Garage floor questions | FerrariChat

Garage floor questions

Discussion in 'Detailing & Showroom' started by Husker, Jun 12, 2020.

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  1. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    So I am building a new, single garage for my 360. The interior will be 12X22. I am interested in real-life experiences with different floor types and recommendations.

    Here are my options:

    1. Concrete as-is.
    2. Polish the concrete ($1000)
    3. Epoxy ($1500-1700)
    4. Tiles designed for garage ($800-ish)
    5. Peel and stick vinyl tile from Lowe's or HD ($300-ish)
    6. Porcelain or ceramic tile ($500-700)
    7. A cut-to-fit rubber mat with the coin pattern.

    I did my own epoxy once upon a time, and the result was stunning. Two days later, the tires were picking up the coating and it went down hill from there.

    Thank you for any input and ideas!
     
  2. flash32

    flash32 F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2008
    5,563
    Central NJ
    Full Name:
    Dominick
    Two comments

    Prep is probably more important than the actual product
    Let us know if is a show place or more a workshop

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  3. RaceMX-M3

    RaceMX-M3 Formula Junior
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    Dec 15, 2010
    523
    Frisco, TX
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    Scott
    Prefer quality epoxy with clear coating
     
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  4. Bob in Texas

    Bob in Texas F1 Rookie

    Apr 23, 2012
    2,665
    Just East of Weird
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    Bob
    What Flash said. This floor was epoxy’d by a professional floor company. 2/3rds of the time was spent prepping the floor. Its now 12 years old and looks practically new. No lifting ever.
    Advice, don’t use white sprinkles, they tend to slightly discolor with age.,
    Don’t remember exactly but it was around $1500 for a three car garage. Took a couple days.

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  5. EastMemphis

    EastMemphis Formula 3
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    May 25, 2019
    1,719
    Memphis, TN
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    John
    Once my lift is installed (still a couple weeks away), I plan on doing the floor of my new garage (24x26) with a quality epoxy like product and a clear coat. The prep started the day the builders finished. I covered the floor with plastic to keep out any possibility of oil or latex contamination. Those things can cause big problems with epoxy. Before I put any coating on the floor, I'll rent a floor sander with a diamond pad (Home Depot rents them) and grind the surface down, then all the edges with an edger, and finally, an acid bath, probably with hydrochloric acid. Only then will any sort of coating hit the concrete. Like others have said, preparation of the floor is the most important step.

    You mentioned that you had problems two days later. Epoxy takes a minimum of 72 hours to become completely cured. During that time, nobody should even walk on it. Maybe the floor stuff is different but with my extensive experience with epoxies, it just isn't right until fully cured. Once cured, it's like formica in terms of hardness.
     
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  6. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    What should I expect to pay for an epoxy job for a single car garage? I was quoted $1500 from one guy.
     
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  7. blkfxstc

    blkfxstc Formula Junior
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    Nov 30, 2016
    767
    TX
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    Eric
    Concrete or polished concrete if you DIY in the garage. Brake fluid, hot tires, and others like to mess up epoxy.
     
  8. ifeelfree0

    ifeelfree0 Formula Junior
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    Feb 26, 2014
    571
    Medina, Ohio
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    Dan
    Sounds right. I was quoted $3k for a 2 car garage. I am investigating Rock Solid- 2nd generation product from Rustoleum. Gets good reviews. Combination of various materials gives it “better properties” than just epoxy. My floor isn’t new but doesn’t need much prep so I am investigating as we speak. I would be curious if anyone has direct experience with it? I know the 1st gen product from Rustoleum was crap however they purchased another company that is making this product and has a strong reputation
     
  9. flash32

    flash32 F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2008
    5,563
    Central NJ
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    Dominick
    Not sure what generation it was but the rock solid product worked well but two big things they you have to consider for success ...

    Buy double what it says to use ..coverage is exaggerated

    And doing a layer of color with flakes and then doing a layer of clear

    Or do a layer of color only and then a color with flakes ..that was we what we had to do because of coverage issue and end result came out great

    Prep is still necessary

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  10. ifeelfree0

    ifeelfree0 Formula Junior
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    Feb 26, 2014
    571
    Medina, Ohio
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    Dan
    Agreed on everything. Everything I have read abd every video I have watched states that the coverage is thin and so to always buy more and if you are going to do flakes to make sure you put on the clearcoat
     
  11. flash32

    flash32 F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2008
    5,563
    Central NJ
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    Dominick
    Based on experience ..it looks like a coat of color ..one coat of color and flakes and one coat of clear would be awesome ... Of course after prep ..

