Garage / Hangar Floor Paint Recommendation

We move into our new house in three weeks and before I put anything into the garage, I am thinking about painting the floor. The house is brand new, so the concrete is nice and clean (for now).

I have seen people do this only to find the paint lift when a car is driven on it... this is something I obviously want to avoid. Anybody have any product recommendations or do's and don'ts? Thanks!

paint or stain...

I always wondered if acid staining a garage floor would be easier to maintain. Depends on what you do:

http://www.garage-detailer.com/garage-flooring.html

That said, I've never seen a painted floor that lasts, be it epoxy or latex. If you're going to be there 20 years and want it to look nice, I think paint would be as much hassle as staining.

Garage/hangar floor paint

There may be better solutions, but I have painted a hangar and my garage with "water-borne" epoxy from Sherwin-Williams. It still is working well after about 8 years in the hangar and 6 or so in the garage, with much heavier traffic.

The floor isn't quite as glossy as the professionally applied stuff I've seen in some corporate hangars, but is has been very durable. Very little stains it (there is a faint green stain in the garage from a coolant leak in my wife's car) and most spills, including oil, just wipe up with a rag.

I used a light grey for both projects, and it helps make the area brighter and is much easier to keep clean than concrete. When it gets grungy, it mops very easily.

I feel prep is very important, and followed the instructions to the letter, including etching and rinsing the concrete with muriatic acid prior to application.

The paint is a two-part epoxy, and had about a one-hour useful pot life IIRC. It applied easily with a large roller (I used cheap ones and discarded them rather than attempt to clean them).

The Sherwin-Williams store at first had no idea what I was talking about, but I printed a spec sheet off of the web somewhere and they ordered it for me.

James Freeman

Brad, I got this 2 part stuff from Lowe's. Not bad stuff.



I call it headache in a can. The stuff is 2 part and about $35 bucks a gallon as I recall. My garage is 24' x 28' and it took about 8 gallons for good solid coverage. That is about 2 coats. I only did one coat in the closet and under where the benches sit.

It has been on there for almost 3 years and I have very few areas of detatchment despite the fact the JEEP has been dropping salt, slush and snow on it regularly.

This summer I plan on recoating it, just because.

I recommend prepping it with muriatic acid beforehand regardless of age.

CJ

How's it look?



CJ

devil in the details

I haven't used it yet, but have been thinking about it and researching the subject for awhile. The paint that gets the best reviews I think from Aviation Consumer....was a Griots product, Floor Paint.
the link to the company is here:
http://www.griotsgarage.com/index.jsp

there is a PDF file under product support that really goes into the the prep detail and as other have commented, it is very important to follow to the letter. seems to me, the prep is the hardest part.
here is a link to the PDF file:
http://www.griotsgarage.com/pdfs/90011_90013.pdf

good luck,
Bob Martin

Ya get watcha pay for

Depending on where you are located you can get a good commercial epoxy job for around $1.80 square foot. I have not seen any "DIY" finish that has stayed down. Also, avoid the water based epoxies.

A good friend of mine is in the business. I had him do my hangar and garage (airpark home) with a commercial grade epoxy. They do a very extensive cleaning, acid wash, primer then the epoxy. My concrete was also new. I wanted a tough finish since I knew I was going to be building a plane. The floor has held up very well. After getting my plane painted I'm going to strip out my hangar and have him come in and do another coat.

If you plan on staying in the home, it is money well spent to have a professional do your floors.

Unfinished business

CJ

With such a nifty looking garage, you should really think about painting the bench.

Garage Floor Paint

Brad,
I used the Behr epoxy paint from Home Depot Aviation section with a acid wash and it turned out pretty good. I did do a white bottom coat with a black over lay and it took FOREVER to get my 2 day project done. It is holding up pretty good with no top coat. If I had to do it again I would have picked a different color.

Bruce Pauley
177 WD res
Tools and shop done
Web Site
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/category.php?user=bpauley&project=84&category=0

Acid stain floors

I have a hangar with epoxy painted floors and they have held up very well. Only problem has been chipping from dropped tools, bars of steel, bucking bars, etc., which of course always seem to land on the floor sharp corner first. Prep is everything, especially having a good clean etched surface, followed by a high quality primer, then the topcoat. I also just finished a hangar with acid stain. I'm happy with the results. I bought the supplies from http://www.apfepoxy.com. They have different top coat polys based on the types of chemicals you think the floor might be exposed to ex: brake fluid, avgas. The acid stain penetrates the surface and hopefully might survive a little better under my hard use. I also used a satin poly on the last coat. I've found that the high gloss finishes are really hard to keep looking nice with the dust situation here in AZ where we haven't had measurable precip for more than 130 days! Dave

RV7Factory said:

The house is brand new, so the concrete is nice and clean (for now).

