# Epoxy Floor for Garage & Fresh Concrete?



## Sprayboy (Oct 21, 2009)

You will want to lightly etch it first and get a good quality epoxy not a big box store brand. The Kwik-krete I put down last year scratches like hell!


----------



## StahlMaster (Mar 18, 2010)

I was told that the floor needs to be dry and cured before applying any coating. Some floors will wick up moisture from the ground and never hold a coating. A test is to cover a 3' X 3' section of the floor with plactic and check under it in a day or two. If it's wet it's a no-go for coating.

D

P.s Some people claim that an Epoxy floor is slippery when wet, even with the grip particals in it.


----------



## paintpimp (Dec 22, 2009)

You want concrete to cure for at least 90 days to be safe. But, do yourself a favor and dont use those cute little kits you see in the big box (Rustoleum, Shield crete, Quick crete). For the same money you can buy yourself a much, much better product from a paint store that will outperform these. I have seen these cute kits fail left and right. You can get away with these if you have no road salt in your area, low traffic in garage, vapor barrier under the concrete.
Also keep in mind if the concrete was sealed, you need to grind the concrete before you paint, otherwise you will be putting down a strippable floor coating.


----------



## ERAUGrad04 (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks guys for the replies! 

Quick question- how can I tell if the concrete was sealed when it was poured? 

Morgan


----------



## PaintinNC (Feb 20, 2010)

pour water on it, if it beads up, then it is sealed and you are essentially screwed, lots of concrete guys think they are doing you a favor by sealing your concrete. It pretty much keeps any coating from sticking well later. I NEVER recommend a film forming product on a floor that is going to be driven on, if it is unsealed use a concrete stain, and a silicone acrylic at that, no latex!


----------



## calconcrete (Mar 25, 2010)

*Epoxy & Fresh Concrete*

We have been professionally installing epoxy garage floors since 2004.

Your new concrete should be cured and finished emitting water vapor in 30 days . . . unless you are in a cold climate. In that case I'd wait 60 days and have a fan running over it for a week or so near the end of the 60 days.

Splash a few tablespoons of water in various places on the slab. If it turns dark quickly it is porous and you are good to go. If it beads up the contractor probably put a curing agent on the surface. You will need to have it ground down with a diamond cup wheel grinder to restore the porosity . . . so the epoxy will have something to grab onto.

Patrick Dowd
California Concrete Restoration
http://www.squidoo.com/epoxygargefloors
:yes:


----------



## oarfish (Mar 17, 2010)

PaintinNC said:


> pour water on it, if it beads up, then it is sealed and you are essentially screwed, lots of concrete guys think they are doing you a favor by sealing your concrete. It pretty much keeps any coating from sticking well later. I NEVER recommend a film forming product on a floor that is going to be driven on, if it is unsealed use a concrete stain, and a silicone acrylic at that, no latex!


_Agreed and silicone acrylic is good stuff._

_I was at Home Depot today where they were selling Ceramic floor tile for 57 cent/sq'._
_If I had a new garage I would put ceramic tile down and forget about the expensive and potentially unreliable coatings. May get slippery but one can always add commercial runners for walking surface that can be moved around as needed._


----------



## What have I done (May 28, 2006)

have you gone to www.garagejournal.com/forum/ yet? it is all about gagages and they have a section on flooring. lots of products that have been tried and tested. some very nice pictures as well

:yes:


----------



## ERAUGrad04 (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks for all the great replies guys! I was up at the house two nights ago and brought a bottle of water with me, and I am in luck! As soon as I poured it, the concrete became nice and dark, and shortly there after the water had been absorbed into the concrete. 

I am currently planning on using the Epoxy-Coat sytem. I have spent some time on here and the garage journal and I am really looking forward to the project!

Thanks again!
Morgan


----------