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  12. Extreme1

    Extreme1 Formula 3

    Jun 27, 2017
    1,212
    Santa Clarita, CA
    I did the peel and sticks and they all lifted at the edges. I sold the house and moved so I don’t know what they look like now.
    On my current house I did the Racedeck plastic snap together tiles. They are okay, but when the sun hits them and they heat up, they grow and buckle at the front edge of the garage.


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  13. Jack-the-lad

    Jack-the-lad Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 22, 2004
    69,052
    Moot Pointe
    When you’re finished would you please come and do my floor?;)
     
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  14. Shaun Oriold1

    Shaun Oriold1 Karting

    Mar 21, 2008
    206
    Burlington, Ontario. Canada
    Full Name:
    shaun
    This is what my business does. We do custom closets and garages. So I can happily provide answers based on experience. From reading the above 12 replies, there is already some misinformation. Please ask away, so you dont waste your money or time.
     
  15. Regular Guy 01

    Regular Guy 01 Formula Junior
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    May 10, 2011
    523
    Tacoma, WA
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    Eugene Greer
    I too have the Racedeck flooring and I have the same issues when the tiles warm up in the sun. It is an odd thing to see happen but I love the look of the product.
    My flooring has been in my garage for about 15 years now and I still get get comments from the neighbors and visitors to my home. If you are anything like me, plan to clean your floor at least once a year (or better, 2x) to keep it looking its best. My neighbors laugh at me as I scrub each bay ( we have 3 of them) on my hands and knees for the best results. There is something to be said regarding walking on clean tiles in your bare feet when you need to get something from the garage...
    Not for everybody but it works for me.

    Best of luck,
    Gene Greer
     
  16. 020147

    020147 F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 12, 2006
    3,649
    Midwest
    I did epoxy from Rust Oleum 14 years ago with the clear coat. It is worth noting I used the solvent based epoxy, NOT water based. By now the clear coat has largely given up the ghost. There is some cracking of the epoxy at the expansion joints where my 6000 lb tractor and 7000 lb truck meet, I suppose I can’t complain much, the guy that built my place was a cheap *** and surely didn’t pour an slab for that weight. Prep time was brutal, I had close to 20 hours in to my 800 or so sq/ft garage, the floor was in excellent shape to start with, but cleanliness is next to godliness with coatings. Either take your time or 1800-get-aguy that will take their time.

    My floor has held up well. As mentioned, it is sensitive to brake fluid. I use cardboard if I know things will get messy when working with brake fluid. Embers from a cutting torch will obviously eat right through it.

    Were I doing it again I would use epoxy without question. There are some very attractive options out there in 2020 for high solids epoxies. The self leveling topcoats are very attractive to my eyes, much thicker then what I applied. If you want the flaked epoxy floors everyone is doing now or the showroom look the self leveling should provide the best gloss. The new topcoats are advertising much better chemical and UV resistance then when I did my floors. My next shop will have it, my older back will have someone else apply it.
     
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  17. EnzoItaly

    EnzoItaly Formula Junior

    Sep 29, 2016
    263
    I agree: as a DIYer I’m very happy with our polished concrete floor... not expensive and stays relatively clean.
     
  18. c8spidey

    c8spidey Formula Junior

    Dec 10, 2018
    598
    westchester county ny
    Full Name:
    lou g
    I had my 2 car garage epoxy coated with some grit infused so as to eliminate the floor getting slippery in case of water or rain.
    I chose a color to match my cabinets as well.I love the result and the serviceability.To me the best option after plenty of research even considering the cost.
     
