garage floor finish

[davidb]

This is a note for AUSMHLY. This may be an odd place to post this question but what finish do you have on your garage floor? I noticed it in your photos and it looks really good. Is it a paint or an epoxy? I am considering finishing my floor to clean it up, and have looked at several products. If it's a paint, has it stood up well to weather and axle stands?
If anyone else has had good experience, I'd like to hear...
Thanks,
Dave

 

[Johnny]

I just used the typical garage paint available at Homeless Depot. Worked well and looked great for about a year then started coming/wearing off where the tires sit on the floor. I followed instructions and cleaned etc before applying. I was able to touch up a bit but it still came off in the same places. I hear the epoxy works better and now comes in a nonslip finish, but it costs twice as much or more. A friend of mine had his whole garage floor done with plastic squares that inter lock together but very expensive. I'll attach a photo;

 

[AUSMHLY]

Hi Dave,

In January, TH posted a question about garage floor coatings on the tools forum. I threw in my two cents there. Click here

I'll add a little more here too.

There are a lot of choices for garage floors.

1. Large rubber mats that you can lay down. So large, a couple will cover the entire floor. They may roll up though.

2. Snap together plastic tiles. You can choose colors, textures and make your own design. Down side: liquid collects under the titles and I'm not sure how they would hold up to jacking up and placing jack stands on them. If one tile breaks in the middle of the floor, do you have to remove all the surrounding tiles till you get to the outer edge in order to replace it?

3. Painted garage floors. From my research I've found that the epoxy floors hold up the best. You can choose a solid color or with paint chips. The most important thing about painting the floor is the cement prep. The professionals remove a thin layer of cement. None I talked to use a chemical. There are a lot of places on the web that sell do it yourself kits. I think the better kits will hold up fine, if you prep the floor correctly. Down side to a painted floor, is it will peel up if not installed correctly. Also even if it is installed correctly, it will chip if you drag anything metal that is heavy across it. It most likely will chip if you do not put something like a rubber mat or thin wood under the jack stands. Up side to a painted floor, everything just wipes up. No seams, cracks or place for bugs and liquids to accumulate like the plastic tile system.

4. I'd recommend an epoxy floor. If you're willing to rent a cement grinder or bead plaster (what was used on my floor) you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. If you hire a professional service that specializes in garage floors only, their cost is about the same as buying the plastic tiles. Well here in NorCal anyway.

If you'd like to see a video of my floor, here's a link to Youtube. (Under the video, bottom right corner, click...Watch in high quality) Click here

Now that I've touched on garage floors 101, I'll answer your question directly.
My floor is an epoxy floor that I had professionally done. Is it holding up well? Absolutly! Am I happy I paid a company to do it, absolutly! Money well spent. I could not have done as good a job as they did. (Did I just say/type that, OMG, there's hope for me yet).
Prior to this floor, I installed the Rustoleum floor. Those here who know me, know I am a bit of a perfectionist. (Ok, the doors open guys, let me have it, LOL). I followed the Rustoleum directions to the letter. My floor lasted 3 years. It started peeling and flaking. Mostly around the tires. (You'll see the Rustoleum floor section in the video, where the clear bra section is). I had 3 garage floor companies come out and look at my floor. They were all surprised it lasted that long. They all said, they remove a thin layer of cement. It maybe be because of the area I'm living in. Something to do with vapor locking the cement after removing a thin layer. Water trying to come up through the cement. Other areas may not have the problem I have here. Maybe, just maybe using a chemical cleaner on the cement will work. I'd contact a professional garage floor company in your area and ask them how they prep the cement before applying the epoxy.

Hey, you still with me? What part of this quick reply did you nod off at?

Hope this answered your question.
Good luck to you.
Roger

 

[tahoe healey]

I put down the diamond pattern roll out stuff and its nice but....
Be carefull cause it does not allow the rolling jacks to move as you jack up the car. The car is pulled off the jack and gravity takes over.

