Epoxy Garage Floors

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The Truth about Epoxy Garage Floors

Epoxy garage floor systems are not all equal in terms of cost, appearance and durability.

This will help you select the right coating system for your garage floor project, budget and goals.

A concrete floor is a complex product 

-Contrary to conventional wisdom

Properly coating a concrete floor for maximum durability and beauty has many more considerations than painting a wall, laying carpet in your living room, tile in your bathroom or vinyl flooring in your kitchen.

This web page and associated page links will assist you in understanding what you are dealing with and help point you to an appropriate solution.

Do it yourself garage epoxy systems 

Should you consider doing It yourself?

Big box hardware chains like Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards or Sears will sell you an epoxy garage floor coating kit for a two car garage for about $99.

a.) There is NO warranty with these products other than returning the unopened product for a refund.

b.) The surface preparation product usually included is a mild citric acid which must be scrubbed in manually with a stiff brush and then washed off thoroughly. Acid washing will NOT remove previously applied curing agents, sealers or paints so the epoxy surface will peel off sooner or later.

Also there is no provision in the kit for oil stain removal or crack repair. (Not correcting these problems will lead to early peeling of the surface and ugly crack lines and holes remaining.)

c.) The epoxy density (a measure of its durability) with these kits is normally about 30-40% solids. The rest is water or solvents which evaporate during the application or drying process. The manufacturers dilute the density of the resins in the coating material to cut down on the costs of the $99 kit.

d.) Usually the only colors available in these kits are tan and gray.

e.) These kits only contain a small plastic baggie of small 1/16" decorative chips for a 400 square foot 2-car garage. IF you can spread the chips evenly, that means only about 1 chip every half inch or so.

f.) There is NO sealer supplied in the kit to protect the surface, seal down the decorative chips and provide a durable and high gloss finish. The store personnel usually can't even suggest an appropriate sealer product to use with these kits.

g.) When using these kits, the manufacturer usually recommends that you not drive on the surface for 5 - 7 days after application to avoid "hot tire pickup".

h.) If you do the job yourself with the kit, don't plan on the surface looking very good after a year or so.

Big box store contractors 

What you gain over doing the job yourself

a.) Most of the big box hardware stores can refer you to contractors who use the same basic homeowner-grade materials. They usually do include more decorative chips and some sort of sealer and charge about $3.25/square foot. You will also be charged extra for surface preparation, crack repair and coverage of the stem wall (the short concrete wall at the bottom of your garage walls). With the additions, your cost will be in the $4.00+ / square foot range. Their limited warranty is for no more than 1 to 3 years.

b.) These systems have the same prohibition of not driving on the floor for 5 - 7 days, like homeowner-applied big box store materials, since they use the same products.

Professional installations 

Doing it right the first time

a.) Professional installers carefully evaluate the surface of your garage floor. They may use degreasers to remove oil stains, soy-based products to remove old paint or carpet mastic and/or grind off the surface with a diamond grinding wheel to achieve maximum porosity. These techniques will allow the epoxy system to sink deeply into the concrete and adhere aggressively. (Professional installers have an incentive to take such care since they will be supplying you with a much longer warranty.)

b.) Cracks, holes and eroded areas of the concrete will be ground out with a diamond grinding wheel, filled with a 2-part epoxy "crack welding" system and ground smooth as soon as the epoxy is cured. This procedure will provide a secure and smooth floor surface.

c.) Professional installers use a 2-part epoxy binder which contain 95 - 100% solids. This epoxy is self-priming, grabs deeply down into the properly prepared surface and provides excellent adhesion and durability. Because of the higher solids content, it creates a much thicker and more durable coating than the hardware store or department store kits.

d.) Commercial epoxy coatings usually come in 15-20 different colors. White, black, deep green, chocolate, mocha, light or dark tan, light or dark gray etc. If the installer applies a 100% coating of decorative chips you probably won't even see the underlying colored epoxy. It will just be a subtle background color. Its main function is to penetrate and seal the concrete surface and to provide a "glue" to hold down the decorative chips.

e.) Professional installers will normally apply about 50 pounds of ΒΌ" or 1" decorative chips to a 2-car garage. This provides for a much richer granite-like look and makes the surface much easier to repair to its original appearance should something extra-ordinarily bad happen to the floor. Since the chip coverage is nearly 100%, any minor defects in the floor will disappear in the original installation and with any needed repairs.

f.) Professional installers will coat the surface with any of several tough, easy-to-clean and glossy clear sealers. These are selected specifically for your garage situation and will comply with your local Air Quality Control District regulations which strictly limit harmful chemical vapor emissions.

g.) The professional materials will cure within 24 hours after installation of the sealer which will allow you to drive into your garage the next day. (No "hot tire pickup".) Full chemical resistance will develop in 5-7 days.

h.) You should expect a 7-10 year limited warranty from professional installers for your new garage floor. Your warranty should include protection from color loss, yellowing and peeling or flaking of the coatings. (The floor will probably last for the life time of your home.) Exclusions will be unexpected damage from earthquakes, tree roots and earth settling. (Your installer should have already corrected for water intrusion problems.)