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  19. Tim Ryan

    Tim Ryan Karting

    Jul 3, 2020
    64
    Lincoln, California
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    Tim Ryan
    Here's my floor it's an Epoxy Armor custom blend of White, Black, Grey and Red, with a double coat of Clear. It's now two years old and still looks great.
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  20. AandSC

    AandSC Formula Junior
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    Dec 12, 2016
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    Jax, FL
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    Allen
    I had professionally applied epoxy Put down sixteen years ago. After about ten years of heavy maintenance it started showing wear, and I elected to put down Racedeck on the side I do the heavy work. The other side is starting to show wear so I’m going with all Racedeck, but I’m going with the free flow option this time. It really depends on how you’re going to use your garage and what you prefer.
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  21. RedNeck

    RedNeck F1 Veteran
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    Jul 8, 2016
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    There's nothing wrong with peel-and-stick tiles for a budget option as long as you get the RIGHT ones. Those flimsy little ones they sell at Walmart are only good to cover the floor of a mobile home, they aren't made to last and wont. I used Trafficmaster heavy traffic tiles and they have been great. I think I paid $.50/sqft from one of those closeout places..along with sealing the bottom of the garage door and insulating the door, it really transformed the garage.
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  22. 4th_gear

    4th_gear F1 Rookie

    Jan 18, 2013
    4,425
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    Michael
    I guess you’re all or most of you are lucky to live in climates where snow, salty slush, loose sand and grit they put on icy winter roads aren’t of concern. Unfortunately for me I cannot even drive my “fun cars” more than 6 months a year in the Toronto area and my pickup truck will drag in the above-mentioned undesirables during those 6 months of downtime. So maybe my experiences will be useful for people who have to put up with nasty winters.

    I bought my current place about 10 years ago and it was built back in the mid-1980s. I had a huge problem with the psycho renovator I hired after I bought the house and it took many years to sort out. When I was finally comfortable enough to decide to stay I got someone to expoxy the garage floor as the cement slab was wearing badly from 30 years of neglect. The guy spend a couple of days to sand down and clean the entire surface before putting down the optional double thick coating I went with. That took longer because they had to wait for the first coat to set properly before putting down the second one. I had a choice of colours and speckle patterns but I chose light grey because it would be easier to maintain and I would be able to spot small bolts and other items that fall on the floor. They also suggested sprinkling some fine grit and while I was not keen on it I relented and let them sprinkle a “minimal” amount. I think the whole process took about a week because I really wanted to make sure the floor was well set before I put anything on it. I then had another guy install a Bendpack lifter on one side for my 2 cars.

    It’s now been a couple of years hence and the expoxy is holding very well with no signs of wear. The Bendpack guy even dropped heavy steel parts on it!

    I am glad I took the advice and relented on applying the grit because I have had other people nearly fall on their butts because they had a small amount of water on the soles of their shoes and even I nearly slid off the floor after stepping out my truck over the winter months. It just takes one fall to permanently ruin your back. Luckily no one has fallen yet. You can place runner mats between the parking spots for greater safety during the wet seasons.

    The other thing I noticed is the flow “route” that water from your tires would make. You do not want water from one side to meander over to the other side, especially if the water has salt mixed in. Luckily this problem is not that severe in my garage but there is a slight tendency for it and I normally place a squeegee mop in the path of the flow to divert it so it won’t make it over to side where my cars and the steel uprights for the lifter are. You never want moisture mixing with the lifter’s structural components, especially if the water has salt in it.

    So the only thing I would do better is the leveling. The expoxy will still tend to “flow” or “settle” where gravity moves it and I suspect it was fortunate I went with a double coating as that probably made the floor more flat. Maybe a 3rd layer would have removed even more of the funkiness in the underlying worn cement surface. You definitely want water to take the shortest routes to exit the garage.

    All in all, it was a great improvement and well-worth the small expense. I think it was about $2,000. I did not add tiles as I need to make sure all of the fine winter grit can be washed and swept away when I clean the floor.
     
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  23. colombo2cam

    colombo2cam Formula Junior

    Jan 31, 2019
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    Full Name:
    Ted
  24. Rickenbach

    Rickenbach F1 World Champ
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    Nov 20, 2005
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    Rickenhoser
    Ive never seen a coating that doesnt eventually fail. Im very happy with my polished floor.
     
  25. SCantera

    SCantera F1 Veteran
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    Aug 4, 2004
    5,112
    Living Falls NC
    For my new garage I chose a wood-look porcelain tile. With a PEI of 4 [hardest rating] this tile will not scratch, absorb anything including brake fluid nor stain. I researched all of the different coatings but ultimately decided porcelain is tougher than anything out there in coatings.
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