Epoxy Floor In Toronto

RoccoM
I wouldn't recommend the Home Depot style epoxy that stuff will flake and peel.
I only use 2 types for our floors in our plant (200000 +sf). One is a PPG fast dry, the other a Benjamin Moore product, both come in water or oil base. I would recommend either one of these products; they are also available in different colors.
NOTE when tires are wet, and you drive on Epoxy floors its like being on ice, so caution is advised driving in garage with wet tires!!!
PM me, will forward you my suppliers info.
.

 

I used some 2 part epoxy from home depot called epoxyshield with the flakes you throw on just after painting while it's sticky. It lasted several years, then started coming off. In the future I think I might get it professionally coated with the industrial stuff I have seen in factories or in the places like home depot where they put clear over bare concrete and looks to be real thick, like around an 1/8 of an inch. I don't know where to get it myself. I do all the work on my cars so I don't think the floor tiles are a good idea for me, especially when mig-welding, oxy-acetylene cutting or painting.

 

Hi guys,

Epoxy floors are my business. We really only do commercial/Industrial aplications. This is due to mostly a cost issue. We have done basements and garages in the past, and to give you a rough idea......a basement on a 2500 sq/ft house was about $2600. That being just a coating.

If you want a 1/8" trowled floor, it can get crazy expensive, very quickly. Besides, if the concrete is in good shape, it is really not needed.

Most people quickly decide to go with the Home Depot or some of the other products mentioned earlier in this thread.

If you have any specific questions, I can answer them for you.

 

Ok, so if you want to do DIY epoxy floor with the industrial stuff, is it feasible ?, or do we really need a pro to lay it down ?. I have seen the troweled stuff, do you mean the epoxy that you add some sort of aggregate and then trowel it on ? My garage is about 480 sq. ft. (regular 2 car), just wondering what it would cost for the different options, regular epoxy and then the troweled stuff?? I'm sure a lot of folks on the forum here have similar garages that need a nice durable floor that wont peel after 3 or 4 years.

 

People tend to blame the paint product whenever it starts to peel.

The biggest cause of coating failure however is improper surface preparation.

When you are preparing to put a coating on a floor I recommend using a good citrus based biodegradable cleaner on the surface.
This will allow you to get rid of dirt (and more importantly oil residue) that if left on the concrete will most likely cause a coating failure down the road

After the concrete is clean and dry, I recommend preparing the surface with a process like shotblasting. This will provide a good profile (roughened surface) for your coating to bond to. The shotblasted surface will have almost a sandpaper like feel to it. This will provide the optimal surface for your coating.

The coating you choose is a matter of your needs and budget.

While some people use a Porch and Floor enamel on their floors, this type of product offers limited durability and chemical resistance.
I recommend a good quality epoxy finish that has the ability to withstand the chemicals that you may spill on it. Yes, it will be more expensive initially but will save you money in the long run.

It is also a good idea to broadcast a fine grade of sand into the coating. This will help provide an anti skid component to your floor. (Very important on wet or frozen floors)

I did my own garage floor over a decade ago and it still looks great. It is well bonded and and cleans up perfectly with a little soap and water.

 

I used a product called Sikafloor 7230, BUT there are many fine products that are out there.

Try finding an epoxy that has a high solids by volume (preferably 90%-100%).
This means that the coating will have less solvents and as a result will "shrink" less as the solvents come out of the coating

For example a 40% solids coating applied at a thickness of 10 mils will shrink to 4 mils when dry.
At a solids content of 90% a coating applied at 10 mils will only shrink 1 mil leaving 9 mils of coating on the concrete.


I would also recommend talking to some of your local industrial paint suppliers in regards to a suitable product for your needs.
These people are professionals and can recommend a product that is best suited for your needs.

With respect to cost, you can probably expect to pay $90 to $150 per gallon for a good epoxy. While manufacturers will recommend various application rates, you can probably count on using one gallon per 60 to 100 square feet. Keep in mind that the rougher the surface you are trying to coat, the more paint you will have to use to cover the profile.

