price of the two part epoxy systems.

[Advanced Design]

Dennis, glad you found your flooring material. Your building is going to be a nice one. Maybe you can share progress pictures and ideas here? I know I would enjoy tagging along...and it sure beats watching TV!

[Hardworkinguy]

I used the water-based epoxy system from U-Coat-It,and was happy with the results. It has never peeled up in big chunks like some of the paints or other epoxies I have seen. My driveway is gravel,and I do auto repair out of my garage full time,so the main areas between the bays have pretty much worn away,but the rest of the floor is still holding up very well.

This photo is from about 9 years ago. The place needs a total clean and reapply of the floor epoxy now.

[drfloyd]

It sounds like the floor is poured so it's too late to dye the concrete like I did mine but that's the sure fire way to have a floor that keeps it's color forever and even if it chips you can hardly tell it since it's colored all the way through. It's the perfect option for a shop or garage floor. My second suggestion is Tenemec. I work in the power industry and Tenemec is the epoxy that is used on all turbine floors. It's virtually indestructible is it's installed properly. I know it's available in 2 part but I think they have a single stage as well.

[65Gregg]

Garage journal.com has a forum dedicated to flooring, lots of info and reviews.

[Rod Run]

I'm a member over there and that's where I did all my research and learned the pros and cons of the different epoxies.

[Foot Stomper]

Originally Posted by Rod Run

I have used the DIY epoxy system and had excellent results. Other I know have had good and bad. The good ones did it right and the failures took shortcuts, because they "didn't think all the steps were important".

You have to follow the directions EXACTLY as stated or you will have failures.

Just like bodywork on a car.... Prep is the most important part. Once cleaned, don't assume the floor is ready to coat. Test it out first as they say to do.

Also, do it only in-between the temperature range that they say is necessary. Any colder and you will end up with lifting. I also waited almost a week more than recommended, before I put it to any abuse.

Just be careful of your color choice or you will be losing stuff on the floor. LOL

There are also major differences between water-based and solvent-based systems

My day job is technical sales for Rustoleum Inustrial Brands which includes floor coatings.

If you don't have a properly prepared and clean surface, any and all kinds of paint or epoxy will fail in the short term. Failure will be lack of adhesion regardless of brand.

If you are going to pour a new floor or coat an existing floor, there are different products and procedures for each.

[CarterD2015]

New pic of the shop today. Got a little tin put on...finally. I hate to complain about the rain here in Texas because we need it so bad but I want my shop finished.

[drfloyd]

Nice shop. I know you are antsy waiting on it to get done. We have the same issue with rain here in SC. I have about 100 yards of concrete I want to pour and can't get a break in the weather to get trucks on my property.

[68C15]

Smear oil and grease on the fresh concrete. Toss in some dirt and work it real good into the surface. If done right you will have a totally impenetrable surface for all eternity

[OhioChevy]

CarterD2015, you are going to have a nice building. Please keep the pics coming as you build it. I will be following your progress.

[beautimus]

first question is --did you put down a moisture barrier before you poured the slab?
concrete can "wick" moisture from the ground up thought the slab. if you put a coating over it, it can fail due to the moisture wicking up from beneath and causing the coating to turn loose. some areas will come off and others will not, so you end up with a mess.
if that is the case, I would just put sealer on it, and let it ride.
and nice shop, I envy you. I cant wait to see how it turns out..!!!!!!