Concrete cracks 

No contractor can legitimately promise that your concrete will NEVER crack again

Cracks in concrete can be repaired and sealed off prior to the installation of a decorative coating but they are not a Star Wars force field. Concrete will crack if the base was not compacted properly, if the original cement contractor did not put in rebar or metal reinforcing mesh, did not install steel tension cables or did not install tension-relief cuts or expansion joints every 10 feet in the slab.

Your garage floor may have a notice stamped into it indicating that it was 'post-tensioned' and to not cut or drill into the slab. This means that steel cables were placed in the slab when it was poured. After the slab cured, tension was placed on the cables to make them taut. This allows the slab to 'float' evenly under stress and to not flex. This method is perhaps the best protection against cracks but few builders do it because of the added cost.

Earth quakes, tree root invasion and soil settling will make additional cracks in the slab particularly if it wasn't properly reinforced originally.

Bottom line: The existing cracks in your garage floor can be patched and hidden. Future cracks may appear but a professional installer can quickly and easily fix those at a minimal cost and without the appearance of a patch.

Bottom Line 

You can always find a cheaper way to go for your garage floor project

a.) You could do it yourself with the $99 big box store kit but it takes some work and won't look very good after a year or so. When it starts looking bad you will have to rent a diamond wheel grinder with attached vacuum or hire a contractor to grind off the old peeling homeowner-grade epoxy and re-coat the floor yet again.

b.) Hire a big-box store contractor to install essentially the same inferior products at $3.25/square foot . . . plus upgrade costs for surface prep, stem walls, etc. Your costs from them can easily exceed $4.00/square foot. (You still get only a limited 1 to 3 year warranty.)

In either case, plan on not using the garage floor for 5 days after the installation.

Or (c.) you could . . .
Hire a professional installer who uses surface preparation techniques appropriate for your garage and uses professional-grade coating materials which have a far longer life and warranty. The professionally installed system will have a minimum 7-10 year warranty against peeling, color loss, yellowing or staining.

You should expect to pay about $3.25 to $3.50 per square foot for a long-lasting, professionally installed system: about $1295 - $1395 for typical 2-car garage and about $1795 - $1895 for a typical 3-car garage. That's a very small premium (if any) to pay for a floor that will look much richer and last far longer than the alternatives.

Plan on parking your car in your garage in 24 hours after the installation of the final sealer. There will be no "hot-tire pickup."

Maintaining your new garage floor 

Since they have no sealer, homeowner applied systems tend to be difficult to clean and maintain.

Big box hardware contractor systems have a sealer which makes them easier to clean but their materials fail much earlier than professionally installed systems.

Professionally installed garage floor systems use a heavy-duty epoxy and sealer. They are virtually impervious to automotive fluids, household chemicals and abrasion. You can wipe up spills with a paper towel or an old rag. If there is any oily residue left, you can easily remove it with a liquid dish washing detergent like Dawn or Palmolive, a little water and a sponge.

Further Details on Maintaining your epoxy floor 

Epoxy floor maintenance
Tips and techniques for keeping your floor in top condition.

Cabinets to go with your new garage floor 

Should you do them before the floor is installed or after?

If you are also thinking about adding cabinets to your garage, have the floor coating done first.

Most cabinets are placed about 4-6" above the floor and are usually 18" - 24" deep. It is difficult to uniformly coat your garage floor under the cabinets with such limited clearance.

Have the floor done first. The floor coverage will be much more even and the cabinet installers won't be able to hurt the new surface after a day or so.

Contact us 

California Concrete Restoration, Inc. provides installation of premium quality garage coatings in the Southern California area. Call or email us for an appointment for a free estimate. If you are in another area, contact us to give you a reference to a local professional installer in your area.

We also do pressure washing, sealing of brick, stone and decking plus cement overlays to make old, gray driveways, walkways and patios look like stone, brick, flagstone or a custom surface.

California Concrete Restoration, Inc.
Laguna Hills, CA
calconcrete@cox.net
Phone: (949) 939-4088

Our 15 granite-look colors and textures 

Click on any color swatch to see a larger version

We highly recommend using the decorative chips on your floor.

1.) They are no more expensive (and sometimes less) than a monochrome floor.
2.) They provide a much richer looking floor and hide minor concrete surface imperfections.
3.) They provide a slip-resistant surface which would otherwise require additional anti-slip materials in a monochrome floor.
4.) They make any needed surface repairs invisible.

Saddle Tan by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Saddle Tan

Medium Tan by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Medium Tan

Tan by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Tan

Santanna by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Santanna

Rare Earth by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Rare Earth

Brown by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Brown

Terrazo by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Terrazo

Red by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Red

Green by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Green

Blue by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Blue

Dolphin by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Dolphin

Light Grey by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Light Grey

Granite by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Granite

Tuxedo by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Tuxedo

Grey by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Grey

Monochrome colors 

White by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

White

Baja Beige by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Baja Beige

Sandstone by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Sandstone

CottonWood by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

CottonWood

Beige by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Beige

Mocha by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Mocha

True Brick by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

True Brick

Black by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Black

Royal Blue by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Royal Blue

Charcoal by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Charcoal

Whisper Grey by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Whisper Grey

Hunter Green by California Concrete Restoration Inc.