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How long since the garage floor slab was poured?
I can't remember the number, but there's a certain timeframe when new concrete is still releasing moisture from curing internally. This WILL cause bubbling of the coating/paint, no matter how well you prep (just like basement walls). Might not be a bad idea to call a masonry/concrete contractor and ask how long the wait should be before coating/painting new concrete...

Hi Brad I might be able to help,I'm in the floor coating bussiness.I 'm building a 7a over the hill in Brentwood give me a call on my cell and I'll hook you up with the with the epoxys you need
Rob 925-216-4810

30 - 90 days

I'm just about to epoxy my garage, er, airplane factory, floor as well. The stuff at Lowe's says to wait 30-days for new concrete. Griots' system says to wait 90 days. How early in the house building process was the garage poured? Maybe it's been 30-days already waiting for all the sub's to finish the 'space attached to the workshop'.
-Jim

CFI1513840 said:

CJ

With such a nifty looking garage, you should really think about painting the bench.

Click to expand...

Ken, yaaaah... I really ought ta!

The story is, I built the garage to build the plane in and... I was getting carried away on the garage and needed to get onto the plane!

I also didn't finish the ceiling, either!

I suppose there will be plenty of time to do that when the RV is done and before I start on the Murphy Super Rebel on floats!!!

CJ

Rob, enlighten us?

Rob Hanberg said:

Hi Brad I might be able to help,I'm in the floor coating bussiness.I 'm building a 7a over the hill in Brentwood give me a call on my cell and I'll hook you up with the with the epoxys you need
Rob 925-216-4810

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Hey Rob,
Help us out here....we are just pilots and airplane builders...what do we know?
Tell us the real scoop.
what should we be using? sounds like "epoxys" from your post.
where to get it!
How much should it cost!
What about the prepping?
any other suggestions from someone in the business of making hangar and shop floors beautiful??
Thanks in advance,
Bob Martin
RV-6
Louisa, VA--with hangar floor needing (wanting) painting!

Captain John - Majic Fridge??

Hey Capt. John,

Can I assume the fridge hiding behind that wall is .."the majic fridge"?

..you know..for post building sessions or for guided tours to the "mens room" for selected guests...

Jeff

litex floor paint

I used this stuff 4 years ago on my workshop floor, based on a couple of local hangar owners experience.
It has held up well, and was really easy to apply. Just rolled straight on... roll up to the drywall as close as you can, and then install plastic baseboard to cover the gap...

http://www.litexinc.com/2PART-EPOXY.html

I got it from the Aviation paint dept. of Home Depot, but they don't seem to sell it any more. It is available direct from the manufacturer though.

I liked it since it did not call out for an acid etch on new concrete, and I had just put in metal studs as a hangar/workshop partition, and did not want any acid hitting the metal studs attached directly to the concrete...

It was fairly inexpensive, and two coats did it.... Their non-slip additive was too coarse (sort of 60 grit), but the competing brand at home Depot is finer.. it's only a sand-type additive..

gil in Tucson ... and yes, dust is the main problem...

Gil mentioned the grit/sand. You really, really should have some on the surface. At the time I did mine I didn't know about putting some sand in it. When my floor got wet it was as slick as snail snot. I would ask friends and family to let me get out of the car first and help them to the door. When I wanted to clean it I would just get it wet and use soft scrub with bleach. I did that garage floor over 10 years ago and I drove by the old house last month and it still looks good. There are a few tire stains but other than that it looks good. I loved that floor.

Behr

Since everybody is posting such rosy reviews, I'll post a downer. I used the Behr stuff from HD a few years ago. It has lifted under the car tires and chips very easily. My garage floor is 40 years old, but I spent a lot of time on cleaning/etching/prepping before the primer coat. I'd go with a pro next time.

