Garage Floor Finish

[Jesse6869]

My concrete was not polished but concrete guys were really good at making it look polished. I just sealed it with Balistix , heat resistant, mildew resistant, easy to clean spills doesn’t let it settle in concrete and pretty inexpensive.

 

[BSB67]

I think the most quality coating systems require the concrete to be ground before any coating application. Also, some coating systems don’t want a curing agent used on the concrete. You should check that.

 

[Dan64]

My concrete was not polished but concrete guys were really good at making it look polished. I just sealed it with Balistix , heat resistant, mildew resistant, easy to clean spills doesn’t let it settle in concrete and pretty inexpensive. View attachment 1832904

Looks great, that's what mine looked like after sealer also, how does the Ballistic hold up to oil spills?

 

[moparwacko]

I used a sealer called REZ on the recommendation from the Mason who poured the floor (friend). I sprayed it on after waiting a few weeks- BE CAREFUL, INHALATION HAZARD!!!
It has lasted 20 years, some of the gloss is gone, easy oil clean up, but really good stuff. It never really was slippery either.
Maybe the product isn't the same anymore
https://www.euclidchemical.com/prod...ing-compounds/solvent-based-acrylic/rez-seal/

 

[Jesse6869]

Vary well just wipe and go, it will leave a puddle and you just wipe it up and no stain to worry about.

 

[myfeather626]

I could NEVER have a "pretty" floor.
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I like those rims on the Sattelite are they steel or the Aluminum?

 

[Black_Sheep]

My garage floor was pretty trashed, epoxy wasn’t a good option because I didn’t want my vehicles, tools and stuff sitting unattended in the driveway for a week. I settled on Racedeck flooring and it’s worked out okay, installation took only a few hours. Good looking, easy to clean and it’s held up better than expected. I used slotted drain tiles where the wife parks so it doesn’t get slippery when rain or snow drips off her car. I remove that section in the spring to clean out the accumulated dirt and pressure wash the flooring in the driveway.

Not for everyone, but it works for me…

 

[ct71rr]

My garage build is also on The Garage Journal, but I haven't been on there in a long time. I stained and sealed my floor. I actually came in 2nd place in a contest one of the trusted vendors (Legacy Industrial) was running - only beaten by a member who had his floor professionally epoxied.

 

[dadsbee]

I like those rims on the Sattelite are they steel or the Aluminum?

American Racing wheels.. aluminum.

 

[hemifiedbird]

I went with epoxy coating, I have done everything in there but haven’t used a cutting torch. No need to for me. It is extremely durable. We get a lot of sand/salt mix on our roads and in the spring ,Pressure wash the floor and it’s like new. Gas ,oil antifreeze does not affect it. I had garage people come install the flooring. 2250 Sq/ft .$7.00 sq/ft. Sounds expensive but I’d do again in a heartbeat

 

[BSB67]

I went with epoxy coating, I have done everything in there but haven’t used a cutting torch. No need to for me. It is extremely durable. We get a lot of sand/salt mix on our roads and in the spring ,Pressure wash the floor and it’s like new. Gas ,oil antifreeze does not affect it. I had garage people come install the flooring. 2250 Sq/ft .$7.00 sq/ft. Sounds expensive but I’d do again in a heartbeat

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Your sheen variation looks similar to my polyaspartic.

 

[hemifiedbird]

Your sheen variation looks similar to my polyaspartic.

Actually the sheen has no variation, It is just the natural lighting coming in to appear that way. The Pentastar is a decal layed on the floor then cleared over . They had to put a coat of clear down first then they sanded my floor as we had chosen our flakes to put in our coating. I chose Chrome and Gold flakes along with the brown,black and white flakes. So I found out that the chrome and gold flakes are metal where the other colours are paint flakes. We found out that after they were done we could not walk on the floor without shoes on as the metal flakes were standing up and were very sharp. So they sanded the whole floor and install 2 more coats of clear and it tokk the sharpness away. If we had used only paint flakes it would of been fine but there wasn't enough Bling in the floor

 

[70chall440]

Good luck on whatever you choose. I have tried a variety of coatings and none have worked out all that well. In my newest shop (40x60) I tried the home depot concrete paint from Baer after the floor was poured and I waited 30 days. That lasted about a week I think before it began lifting so I had to strip it, acid etch the concrete and then tried a Sherwin Williams product that supposedly the Navy uses. That has held up somewhat but has lifted in some spots.

In my older shop I extended it 8' on the back wall (60') and just left it smoothed out and raw concrete, much better for a working shop.

 

[BSB67]

Actually the sheen has no variation, It is just the natural lighting coming in to appear that way.

I understand the difference between the two

 

[Jim 68cuda]

When I first built my garage, I spent alot of time trying to figure out what coating would look good and be durable enough to last. I couldn't find anything I felt I could afford that would be practical. In the end, I decided to leave the concrete floor untreated. As much as the garage gets used, I haven't regretted the decision. Yes I have stains from fluids leaking out of cars. Yes, I even damaged the floor slightly not realizing a plasma cutter would cut through metal and engrave the concrete a few inches away. And I know sparks from welding would have marked up pretty much any coating that I may have selected. A coating would have necessitated a commitment to always cleaning and mopping the floor to keep it clean. I'm not that guy.
My garage has a bathroom. The builder suggested at least putting vinyl tile flooring in that bathroom. That tile floor gets dirty quickly just from tracking in dirt from the concrete floor. Dirt and grime that was not really noticeable on the concrete. If I had to do it all over, I would stick with no coating on the floor, and I would skip putting the tile on the bathroom floor.

 

[493 Mike]

I used a flat finish tile in my garage restroom. It came in sheets and I laid and grouted it myself. I really like it and it gets vacuumed monthly and scrubbed yearly. Not much maintenance required. Been using it for 25 years now.
Mike

 

[Cranky]

Lots of nice shops and floors in this thread!

 

[guy gadbois]

I understand the difference between the two

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That GTX is gorgeous! Love the colour and the wheels.

 

[Archie Duiker]

Hello all,

I am going to have the concrete poured in my garage next week. I want to coat the floor (once it's fully cured) and was wondering what others have done.

I've heard of:
1. Smooth finish and sealing the concrete
2. Epoxy sealers
3. Polyaspartic sealers

I've gotten some quotes for an epoxy finish and most places came in at $6 to $7 per square foot. My garage is 1000 sq ft.

What has everyone done/any feedback/specific products that everyone has used?
And if people did it themselves vs had someone do it?

Thanks in advance!

Option 1 is what is normally done when pouring a garage floor. It will be smooth and shiny (the sealer is only applied to help the concrete cure properly), but will do nothing to prevent oil stains.
Option 2 is really 2 options...you can just use epoxy paint (after proper prep), or the ones that cost $6 to $7 per SF, which include grinding the floor, fixing cracks and filling the saw cuts. Both will give you a surface that will not absorb oil, but the latter one will give a nicer "showroom" finish.
Option 3 is a bit more scratch resistant, (as well as more expensive) than epoxy, but does offer other benefits as well. It is not a DYI item.

Epoxy is generally more than adequate for a typical residential hobby shop. Whatever you use, wait a year after the concrete has been poured to ensure a proper cure. Otherwise the new finish is liable to delaminate.

 

[Dan64]

You guys are fancy, I piss in a bucket in my shop.