 

[d_valentino]

I just used the typical garage paint available at Homeless Depot. Worked well and looked great for about a year then started coming/wearing off where the tires sit on the floor. I followed instructions and cleaned etc before applying. I was able to touch up a bit but it still came off in the same places. I hear the epoxy works better and now comes in a nonslip finish, but it costs twice as much or more. A friend of mine had his whole garage floor done with plastic squares that inter lock together but very expensive. I'll attach a photo;

Johnny, What kind on toolbox is that in the background?

 

[tiga2]

..I am still very happy with the cheap indoor / outdoor carpet I put down over 5 years ago, when this photo was taken.
It made the garage so much warmer, nice to lie on etc.

Since my Healey has a Chevy, it doesnt leak oil ;-) and the Stealth certainly doesnt, so no problems there.

...And the cat loves it to scratch on it also, saving the rest of the house!!

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

How about some more garage photos?? Especially some creative "storage ideas" too?
Thanks,
Patrick

 

[davidb]

Thanks to all who took the time to respond to my question on garage floors. Certainly my preference would be a finish like yours AUSMHLY. Your comment on vapour lock under the concrete was interesting and would probably be the one area of concern up here in Iglooville where we get a lot of freezing and thawing. I may just have to go with TIGA's indoor/outdoor carpet treatment(Healeys leaking oil? Just a vicious rumour started by Miata owners)
Johnny - if I paint my Healey red, do you think Santa's elves could pay me a visit too?
Regards
Dave

 

[mjobrien]

To add to the thread I had a guy come in and do a quote on my floor for a Epoxy covering. My last one had tire peel after a few years, turns out according to this local company that the key I'm told is to put a coat of polyurethane over the epoxy.

"Polyurethane: Concrete floor paint urethanes are less likely to fade when exposed to ultraviolet sunlight and resist chemicals better than epoxy. Polyurethane is not recommended for direct application over the concrete surface and they are extremely durable and after applying it you get a very high gloss finish. An epoxy primer is required before applying polyurethane to adequately bond to the concrete. Urethane chemically bonds to the epoxy and the epoxy in turn mechanically bonds to the concrete surface. Often, for this reason polyurethane is used as a protective top coating over epoxy."


Michael.

 

[Johnny]

A few years ago the Gateway Healey members spouses, or significant others, decided to produce a calendar similar to the ladies in the English movie "The Calendar Girls". It was great fun and the ladies loved doing it. Any profits earned were donated to charity. The photos were all taken at a local members garage, then touched up a bit by our daughter who is a professional artist. The garage itself is very unique. The floor is the plastic tile type. The tool cabinet was purchased at an auction then restored. It is from the '50's. There are reproductions available.

 

[Randy Harris]

Here's another perspective from the tile corner:
My garage floor is 30 yr old concrete. It has significant cracking from normal heaving associated with water running beneath the garage and percolating up due to clay soil that my home is built upon. We all have cracking, some worse than others.

My home is built into the side of a hill so drainage is a difficult issue and some moisture during the wet season is going to find its way under the garage floor. Water was creeping up through the cracks and changing the humidity level of my garage. It also caused the floor and ambient temp to feel cold all the time. I spend a lot of time down there woodworking and doing car stuff so I decided to fix the problem for good.

Had a garage floor company out to look at the floor. They said they could do the work but because of the way the house is built against the hill they couldn't guarantee a long term, crack and water free garage. I passed on those guys. I checked out ceramic tile which can be a great alternative but it also could suffer from expansion of the floor, and it requires maintenance if grouted.

My first choice turned out to be my best choice - Race Deck Tile System. 12 inch interlocking plastic-based tiles in numerous colors. I ordered enough for a two car garage in a pattern that seemed good for me and had the tiles in my garage 5 days later. It took half a day of moderate work to lay it out. The tiles are a diamond pattern. They are very tightly fit together and so far (1 year) I have zero leakage through them - and both of my cars mark their territory regularly. All I have to do is wipe it up with a cloth and I'm good to go. If I need to disassemble them it is a piece of cake. But I cannot imagine why I would need to do this. I have used rolling jacks and regularly use jack stands without any slippage or drama. The garage humidity is stable and the ambient temps are at least 10 degrees warmer in winter and 10 degrees cooler in summer. I even spend time down there barefoot!