Epoxy Flooring

Hi Guys,
The most important part of applying the epoxy is the prep work. There are different ways to acheive this. Grinding is one, acid etching and bead blasting. All of them work however I feel grinding or bead blasting is best. You need to have the concrete a bit coarse for a mechanical bond.
On commercial jobs I use a epoxy primer which is a thinned down epoxy and then an epoxy middle coat which helps smooth out any imperfections in the floor. For the ultimate a Urethane top coat!
One of the problems with epoxys is they are very hard and tend to scratch. The urethane helps to protect the epoxy coat and has a very long lasting gloss.
Another problem with epoxys is they tend to amber with UV light. If you have windows and doors that let in light it will affect your floors. Urethanes will not amber and will hold up to UV lighting.
I have one epoxy that I use that is very good for shop floors and we use it in commercial service bays and car dealership service bays. It's a two part epoxy that has good durability, but doesn' give you the high gloss you see in many car dearlership show rooms.
Another thing you have to be very careful about is that your concrete doesn't have any moisture pressure. It can lift the epoxy right off the floor. There are tests you can do to your concrete to check for this. One of the easiest ways it to tape a piece of plastic on the floor and leave it for a few days. Check the underside of the plastic and if there is moisture you will have a problem with water pressure on the concrete. There are ways to epoxy a floor like this however it is very expensive.
I would reccomend that you would let new fresh concrete set at least 30-45 days before coating and find out what your moisture content is before you coat.
The products you're talking about from the major home builders stores are mostly enamel paints modified a bit. The problem with these is they hold up OK for foot traffic but they are notorious for hot tire delamination. When you go for a drive in your car on a warm summer day, drive in the shop or garage and leave it there for a bit and turn your tires, you'll peel the product right off the floor. With good commercial epoxy most will not have a problem with this.
Most commercial epoxies are hazardous products and are very expensive to ship because of the shipping requirements. Here on the west coast I have a local company I buy from and it would be best if you could find somebody in your area to purchase from.
The produsts I use range in price from $60-100 a gallon. The urethane being the most expensive, but well worth the expense. Anybody that needs any guidance, give me a call. 925-216-4810.
Rob

Thanks for the input guys!!!

I am still debating whether or not I want to do this. In my current shop I have commercial carpet which I really like because it is easy on the knees and back. Also, when you drop something, it doesn't dent or chip the floor, or roll under a table. That being said I really like the look of the epoxy flooring.

In our case, any mechanical form of grinding is out of the question. The slab of the garage is made of pre-stressed concrete (with tensioned cables running through it) and according to the long disclosure we had to sign, ANY mechanical/physical modification to the slab voids the home warranty.

Rob, I may call in a few weeks.

Thanks!

Sherwin Williams

I used the Sherwin Williams Tile Clad HS two-part epoxy to coat my garage floor and I have been extremely happy with the results. I too have seen a lot of applications where there was a problem with hot-tire pickup as Rob mentioned. The key to good adhesion is prepping the surface correctly and using a product known to hold up. Unfortunately any product that is designed for this application is going to be expensive. Don't skimp on quality because of price, you'll pay even more later on. I agree with Rob, for the ultimate durability the urethanes can't be beat; I will be using these on my hanger floor.

Thank You Rob

The produsts I use range in price from $60-100 a gallon. The urethane being the most expensive, but well worth the expense. Anybody that needs any guidance, give me a call. 925-216-4810.
Rob

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Thanks Rob, Thats exatly what we needed!
Regards,
Bob Martin

jdmunzell said:

Hey Capt. John,

Can I assume the fridge hiding behind that wall is .."the majic fridge"?

..you know..for post building sessions or for guided tours to the "mens room" for selected guests...

Jeff

Click to expand...

Ohhhhh, don'tcha knowit! I try to keep it stocked with Captain Morgan's and Magic Hat! That is the how I come up with all these good ideas! See www.magichat.net for some ideas of your own! How did you know there was magic in there!?!

CJ

Has anyone tried something like this:

http://www.quikrete.com/diy/SealingConcreteandMasonry.html

to seal the floor of the garage? I would love to paint mine, but I don't think it's worth the effort as the floors are old, pockmarked, and the moisture content is relatively high. I would like to seal them with something simple to keep the "dusting" down.

Thomas
-8 wings

TShort said:

Has anyone tried something like this:http://www.quikrete.com/diy/SealingConcreteandMasonry.html

Click to expand...

FWIW, I just put the Quikrete (now Rustoleum, apparently) garage floor epoxy down in my new machine shop. Little info yet on how it wears, but it went down easily, looks great, and was quick and comparatively cheap. My floors are also old and pocked, but were at least dry. After two curing days, I dollied a 2300-lb mill across the floor with no floor problems. Based on info in this thread, I don't anticipate that it'll last forever, but the low-hassle factor and local availability was worth it to me.

I think you guys are putting too much effort into this. Looking at the flooring at our corporate hangars, it looks like regular old vinyl tiling. OK, maybe it is the "aviation" version of regular vinyl tiles, but since I won't have any other vehicle other than the RV on this flooring, I plan to also use vinyl tiles in my new work area-probably not the aviation variety though

w1curtis said:

I think you guys are putting too much effort into this.

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Sure! The fact that we're building our own airplanes in the first place is an indicator of that, right? . But I've done tiles, and now I've done epoxy -- the epoxy was quicker and easier, and my knees will actually support my body weight after the job!

