# epoxy floor paint



## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

Can an etched, bare garage floor be done in one coat? With 2-part from HD or Lowes.

Sorry to ask, but that's what the customer is looking for.


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## MarvinWilleyJr (Sep 26, 2006)

Depends on if you count the primer/sealer and a coat.:w00t:

Search the threads for this topic, I remember a few great threads on this subject.


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## Wolverine-Eric (Apr 9, 2007)

DON'T DO IT!

Ok, now that I said that... First, I'm not aware of any decent product at either Lowe's or Home Depot! Second, a garage floor coating system is just like any other project. If you build it without a foundation it will be WEAK! 

Ok... all of that said... this can be done with a clear 100% solids epoxy... but one coat only in clear! Once you start adding pigment/fillers... you start losing penetration into the concrete. 

Ideally... after prep...

Coat 1- 5-8 mils of 100% solids epoxy primer
Coat 2- 12-60 mils of 100% solids TopCoat (usually 20 mils)
Throw DecoFlakes in it here if you want
Seal the DecoFlakes with 100% epoxy, urethane, polyaspartic, or whatever else

There is a thread somewhere that is more detailed...


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

That's my language wolverine. Are the specs for mil thickness while wet? 60 mil is pretty thick.


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## Wolverine-Eric (Apr 9, 2007)

100% solids...

60 mils wet = 60 mils dry... (60 mils is 1/16 inch)

Most people are too cheap to do 60 mils on their garage floor... most end up doing 12-20 mils which is still pretty good. 

Don't use waterbased products...

Don't use solventbased products...


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## Dave Mac (Jan 30, 2006)

i will tell you, i just did my garage floor, with the lowes product, wich calls for one coat, wich is water based, and is two part epoxy, no way is one coat good ehough:furious:, it has already started to peel, and i acid etched the floor like three times. and it is not uniform at at all, very poor one coat product imo. I do think a second coat will make everythink ok,

dave mac


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## Tmrrptr (Mar 22, 2007)

Joe, you CAN do it.

I have done it.

And I don't think it even got to a 10mil buildup... Ha!
Kinda like a semi-transparent. can see pores in cement and all that.

But it's a new, fresh & clean look that is not gray cement.
The client loves it, and it's all he would spring for.

I'm happy because we got paid, and I feel with the porous coating there will be no problem with groundwater lifting the finish.

And this particular client will be VERY easy on the finish.
r


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

I've seen it done by homeowners and it looked great, but I didn't stick around to see how it would hold up. Even with the 2 part lowes product, you need to wait til the last coat to apply the sprinkles. Personally, I think those sprinkles may help hide something.

I've only done the acid etch and 2x 2part epoxy (no sprinkles) and did stick around to make sure it lasts.

It all comes down to what the customer believes and pays for.

I'd sure like to try 100% solids, but need a customer to go along with it. Heck, i'd like to try all the chemicals Wolverine talks about, but as he mentioned, it comes down to the customer.

I call them voc or vac laws, changed in 2002? or 2004? Companies are forced to come up with newer, better and more expensive chemicals/products. Hoping, like any new product, that the prices will drop, but it doesn't look like it.


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## Wolverine-Eric (Apr 9, 2007)

Hmmm... 

100% solids is kind of a no-brainer... it's an easy sell to your customers... 

First, it's a much better value. Since solvent based products or water based products are only 40-50% solids, at least 1/2 of what you apply evaporates! So, if you apply a coat @ 5mils you're only going to get 2-2.5 mils total when it dries. So, 50-60% of what you buy evaporates into thin air! And, who wants to guess what happens to the film when the water/solvent comes out? Also, such a thin coat will highlight every defect in the concrete! 

Second, 100% solids products can be applied as thick as you want! So, if there is alot of defects in the concrete you can hide them all! In addition, the thinner a coat is the more likely it is to peel. Think about it. If you make a scratch in a coating that goes all the way down to the substrate, it makes a path for water... oil... brake fluid... abrasion... etc to get under the coating and begin to lift it. The more porous the coating is the easier it will be for those chemicals/abrasion to start the peeling process. The thicker the coating is, the harder it is to scratch to the substrate!

Third, quicker return to service! 

Last, it gives you a competitive edge. Anytime you have something your competitors don't... plus what they do... well... you get the picture...


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

Follow up:

After reading wolverines posts, I was hot for 100% solids. Well, that's out. Way too expensive and it only covers 2 sq. ft./gal. 

So, at the local lowes, with the customer, there's a guy who works for valspar. Was telling my customer about quikrete 2pt. epoxy, 2 1/2 times stronger than concrete. Turns out it's 65% solids and dries to 10 mils. I was really hoping this would work out. Well it didn't.

Same price as the standard 2pt. epoxies at HD or Lowes. I don't know what to call it. Water based epoxy???!! Never again, that's all I can say. NEVER again. Mr. " I should have the skill to use anything" says never again.

