# garage floor coatings



## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Curious about what you guys use for coating garage floors. Also, what form of prep do you do before you apply the coating.


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

you definitely want to talk with wolverine about that one
maybe send him a PM


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

Yeah seriously, give Wolvie a shout
(http://www.painttalk.com/member.php?u=20)
His stuff is pretty incredible

Website here:
http://www.wolverinecoatings.com/


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks, just sent a PM to him now. I have been wanting to add this service to my business but with the gauntlet of G floor coatings out there it's hard to know whats the best.


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## Tmrrptr (May 4, 2007)

We use SW ab products, and have also used Behr and ... I think it was Rustoleum ab product. 

Do a groundwater moisture check first. Tape a piece of plastic 18" sq down on the slab a couple places and check the next day for moisture.

I've seen groundwater cause blistering and lift an epoxy coating.
It was not pretty. The only fix is to grind the floor.

Then, clean the slab with PW'er and suitable degreasers.
A citric acid powder is supplied with some ab kits to etch the slab with after cleaning. 

Slab must be dry to apply product.

Coverage is about 300sq ft/gal.

We cut n roll with a short nap or use hvlp to apply.

I prefer 1 coat so it might allow some ground moisture up.

Wise to include sharkgrip in the product applied or it will be far too slippy if a little water gets on it in normal use, on down the road.

No one has ever asked me to apply the chips that are sprinkled on over the surface.

I ask that they keep cars off for a couple days.

Hot tire pickup and scrubbing from turning wheel while stopped can be a problem. Don't guarantee against that.

Have not had any problems with applications we've done.

Waterborne acrylics won't work for auto traffic.


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks r, about how long does it take the concrete to dry thoroughly after cleaning assuming 70' and average humidity. Also, ab kit, is that an abrasive of some sort? is the powdered citric acid part of the kit?


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

Ok...make sure to NOT do anything until you've talked to Eric (Wolvey). There are MUCH better things to put on a floor than SW or Behr. I've used that stuff myself, but wished I hadn't after 2 years and some water settling.

I talked to the president of a coatings company this past summer who told me that to really have a good result it starts with the guys who poured the concrete and what (if anything) they put down to coat it....he said most things you put on in the future will fail sooner than later, if they didn't put anything on it.

My point, go hardcore or expect to be going back. 

Just got some sidework for this weekend...guess what I'm doing? Touching up a basement floor with my **** Depot stuff for the 4th time in 1 year. They must really love me to keep calling me back.

Good luck-keep us updated


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## Wolverine (Apr 17, 2007)

Hey Guys... Long time no see... lol

Well, we're STILL sold out even in January! I just can't seem to get caught up! 

Anyway, I have sampled a couple of my products to a could of guys on the forums here. They've all evaluated them and the comment go something like... "WOW"... "AMAZING"... "It sticks to everything"... Our products are alot different from the SW/Behr/Rustoleum offerings. If your customer is looking for 'cheap' and don't care about 'lasting' then those products are a good fit. However, if I had to choose between the 3... I would rule out SW & Rustoleum...

I probably would need permission from the admin to go any further about our products... Do I have it?


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Wolverine said:


> Hey Guys... Long time no see... lol
> 
> Well, we're STILL sold out even in January! I just can't seem to get caught up!
> 
> ...


I hope so, I tried the B coffee e-mail you gave me but for some reason it didn't go through. Nothing pressing here, I live in the north so obviously I won't be doing any garage floors anytime soon. Just looking to expand some services for the coming season. I don't like jumping in to something new unless I am confident in the product and the proper procedure. I would be interested in the product you speak of. Thanks, Travis


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## Tmrrptr (May 4, 2007)

painttofish said:


> Thanks r, about how long does it take the concrete to dry thoroughly after cleaning assuming 70' and average humidity. Also, ab kit, is that an abrasive of some sort? is the powdered citric acid part of the kit?


ab is 2part kit epoxy. mix a with b.

sharkgrip is one kind of abrasive additive

the citric acid comes with some kits to etch the concrete.

dry? I wait at least skipping one day with doors open.

Look, our resident expert IS concerned with rules designed to keep us all from being bombarded with continuous advertising spam.

I'm sure he can be contacted via the company website he does post.

BTW, it was the SW product that blistered severely...
IMO, part of the cause was that the old school master painter that applied it slathered it on very thick using a 1" nap roller. That, and groundwater, was a recipe for disaster.

My calls to coat garage floors were budget conscious buyers.
Although there have been no reported problems with applications I've done personally, if I were engaged by a discriminating client I would investigate the wolverine products.


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Bombarded with continuous spam? Just looking for quality products recommended by our fellow paint heads!


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## Tmrrptr (May 4, 2007)

*spam*



painttofish said:


> Bombarded with continuous spam? Just looking for quality products recommended by our fellow paint heads!


 ...Well what I meant was, the Dude is not allowed to incessantly bombard us with continuous dialog about how great his products are...

It's against the rules.
Including your store's url is not.

Man! I like your name!
I'm slackin.
Too long without wetting a line.

I'm gone


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

I hope they let him go farther.


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Tmrrptr said:


> Man! I like your name!
> I'm slackin.
> Too long without wetting a line.
> 
> I'm gone


Ice fishing is in full swing! Bring on the walleyes


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

Wolverine said:


> I probably would need permission from the admin to go any further about our products... Do I have it?


We sure appreciate the consideration, and thank you for asking
There's nothing spammy about answering direct questions

Not that you are Mr. Spam anyways Eric...lol
We consider you an active part of this community and hold your expertise, and your opinions, in high regard

Please consider yourself permitted


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## Joewho (Apr 17, 2007)

It took me all the way until yesterday to figure out what company he works for. LOL.

