Ryan... Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 Now that I actually have a garage space worth caring about (aka room for all of my shit), I'm thinking about getting something to protect the garage floor and make it look a little better. Anyone here have experience doing their own epoxy? Or has anyone installed those snazzy clip together plastic/rubber tiles? Epoxy would be significantly cheaper DIY, less than $400 for supplies + my time which is basically worthless. Tiles would be in excess of $1500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Full Banana Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 I did a polycuramine coating in my garage and am happy with it after 2 years of abuse so far. You can buy Rustoleum stuff off the shelf and they have two types: standard epoxy and polycuramine. The polycuramine is significantly more expensive, but I wouldn't put down their epoxy given what I've heard from friends who did it and saw it start chipping rather quickly. https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/rocksolid/garage-floor-kits/polycuramine-garage-floor-coating-kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Roloff Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 @Jdesign can probably weigh in on the tiles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaiserRolls Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 1 hour ago, The Full Banana said: I did a polycuramine coating in my garage and am happy with it after 2 years of abuse so far. You can buy Rustoleum stuff off the shelf and they have two types: standard epoxy and polycuramine. The polycuramine is significantly more expensive, but I wouldn't put down their epoxy given what I've heard from friends who did it and saw it start chipping rather quickly. https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/rocksolid/garage-floor-kits/polycuramine-garage-floor-coating-kit This. I’ve seen the cheap stuff chip within a few years almost every time Ryan... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rekpoint Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 3 hours ago, KaiserRolls said: This. I’ve seen the cheap stuff chip within a few years almost every time Yeah thats what Ive heard too. The go to tile solution everyone tends to go with are Swiss Tracks https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/garage-flooring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan... Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 5 hours ago, The Full Banana said: I did a polycuramine coating in my garage and am happy with it after 2 years of abuse so far. You can buy Rustoleum stuff off the shelf and they have two types: standard epoxy and polycuramine. The polycuramine is significantly more expensive, but I wouldn't put down their epoxy given what I've heard from friends who did it and saw it start chipping rather quickly. https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/rocksolid/garage-floor-kits/polycuramine-garage-floor-coating-kit Good to know, I shall do more research into this polycuramine substance of which you speak. I'd hate to go through all the work of doing this right, only to have it peel/chip up on me in the next couple years.. 22 minutes ago, Rekpoint said: Yeah thats what Ive heard too. The go to tile solution everyone tends to go with are Swiss Tracks https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/garage-flooring Those are the guys I was looking at. I could also save a little money by not doing the whole garage, but I think that'd end up looking pretty tacky.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoungCR Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 It looks like a new garage correct? Have you looked into having the concrete polished and sealed instead? It doesn't look as fancy but it won't scratch off. KaiserRolls 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassboy3313 Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 I am currently in the same boat as you. I looked into professional epoxy jobs for my 2.5 car garage and its around $2500-$3000. I then found GarageDeck interlocking tiles from bigfloors.com. To do the same floor would be $1050 shipped to my door and my labor to install is obviously free. Leaning towards the tiles myself. I'd also rather have solid tiles rather then the Swisstracks open tiles too in case there is a oil or gas spill. Easier cleanup with solid tiles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan... Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 7 hours ago, YoungCR said: It looks like a new garage correct? Have you looked into having the concrete polished and sealed instead? It doesn't look as fancy but it won't scratch off. Newish, built last November but only been used since April. I have not looked into that, I'll add that to my research though! 6 hours ago, Bassboy3313 said: I am currently in the same boat as you. I looked into professional epoxy jobs for my 2.5 car garage and its around $2500-$3000. I then found GarageDeck interlocking tiles from bigfloors.com. To do the same floor would be $1050 shipped to my door and my labor to install is obviously free. Leaning towards the tiles myself. I'd also rather have solid tiles rather then the Swisstracks open tiles too in case there is a oil or gas spill. Easier cleanup with solid tiles. That does seem like it'd be a lot cheaper than the stuff I was looking at, and the easy install is a big plus... And cool color options/design change. So many options... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisO Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 Damn, nice garage I'd be worried about jack stands on rubber tiles not sitting very flat or slicing into them Ryan... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan... Posted June 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 14 hours ago, ChrisO said: Damn, nice garage I'd be worried about jack stands on rubber tiles not sitting very flat or slicing into them That's a good point... I'm not doing much labor on cars nowadays, no more project cars at the moment. I have considered leaving the 3rd stall without the tiles as it's where I park my motorcycles anyway. That could be my designated work area too should I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassboy3313 Posted June 14, 2020 Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 18 hours ago, ChrisO said: Damn, nice garage I'd be worried about jack stands on rubber tiles not sitting very flat or slicing into them The ones i mentioned are not rubber. They are a copolymer polypropylene plastic. GarageDeck and GarageTrac are both made by RaceDeck as well. Just some info to help compare options. ChrisO and Ryan... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REKIII Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 I've been debating on this topic for awhile now. I was totally on board with the epoxy leaning towards professional install just to make sure it was done right with a high quality product, but it does seem like there are a lot of quality DIY options. But......The use of epoxy still scares me. I've seen it damaged from weld spatter, tire chirping, dropping heavy things on it, etc. It seems like repairing epoxy is, at best, a band-aide and very visible. Racedeck or other similar snap tile is expensive, noisy, and doesn't handle jackstands, etc well. Not to mention the disgusting underside that becomes a reality after a few years. I understand that my take-aways aren't the same for everyone and a quality debate could be made of any of them. But.....I researched another idea and really like it. Armstrong VCT (Vinyl Composite Tile). Basically the stuff Targets and Walmarts use on their floor. It's relatively cheap, needs little prep, easy to install and very hardy. It can be waxed (high end commercial waxes work best) and if you do damage a tile beyond what wax will fix, you can replace that tile. There are a lot of different colors and patterns you can use and they are readily available. Another huge advantage is that you can do a section of your garage, then move stuff onto that section and do another section. You don't have to completely clear out a space for days while the install happens. Just another thought to consider. Ryan... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBlue Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 My completely anecdotal and no experience comment is that Swiss tracks or similar products may be difficult for homes in our part of the country as the water/dirt and grime from snow will seep beneath them and get dirty quickly. Is the concrete sealed in the garage? You could always just have the concrete polished and it would act in a similar nature to epoxy without the possibility of chipping. Would still have a more “finished” look to it and could be cleaned quite easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsbimmer1 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 When I was with Blain's they started doing polished cement in parts of the newer service centers and warehouses and it could become slippery when wet or dusty. This was with me wearing CAT slip resistant work boots. I haven't experienced that with epoxy coatings. When my dad owned his own painting business he did a few and his advice to me was it was pretty simple but if it is applied to a surface that was the slightest bit dirty you would have a longevity issue. I've also seen these in professional shops with no issues as long as they are allowed to cure properly. I have no experience with the flooring options but as stated above by REK, the amount of filth that would gather under them and the cost would keep me away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rekpoint Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 43 minutes ago, patsbimmer1 said: the amount of filth that would gather under them and the cost would keep me away. But thats one of their selling points. They say you should pull them up and vacuum every 3 or so years. And they are easy to pull up if you drip oil under them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straight6pwr Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 i guess it depends on what your priorities are on form and function. its kinda the old 'pick 2' thing: 1. Durability 2. Aesthetics 3. Cost Personally, I'd never epoxy a floor in a state that is going to get frigid cold/snow & salt melt all over it. Spend all that money than in a few years you have peeling/chipping. That would be annoying. If I had fresh concrete I'd be looking at polishing it over anything else. A polished concrete is really not that slippery when wet, its actually rated as 'slip resistant' floor in commercial applications. It is slippery when sand or other small media is on it, but how often is that kind of spill in a person's garage? Ryan... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan... Posted June 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 Lots of good points being made here... I'm not necessarily confident I could do a quality DIY epoxy job. AFAIK my floor wasn't sealed, so maybe polishing it would be a nice option as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdesign Posted June 20, 2020 Report Share Posted June 20, 2020 I have experience with a few surfaces and here is my input: Tiles Pros more absorbant to impacts, comfortable to stand/walk on you can take them with you when you relocate you can replace ones that fail fairly easy temperature - They are much better to lay on that concrete can use right after install Cons Liquids can leak through and stain or stink (gear lube) the surface underneath making it hard to clean up spills most expensive noise can be an issue depending on the underlayment fitting around corners and mounting machines to the floor can be a challenge Floor coating (paint) Pros very strong easy to install easy to clean up spills fairly inexpensive mounting equipment to the floor is easy Cons color chips need to be added for traction which can make it hard to find nuts/bolts and small hardware tends to be very slick when wet you cant take it with when you relocate you have to allow it to cure before parking or putting anything on it still cold when laying on it Concrete polish/sealing Pros very strong easy to clean up spills fairly inexpensive not as slick as paint depending on sealant used mounting equipment to the floor is easy Cons general install requires stages for a good finish you cant take it with when you relocate you have to allow it to cure before parking or putting anything on it still cold when laying on it --- With that said my input is tiles are the best if its a home garage. You can always take them with you when you leave too. So the price is not as bad if you consider that you will have them for a very long time. If its a shop, coatings are normally the better answer because of clean-ability, ability to mount lifts and other equipment, and less set up time. Ryan... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan... Posted June 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 ^^^ Very helpful list, thanks! I do like the point that you can bring the tiles with, I'd not even considered that.. Jdesign 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilber33 Posted July 14, 2020 Report Share Posted July 14, 2020 Does anyone have any advice for removing a sealant on a garage floor? I would love to do a coating of some type on it, but I'm 99% certain that when they poured our slab, they put a sealant on it. Water and oil seem to sit on top of the concrete rather than soak in and it has coloration in spots that doesn't look like standard concrete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassboy3313 Posted July 15, 2020 Report Share Posted July 15, 2020 Only thing I have seen is grinding the concrete with floor sander that has diamond scuff abrasive on it. This will prep it for the new coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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