I used a 2 part epoxy industrial floor coating from Dupont. I got it from an industrial supply house for about $80/gallon if I remember correcty. I did a 23x24 with about 4 gallons (2 gal of each part).

I used it on new concrete after I finished building my house.

You don't need to etch the floor if it is new. You don need more than 1 coat with this stuff if applied heavy with a roller. You don't need a professional to install it. YOU DO NEED A RESPIRATOR!!!
If the shop is attached, Don't open the door to the house for a day or so.
Do it before you move anything in or get anything on the floor.

Mine has had a Suburban in and out of the garage for four years, and it is holding up perfectly. It will not lift later if put on a new floor.

We have this on a local machine shop, and it is indestructible.

Regard,
Dale

I just did a new floor 2 weeks ago with Rustoleum Epoxy Shield (Home Depot). Went down fine and has stood some good abuse so far on move in. I reasearched complaints and compliments on the net first. Behr stuff had many bad reviews. Rustoleum had mostly good ones. Fairly cheap and available. Again good prep is everything. I would not use the provided friction flakes. I'll take my chances with a slippery floor for easier cleanup. This stuff seems tougher than an industrial brand I used on my hangar floor 3 years ago which remained relatively soft and scuffed for nearly a month.

Gary Bricker

I talked to a factory rep just today about floor Paint. He is with Quickcrete,( the concrete folks. They sell two types. One water base and the other is Oil based epoxy. The second is what he highly recommends. One kit covers 500 sq feet. It comes with the cleaner and he recommends using all the cleaner. Don't be sparing with it. Looks great and has some chips you sprinkle on it to give it some texture. One kit sells for about $100 for 500 ft. He says don't use the water base but go with the oil base. It is called industrial strength.

I ordered this for my garage floor after getting to know the company from some trade shows I attend, and talking with people who have and love it. I currently use some of their material for some other products I manufacture.

(Side Note) This product also works great for the front floor in a RV. I used it over the 3/4" insulation and absolutely love it. It does not slide around like carpet and looks cool.

http://www.bltllc.com/

Brad,
I was in the Kelly Moore store in Livermore and noticed a "gargage floor kit" it contained the cleaner, 2-part finish and color flakes (for that professional look) it ran about $80, each kit was good for about a 1/2 of a 2 car gagage.

Ralph
Livermore

Gary Bricker

The one for 250 feet coverage is a consumer kit and it is lighter than the one for 500 feet. The 250 is 1 Gal and the 500 is industrial strength and is a 2 gal.

Carpet v. Epoxy

I put old carpet down and it has the advantages already mention. Quiet, doesn't break things you drop and is easier on the feet from 15hr days.
HOWEVER, I am glad I epoxied my floor first ,as you will need to pull the carpet up eventually and draw pretty chalk lines on the floor when aligning wings, U/C fairings etc.
So before the kit is delivered, if the concrete is not good enough for chalk lines, best consider giving it a coat of some sort of paint.
Pete.

Hangar Floor Paint Recommendation

My hanger is now finished and I need to paint the floor. I am planning on using an epoxy sealer with possibly a Urethane top coat. ICI Paints carries professional grades but I haven't talked with them yet.
I am going to fill the cut lines first as well and then clean the floor with acid and rinse.

Do any of you have a suggestion on the best paints to use or at least what not to use?

Have it done

I had my hangar and garage done at my airpark home. I had two heavy coats of epoxy applied because of the wear I knew it would get while building. When done I'm stripping the hangar and having another coat added.

I highly recommend you have it done by someone who does this everyday. You should be able to get a good non water based floor system for around $1.40 a foot. Believe me it is well worth the money.

AirTech makes a nice floor coating called "Hard Deck" I've never used it but the paint they make for fabric planes is top notch.

Stop by your local Sherwin Williams store...they make a number of concrete floor epoxy paints. I have used it on my shop and friend's hangar. Seems like it was ~$50-60 a gal each for the base and activator (probably more now).

Deene.

UCoat it

Ucoat It

www.ucoatit.com

Do it Yourself floor coatings. Web site will calculate the amount you need. There are several options for finish and color. Comes as a kit with all the equipment required right down to the vinyl gloves, eye protection, brushes, rollers and silica for a non skid surface if you like.

Did my 60 X 50 hangar this past winter and ran a 5000# forklift on it in less than 5 days. I park a trailer with a 46 hp Kubota tracter on it and have no rubber pull ups.

Top coat is a high gloss urethane, white... allows me to find all the -3 rivits that get dropped.

Curt Welge
RV7QB