So, in conclusion, I believe interlocking garage floor tiles are a fantastic solution for many people. Just buy the best - Race Deck IMHO. Total cost for my garage was $1,200 which included a perimeter row of edge tiles. Go here for a pic:

Cheers!
Randy '66 BJ8, '68 E-type OTS

 

[Randy Harris]

Just a couple more thoughts I want to pass along, if you are going to cover your garage floor:

1.Temperature - Ask yourself, is the floor or garage temp too cold currently? If yes, Epoxy is ok and better yet interlocking tile is best. Epoxy warms the floor a bit. The interlocking tiles sit 1/4" above th floor level and insulate the floor and provide a barrier for moisture and cold. Ceramic will just radiate the existing cold floor temps and hold on to the cold longer.

2. Floor stable? - Do you have cracking on your garage floor. If yes, understand why the floor is cracking. It could be normal settling or concrete curing - no problem. If it is heaving or cracking due to water intrusion, that's another issue. Best solution: Interlocking tile. You can seal the cracks but if the underlying issues have not been fixed, the floor will crack again.

3. Aesthetics: totally a subjective call. I like a well done Epoxy floor for looks but tiles are a nice alternative if Epoxy is out. Tiles can be designed to fit your fancy, including ceramic. Epoxy is more limited but plenty of options.

4. Cost: Ceramic tile and Interlocking tile are probably the most expensive. You can buy 18" ceramic tiles suitable for garage for $3 ea. Race Deck slightly more. Epoxy is cheaper, especially if you do it yourself. However, if you have a flooring company come out and do the Full Monte on your floor, it will cost more than the tile solutions.

5. Cleanup - It's a draw. Contrary to some opinion, good well-installed interlocking tiles don't leak enough to make it an issue.

5. Safety - Some Epoxy floors can be very slick when coated with grease or oil.
Ditto ceramic tile. Interlocking tiles are less fussy in this way. All will handle normal auto-related activities, ie: floor jacks, jack stands, etc.

6. Misc. - Interlocking tiles make a pronounced noise when you walk on them. Takes some getting used to. For me not a deal breaker but a bit annoying at first.

Randy

 

[HEALEYJAG]

I went with the interlocking rubber tiles..grey and black checkerboard...they were 20" square..bought at Lowes..very pleased....garage was 1200 sq ft...cost was a little over $1sq/ft...wife enjoyed banging them down with rubber mallet!!

 

[3798j]

I did the two part epoxy and am generally pleased. For other opinions/options, check out: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/
There's a heading under flooring. It's also a great site for garage ideas.

 

[Keoke]

I did the two part epoxy and am generally pleased. For other opinions/options, check out: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/
There's a heading under flooring. It's also a great site for garage ideas. some fun stuff there too---Keoke- :laugh:

 

[Lin]

Randy,

The floor looks great and thanks for sharing the advice. I have been trying to decide between epoxy and tiles. I am leaning toward the racedeck tiles. A few questions:

1. How do you deal with the edges if the walls are not perfectly square? I saw the edge trim on the web site, but can that be trimmed to get a tight fit?

2. I am in Virginia, and while we do not get a lot of snow, we get a lot more rain and snow than you get in southern California! How do you think the floor would do under Virginia conditions? While my Healeys would not move in and out much, if at all, in bad weather conditions, my wife does like to drive the BMW right into the garage when it is raining to avoid getting in and out of the car in the rain. On second thought, I like to do that too!

3. Do people ever put a rubber mat under the tiles, or is that just not necessary?

4. Why did you go with the 12" tiles over 18" tiles?

5. Comment, not question: I hate to choose between you and Roger on this subject. Roger, do you think Randy is just out of his mind on this subject?


Your thoughts?

Lin

 

[Randy Harris]

Randy,

The floor looks great and thanks for sharing the advice. I have been trying to decide between epoxy and tiles. I am leaning toward the racedeck tiles. A few questions:

1. How do you deal with the edges if the walls are not perfectly square? I saw the edge trim on the web site, but can that be trimmed to get a tight fit?

