What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Epoxying my garage floor.

msturgis

msturgis

Well Known Member
One goal I had before starting my wings was to make my garage/workshop a better place to spend my time. Now that the wings are here, I need to get started

My friend Stephen was nice enough to install a new satellite tv hook up, I am also in the process of organizing my shelves and parts bins.

However the largest project I needed to tackle was to epoxy my garage floor. I had bought the kit from Lowes about 4months ago, but I never found the motivation to get it started. Well this morning I decided was the day. I started around 7am and was finished around 6pm. Just like building an RV, the majority of work comes in the form of preperation. It really is a lot of work, but I feel the finished results are well worth it.

Old garage.. Note the rust colored stain from draining my air compressor.

garagepaint1.jpg


Rolling on the epoxy.

garagepaint43.jpg


My Son Andrew helping sprinkle on the flakes.

garagepaint54.jpg


Finished floor.

garagepaint65.jpg


Close up.

garagepaint7.jpg
 
Last edited:
That looks great Matt. If you have the time, hit it with the clear coat. I let mine dry for a day then went back over it all with the clear. It looks great and holds up very well.
 
It's easy to mop now:) Nice floor Matt. It will last for the duration of your project. Thanks for bringing good memories, I did mine three years ago and it's still holding good. That flaking business is cool.
 
Flaking

I've never done the flaking route as I painted the floor to help me find dropped screws and I always wondered how the flakes would lay down smoothly if just thrown or dropped on top.
But the clear coat idea over top seems like a fantastic idea!! Thanks!!

oh.......nice airplane shop too!! Love the future pilot/helper. Having one of those would be reason enough to build a plane. :)
 
Sand/Grit?

Matt,

Do the flakes provide any kind of "roughness" to prevent slipping when the surface gets wet?

I'm curious as this is a project I would like to tackle but trying to do my research. Seems I've read before that when wet, the epoxy floors can become quite slippery (and potentially, dangerous). I believe I've read that some of the "kits" come with a sand-like "grit" that provides a roughened surface for gripping.

Thanks!

Mike
 
Epoxy floor

Hey Matt,
The floor looks great and I did the same job prior to starting my wing kit. I just used a high grade concrete paint (2004) and it has held up well. Judging by your helper it probably won't matter much to you, (young-folks) but I found for us over 50 guys having the interlocking rubber mats (Sam's, Costco,autoshops) really make a big difference in how long you can stand on that concrete. I also found a large piece of carpet remnant absorbs a lot of the noise and cushions the feet. I just open the door, turn on the leaf blower and everything stays clean.
Steve
RV-9A (Finish kit)
 
charger81 said:
Matt,

Do the flakes provide any kind of "roughness" to prevent slipping when the surface gets wet?

I'm curious as this is a project I would like to tackle but trying to do my research. Seems I've read before that when wet, the epoxy floors can become quite slippery (and potentially, dangerous). I believe I've read that some of the "kits" come with a sand-like "grit" that provides a roughened surface for gripping.

Thanks!

Mike
Click to expand...

Hi Mike,

The flakes do add some texture to the floor. I am however like Calvin advised going to add the clear coat. The kit I bought included a bag anti skid "grit" to add to the mixture. With out adding the grit, the floor would be dangerous indeed!

I am a frim believer in clean space, happy mind. This project was well worth the effot to making my workspace a more inviting place to build my RV.
 
Last edited:
Interlocking Mats

I highly recommend the mats. I used mine for 4 years and then gave them to next door neighbor and he pressure washed them and now is using them in his shop. A must for my old feet.
 
Solomon9A said:
Hey Matt,
The floor looks great and I did the same job prior to starting my wing kit. I just used a high grade concrete paint (2004) and it has held up well. Judging by your helper it probably won't matter much to you, (young-folks) but I found for us over 50 guys having the interlocking rubber mats (Sam's, Costco,autoshops) really make a big difference in how long you can stand on that concrete. I also found a large piece of carpet remnant absorbs a lot of the noise and cushions the feet. I just open the door, turn on the leaf blower and everything stays clean.
Steve
RV-9A (Finish kit)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the idea about the leaf blower!!!
 
If you go back to Lowes they have a add on kit for clear coat. It gives it depth. I wasn't going to use the clear coat but after talking to other people about it, it feels/cleans/looks better imo.
 
This is the only photo I could find that had some floor in it. Hope you can see in the picture the way it reflects light with the clear.

022.jpg
 
I hate the process of putting down those floors, but they're worth every bit of it. Leaf blowers and epoxy floors go hand in hand. My next addition is a Dirt Dog (Roomba for the Garage).

You should have called me, I would have given you a hand.

Phil
 
Does the clear coat.............

have something in it as well that makes is non slippery?

My wife said (while holding a can of this in Lowes) she thought this would be a good idea whether I build or not. I didn't pay it much attention in light of all my other 'to dos'. The picks and your post have made me reconsider.

Thanks for the post and pics Matt and Calvin.

Evans
 
Epsound said:
have something in it as well that makes is non slippery?

My wife said (while holding a can of this in Lowes) she thought this would be a good idea whether I build or not. I didn't pay it much attention in light of all my other 'to dos'. The picks and your post have made me reconsider.

Thanks for the post and pics Matt and Calvin.

Evans
Click to expand...

Evans,

The first coat of Epoxy (with the chips) is not slippery. However the clear coat can be very slippery unless you add the included "grit" into the mix.


Phil... I'd rather have you over for the deburring party!! :)
 
I was warned to not put too much of the grit in with the clear or it becomes more difficult to clean. Wishing I'd put more in as it's very slippery when wet. Tried to put the majority of the grit near the doors. Also, the clear is holding up great indoors but there's a small section that is outside the garage door. Where it's exposed to weather and salt the clear is lifting.
 
What is the cost of putting down an epoxy and clear coat garage floor? I have a double garage. Also, what is the cost of putting down an interlocking rubber mat floor? Thanks
 
Griots Garage

I've been getting ready to do the same thing.

One of the reasons I want to do it is: You can sweep the concrete 75 times and it's still dusty. I want to seal the concrete smooth for dust control. In my basement it will make RC model painting and heat shrink covering dust free. In the garage it will make cleaning up a breeze. If I get dust/aluminum chips in the house I'll get resistance toward the RV project. Happy Wife = Happy Builder.

One of my co-workers put down a similar floor, but skipped the prep work. One of the things he's noticing is on humid days his floor bubbles.

After doing some homework of my own, I came across a catalog called Griots Garage. They recommend a degreasing & mild acid wash followed by a completely dry floor before applying. They also recommend that you apply the epoxy on a low humidity mild day.

This will go on my garage floor and my basement shop floor in a few months. I'm clearing everything out this summer.
 
Having gone down this route my advice is to rent a diamond wheel concrete grinder, grind the floor and just seal the floor with the cheap stuff you can buy in 5-gal pails from Lowes. I used epoxy in my garage and its coming up in many spots even though I prepped the floor exactly as instructed. With the floor sealed it will sweep easily but will have a matte finish that won't look awful if you spill something or if you don't keep up with mopping the floor.
 
I did it with no problems, I like it...was a fairly new garage floor though so no old oil stains, etc to deal with. Cost me about $250 for a two car I believe?
 
Endorsed by the wife...

Another reason for doing it - motivated by my wife - to cover up the stains from when I left a gallon can of wood stain sticking out a bit too far on "her side" and she drove over it and exploded it all over the garage :eek:.

I was cleaning that up for nearly 4 hours!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top