Wolverine indeed. I went to this site:http://www.wolverinecoatings.com/

and am just curious if they sell directly to the painter and if they sell small quanitities and if so, how much would it cost to purchase garage floor coatings and if they are available out here in the west and how much would it cost to ship, if not available here.

Otherwise, I'm using sherwin/williams. Maybe something like this:http://www2.sherwin-williams.com/im/rail/fastcladfd.asp


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## Sprayer (Jan 2, 2008)

I refuse all the garage floors. Rather have someone else keep going back and back.


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Sprayer said:


> I refuse all the garage floors. Rather have someone else keep going back and back.


But if you have a quality product and proper procedure of application you won't be going back and back. Then you have another facet of your company to make money on. So the question is, what is this quality product and how is it applied. Thanks Tmrrtr for your explanations.


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## Tmrrptr (May 4, 2007)

*process*



Sprayer said:


> I refuse all the garage floors. Rather have someone else keep going back and back.


I didn't mean to discourage anyone from doing garage floors.

As a full service coatings applicator, you SHOULD do ALL surfaces!

The prep is only a process that must be adhered to, and possibly easier than prepping other surfaces.

I have never been called back regarding floors I've done personally.

A groundwater test IS DEFINITELY ADVISABLE.

I'm NOT an expert on garage floor coverings, but I've done them successfully.

There are TONS of new products available out there for application to even pool decks, walkways and driveways that look REALLY interesting.

The hi-tech coatings are probably the wave of the future and we should ALL study them very seriously.

I was very interested in flamespraying but equipment costs are prohibitive for me at this time. I did get cheapo electrostatic gear and it is really fun on small projects.

From what I have seen to date, many of the hi-tech surface coatings can be effectively applied with the tools we already have.

We NEED to learn about the newest things!

Investigate the wolverinecoatings... by all means!

:jester:


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## Wolverine (Apr 17, 2007)

> Please consider yourself permitted


Wooo Hooo.... 

First, we all know that coating concrete is not for the faint of heart. It's got to be done right and with quality products. Just for the record, we've NEVER had a failure... ever. 

*Prep:*
We have several options for prepping concrete for our products. 
Acid etching with Muriatic Acid
Mechanical Prep with Diamond Grinders, Shot blasters... etc
Etching without OrganiPrep 921 or OrganiStrip 901

Acid etching is the cheapest... OrganiPrep/OrganiStrip products the easiest but most expensive

*Dry the concrete:*
Once the concrete is prepped it needs to dry out some. The concrete should not be wet but damp is OK... If you're trying to make money, you can't afford to wait a couple of days to let it dry. In most cases, a garage floor can be dried in less than an hour with one of these: 
http://www.eweedcontrol.com/weed-burners/vt223c

These can be picked up at your local 'big box' for less than $100... there are even some for about $30... Don't skimp... get a decent one because time is money.

*Prime (BondTite 1101):* 
While some companies have products that they claim don't need a primer... we don't take that approach. The problem is that sometimes you can 'get away' with not using one and sometimes you can't. In general, epoxies that are not moisture sensitive when applied are moisture sensitive after curing. So, you want to apply a primer that is NOT sensitive to moisture. Let's face it, even if you let the concrete dry for a week... it's going to have moisture in it. Coating a floor is the process of building a polymer layer that is bonded to the concrete. Just like building anything else, you need a strong foundation. Don't skimp and leave off the primer! The BondTite 1101 is a clear primer that can also be used as a clearcoat. It has tenacious adhesion to a variety of substrates. It will physically bond into the concrete pours like other products but will also chemically bond with the concrete. Bondtite 1101 is 100% solids and fluoropolymer modified. It does not contain any silicone and has a unique surface tension that helps it penetrate the concrete.

*Cracks/expansion joints treatment:*
We have a couple of different putties to fix the cracks. 
IntegraFlex 1921 is self leveling and IntegraFlex 1922 is a thick putty that can even fill on vertical surfaces. We have some other products that are quicker curing but they are really expensive and overkill for garage floors.

Once the floor is primed, cracks treated, and materials are cured you're ready to continue. 

*LiquaTile 1184:*
This is a 100% solids AHC (Advanced Hybrid Cycloaliphatic) Semi-Ceramic color coat. This stuff self levels like nothing you've ever seen. 

*Decorative Flakes (DecoFlakes 130-250):*
DecoFlakes 130-250 - We keep about 30-40 colors of 1/4" DecoFlakes and can blend them in any ratio of any colors. You could make a combination to match someone's house. This will give you a competitive advantage both against other painters and DIY kits. People are DYING to have something other than gray or tan with the same sparse chip blend that all of their neighbors have.

*Seal the chips:* 
Use BondTite 1101... 

We also have:
Holographic pigment additive
SuperGrip particles for anti-slip
Colored Quartz from 3M

Basically, the possibilities are endless with our materials...


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## Z paint (Jan 16, 2008)

*rustoleum*

i used the proffesional grade rustoleum which is the most expensive out of the 3 choices they offered for garage floors....they were old beat up slabs in my shop and i degreaser and etched and it turned out really nice....extremely strong fumes though so i wore the respirator...i was in a firehouse the other day and there floor was so amazing it didnt even look like normal epoxy....it was blue with yellow fireman stencils neatly sprayed in a bunch of different spots... it actually looked like they sprayed the whole floor the way the epoxy resin looked...very very proffesional job and it was super durable and still looked really clean ....i asked the guy and he said he thinks they did a sherwyn williams marine coating or something and that was all the company did was epoxy floors..

we must strive to become better ancestors--Ralph nader


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