<span style="color: #3333FF">You can saw the tiles to fit non-square walls using a band saw or table saw or I suppose any radial saw. I even scored a few with a straight edge and exacto and snapped them. Just cut to the edge of the floor. Use the edge pieces for the front where you drive over it.
</span>
2. I am in Virginia, and while we do not get a lot of snow, we get a lot more rain and snow than you get in southern California! How do you think the floor would do under Virginia conditions?

<span style="color: #3333FF">Better than ceramic tile. Don't know about epoxy. Your winters create unique issues for garages. My goal was to create a stable temperature and humidity environment for my guitar building hobby. It worked. BTW, I'm in Northern California.</span>

While my Healeys would not move in and out much, if at all, in bad weather conditions, my wife does like to drive the BMW right into the garage when it is raining to avoid getting in and out of the car in the rain. On second thought, I like to do that too!

3. Do people ever put a rubber mat under the tiles, or is that just not necessary?

<span style="color: #3333FF">Totally unnecessary and not advisable. The tiles really don't leak if installed correctly. Obviously a major flood of anything will result in some moisture penetrating through the cracks but how often does that happen? You can put a drip pan under the car of course but I just spend a couple of minutes with an old rag and wipe the tiles down when I pull the car out.</span>

4. Why did you go with the 12" tiles over 18" tiles?

<span style="color: #3333FF">I couldn't make the design work with larger tiles. 12 " tiles are very easy to work with also. But lots of folks use the bigger ones.</span>


5. Comment, not question: I hate to choose between you and Roger on this subject. Roger, do you think Randy is just out of his mind on this subject?

<span style="color: #3366FF">Roger's floor is stunning. I have seen it, and abused it, on many occasions. If I could have done an epoxy floor I would have but with my cracked concrete floors it just didn't make sense.</span>

Randy



Your thoughts?

Lin

 

[Lin]

Randy,
Thanks! Very helpful.

Lin

 

[HealeyPassion]

I guess I'll give my 2cents . Over the course of some 20 years I've done 4 garage floors in epoxy (we've moved alot). These were commerical grade...top of the line products...I did EVERYTHING they said I should, i.e. acid etch, TSP wash, etc.,etc... The first three times I was completely happy with the results....looked great, durable, easy clean up, etc. The fourth time (current garage) it has been a complete failure. Oh, it looked good for the first year, but then it started lifting in various spots and it continues to get worse....now it really doesn't look good. The cause?...best I can tell this concrete has some chemical, looks like lime, that is causing it to come off. Now, maybe a professional applier would have tested the concrete to determine if the concrete would be unstable with epoxy....I don't know. But, it was expensive epoxy and next time I'll be using some type of tile to avoid the risk of wasting my money. I do like epoxy but I won't be going there again. Just sharing my experience for what it's worth.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[AUSMHLY]

The cause?...best I can tell this concrete has some chemical, looks like lime, that is causing it to come off. Now, maybe a professional applier would have tested the concrete to determine if the concrete would be unstable with epoxy....I don't know. But, it was expensive epoxy and next time I'll be using some type of tile to avoid the risk of wasting my money. I do like epoxy but I won't be going there again. Just sharing my experience for what it's worth.

Cheers,
Steve

Hello Steve,

Yes, you're correct that the chemical that looks like lime is the problem. Water is coming up through the cement.
The reason the epoxy did not hold up was because of the prep work to the cement.

There is a way to test the cement to determine if a water blocking product is needed. Also, the professionals in my area do not use any type of chemical cleaner, etcher. They all remove a thin layer of cement.

It's not the epoxy, or the cost of the epoxy that determines if it will adhere to the cement. It's the required prep work of the cement and if a water blocker is necessary.

I too put my time and money into coating my floor with an epoxy floor. I used the Restolum epoxy kit. I know now, that I did not prep the cement correctly. I used the cleaner that came in the kit. What I should have done was rent a cement grinder or bead blaster. Then the Rustolum epoxy would have worked.

Hopefully people who are considering finishing off their garage floor will read this post.
There is a lot of helpful information here about the different types of floor products. Their strengths and weakness'.

Sorry to hear of your last efforts not working out.

Drive it like you stole it!
Roger