Hunter Green

Was this information helpful? Tell us what you think and what we could have added. 

Please tell us your thoughts.

Sarunas wrote...

Great informative and also useful lens. What more we can ask from you?? :D Great job, mate.
5* from me and Keep it up.

ReplyPosted March 23, 2009

Lensmaster

Sharon - Laguna Niguel wrote

I had my garage floor and balcony deck done by:

Patrick Dowd
California Concrete Restoration, Inc.
(949) 939-4088

And it looks great. My new garage floor is almost a year old, I park on it every day, drag things in and out...no scuffs or marks can be found. When it gets dirty I rinse it off with the hose and let it dry!

Patrick's price was the lowest and he provided excellent on time service, cleaned up and was a pleasure to work with.
Thanks Patrick! -- Sharon

Reply Posted March 07, 2009

calconcrete wrote...

In reply to bms:

If you have your garage floor done by professionals, have them grind off the hardware store epoxy from your basement and install the industrial-grade materials at the same time. Even then, it would be prudent to put some pads under the feet of your washer and dryer when you move them back in. Your hardware store should have these pads for moving furniture for $7-$8. (One brand is called "Moving Men".)

ReplyPosted March 07, 2009

Lensmaster

Alexis wrote

I had this guy do my garage floor at it is terrific and worth every penny. He also did a concrete overlay on the patio and front walkway. It looks like real flagstones.If you want quality, don't do it yourself. Get a pro like this guy.

Reply Posted March 06, 2009

Lensmaster

bms wrote

Hear here! I just finished installing a do-it-yourself epoxy kit that my spouse and I bought at Menards for a basement floor. I love the look of the new floor, but we put this in our laundry room and it all got scratched off in our effort to put in the washing machine and dryer. What's the point of painting the concrete at all if it isn't going to adhere? And what do we do now that it's installed, with textured chips, and we have raw cement exposed again? VERY FRUSTRATING that the instructions didn't state how thick the epoxy should be applied OR that a clear coat was necessary (at an additional $30 expense) after the "one coat guaranteed" application. I intended this to be a trial in preparation of doing our garage this spring, but have decided not to do it myself because of this experience. What's the point if it isn't going to stay on the floor? And yes, we scraped, cleaned, swept, vacuumed, filled cracks, and spent over a week preparing the floor for this paint per the instructions

Reply Posted February 16, 2009

 
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StickyNote

Check out our other links below.

Proper surface preparation 

If you don't prepare the surface properly you shouldn't even do the job.

Preparation for an Epoxy Garage Floor
Critical preparation steps to ensure success. Don't ignore these.

More details on epoxy coating materials 

Epoxy Floor Materials
How they work together and what qualities to look for.

How to maintain your epoxy garage floor 

These tips will keep it looking nice

Epoxy Floor Maintenance
Tips and techniques

How durable is the floor going to be? 

Is it going to last?

Epoxy Floor Durability
Will it peel, fade or turn yellow from the sun?

Repairing an epoxy garage floor coating 

Epoxy floor repair
Tips and techniques for epoxy floor repair

Quality products installers use 

Versatile Building Products
View installation videos, materials specifications, color charts, etc.

Optimal conditions for epoxy installation 

Epoxy cures at different rates depending on the temperature. If the surface or ambient temperature is too cold, the epoxy will take an excessive amount of time to cure and dry. If it is too warm, the epoxy will cure too quickly and leave blotchy areas and the decorative chips will not adhere properly.

The optimum temperature range is between 50 and 90 degrees fahrenheit. Don't even think about having your floor coated with epoxy if temperatures are outside this range.

Also, do not put down epoxy or sealer when it is raining. Stray drips of water and extremely high humidity will mar the surface. Wind associated with a rain storm may adversely affect the uniform curing of the epoxy or cause bubbles in the sealer. (Bubbles are caused by what is called 'out-gassing.' This occurs when the wind or high temperatures cause the surface of the materials to dry before the underlying materials. Any vapors that need to evaporate during the curing process are trapped under the dried surface and cause bubbles.)

Select "Settings" at the bottom of the following display. Enter your city/state or zip code to get current weather and temperature conditions for your local area.

A personal aside: Find some $$ that may be due you. 

Take a few minutes on this link and you might find some money you didn't know you had coming to you.

All states maintain some sort of repository for unclaimed funds. These funds are over payments on credit card bills, insurance company settlements, court settlements, dividend payments, contents of safe deposit boxes and many other sources.

I found $150 of an old overpayment to American Express and my friends and family have found other amounts they were able to claim.

Don't bother searching Google or Yahoo for 'found money' or something similar. You will only get listings of web sites that want to charge you for searches you can do yourself for free.
Unclaimed California property (click here)
Link to State of California Treasurer's office.
Unclaimed property - all 50 states (click here)
Links to unclaimed property departments nationwide.