If you can, applying the coating in two coats it is usually better. Use a squeegee to "float" the first coat on the concrete. It is better than using a roller for your first coat as the squeegee will fill in the voids left by shot blasting. It is also a good idea to apply your antiskid on top of the first coat. After the first coat is dry, apply your second coat of paint and you are good to go.

Good luck

 

Why not get the concrete polished and sealed? It can even be stained... Lasts longer, and looks way better...IMHO

 

There is an industrial product that is used on factory floors. Its the thick clear stuff and its made by Tremco in Leaside. If you call them they might be able to tell you where you can get it. I believe that you can also get the paint for concrete in different colours from them.

 

I think polished concrete is another viable option and does look good.


The questions I would have would be:

Is the sealer going to be chemically resistant?

Is a polished surface going to be too slippery if it gets wet?

 

If you want to get creative, you can do a custom color scheme using two or more colors to really make your floor unique.

(Perhaps a checkerboard pattern or paint the parking area in one color and the foot traffic area in a contrasting color ?)

 

Just came back to see if there were any questions and I see that 12097 has you guys covered well.

Funny the polished concrete came up. I am a epoxy guy and I think polished concrete is much nicer. We have done it in a few different applications. One was a house and he had it everywhere. We darkened it with a tinted Clear and it was beautiful.

I could never do the non-slip in the garage, smooth finish looks much better and is waaaaaay easier to clean. You just get used to the slipery thing. After a while its a non issue.

Hope all you garage projects go well.

 

We use a Polyurethane clear coat for the floors in my factory.

We have heavy machinery, grease, oil, forklifts, steel turnings etc....constantly dirtying the floor. We coat it by hand every 3 years, and it really shines and keeps oil from penetrating the concrete.

There is a company near Finch/hwy 400 called TorCan, they manufacture all different types of floor sealants and coatings.

And yes, they floors are very dangerous when wet.

 

i ve got many paint of epoxy two components here, not really difficult to do it yourself.
First coat, i used a seallant, and 2 days afther it s possible to paint directly with the color of your choice.

Personally, i prefer a light color, like Yellow.. it s give you light and it s pretty nice with walls in white color.
I used last time for the garage a different product but very strong too...paint for road signalisation.
i ll honest with you, it s very strong and cheapest than epoxy two components

 

you might want to consider a product called 'Retroplate'

http://www.retroplatesystem.ca/

It needs to be professionally installed but unlike everything else, it is not a coating.

Any coating will eventually come off. this process somehow chemically changes the concrete so that it doesn't dust up and makes it very hard so it is scratch resistant. the process involves polishing and a silica based treatment. the more you clean it with water , the stronger it gets.


i have this on the floor of my home and it is awesome since it is completely zero maintenance and unlike other polished concrete floors I have seen it doesn't show any wear in traffic areas.

I haven't done this is a garage yet but plan to in a house we are preparing to build.

It will probably cost more than paint because of the labour involved with the polish.

it is a bit slippery when wet.

Stacy

 

I had a look at that Retroplate system.

Not for use in applications where Freezing will be a factor.

Probably not the best for a Canadian garage.

Interesting though.

 

This is my good friend who does Concrete polishing in the Toronto area, also has partners in Memphis and the UK

www.decocrete.ca

 

I will send you a pm regarding the product I used on my floor .

I really want to stress that there are a lot of good products out there though.

I am not advocating one product over another.

I will also provide some other suppliers that may be able to help you out.

 

I did my floor in the Vinyl titles 12"x12" it is the Armstrong product from home depot, it turned out really nice.
But the two biggest things are it is slippery when wet and I am always washing and waxing it My neighbors think i am nuts for always wash and waxing my garage, but i just think they are jealous
My wife and I installed it in two afternoons in summer of 2007 and it still looks good after polishing
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

As was mentioned, all of these products will work, the key is proper preperation of the floor and proper installation. There is a reason why the instructions always say "Surface must be free from dust, dirt and oil"

Zapper, nice!