First of all, I don't like Valspar right out of the gate. Try getting an msds on valspar products. You need a product code to get the msds online. So, I finally remembered to copy the product code and entered it. Got a box saying I need adobe acrobat. I have acrobat7. That's where I gave up.

Second, instructons say you should use it when the temp is in between xx and 90 degrees. Well, we aren't going to see that type of cool weather for quite a while. Since the working time is stated at 2 1/2 hours, per gal. after a 30 min. catalyst time. I hoped to just work quick. It didn't even last an hour.

Third, we can't forget the colored chips to sprinkle. Wound up keeping the shaker in my hand while I rolled the suggested 2'x6' section. Even then, if I didn't shake fast enough it would be too dry to take the chips.

Fourth, every time you shake the sprinkles you have to overlap the paint, at least a little bit. Every single overlap shows.

I may not be perfect, but I do know how to lay it on thick enough and quick enough but the valspar guy who swore it levels real nice, is full of bullhockey. Yeah, I should have known when he said it cleans up with water. Either the chemical industry need to work on a water based 2pt. epoxy, or whatever you would call this stuff, or valspar needs to go back where it was before this job. Out of my life.

I was stupid enough to use one of my good roller frames. After two gallons it froze up. 

I would rather use the standard 2pt. garage floor coating than this stuff. In the future, I'm not doing any of it. The only thing I've ever used is a good, smelly SW 2pt. epoxy. I've seen HO jobs with the standard HD epoxy and it looked good. Maybe all those sprinkles are more than decoration.

While I have a good rant going, what's up with all the heavy bodied paints these days. I did all the interior walls (orange peel) with the valspar top of the line. Yeah, lowes is about 30 seconds from this job, HO buys the paint, up til now. Anyway, it IS good paint. But damn it all, a 1 1/4" merino still didn't get me full coverage on orange peel. I think it's too thick. So, I thinnned some down and walah, much better coverage. Used some actual old fashioned enamel the other day, it was a dream to work with.

Please, just skip the part where I have to take the customer in hand and force the good paint on them. I know that, it just doesn't work out that way all the time.


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

Joewho said:


> Follow up:
> 
> After reading wolverines posts, I was hot for 100% solids. Well, that's out. Way too expensive and it only covers 2 sq. ft./gal.


I might believe 20 sq. ft/gal but 2? Not a chance :no: You'd have to lay it on at over 3/4 inch film thickness to achieve that coverage rate.


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## Da Vinci (Jun 24, 2007)

*Rustoleum Products*

Have any of you used the Rustoleum epoxy paint that's being sold everywhere now (Kelly- Moore, Home Depot, etc).

It's 2 part, but no primer needed (so they say). Any one have experience with this product? 

Bay Area Painting and Faux Finishing


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## MarvinWilleyJr (Sep 26, 2006)

jackrabbit5 said:


> I might believe 20 sq. ft/gal but 2? Not a chance :no: You'd have to lay it on at over 3/4 inch film thickness to achieve that coverage rate.


Hell the foot print of the gallon can has to be 1/2 sq ft right lol :w00t:


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

At the time of the post, I did a google on the best epoxies, the numbers I posted are accurate. I've moved and don't have an internet connection, but when I have time I'll find the site and post the numbers.


Rustoleum, basically the same as any 2pt. you'll find out there. I used the other product because it has more solids. It costs the same.


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## MarvinWilleyJr (Sep 26, 2006)

TWO sq ft? :blink: It would be 3 inches thick dude. :laughing:


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

could be wrong, but that's what it said. Unless I see it, I don't believe it either. but that's WHAT IT SAID.


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Da Vinci said:


> Have any of you used the Rustoleum epoxy paint that's being sold everywhere now (Kelly- Moore, Home Depot, etc).
> 
> It's 2 part, but no primer needed (so they say). Any one have experience with this product?
> 
> Bay Area Painting and Faux Finishing




I haven't used their product, - - but I believe that any of the 'water-borne' epoxies don't require a primer becuase the mix is so much thinner to begin with.

I did use a 'Muralo' brand water-borne epoxy (applied 2 coats) a few months ago on a garage floor and haven't had any problems so far.

I both grinded and etched the floor.


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## BlueStarServ. (Jan 9, 2006)

Anyone ever use Vexcon Epoxies? 
What is your preferred method of installation?


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## Wolverine-Eric (Apr 9, 2007)

> Have any of you used the Rustoleum epoxy paint that's being sold everywhere now (Kelly- Moore, Home Depot, etc).
> 
> It's 2 part, but no primer needed (so they say). Any one have experience with this product?
> 
> Bay Area Painting and Faux Finishing


Hands down, it's the top failing product that people want to fix when they call in!


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