Warmer weather usually means spending more time in the shop — and sometimes noticing how crappy the ol’ floor has gotten over the years. One solution some folks turn to is an epoxy coating for the garage floor, which protects against stains, is (relatively) easy to clean, and reflects more light for those under-engine jobs. Also, it needs to be applied and aired out when the air temperature is around 65-80 degrees F, so now’s a good time for a lot of people to do this project.
Rust-Oleum’s Epoxyshield products include a garage floor coating that comes in gray or tan semi-gloss finish. (It’s completely optional whether you want to throw in the decorative paint chips.) The manufacturer says the coating “protects against gasoline, antifreeze, motor oil, salt and hot tire pick-up.” They also say it cleans with soap and water, though my own experience with epoxy-coated floors says some heavy mop scrubbing may be necessary for oil stains. Street pricing for the kit runs around $70.
My question about this is whether a kit is the best way to go — or if it’s better to buy parts separately, or just hire someone to do it (concrete etching can be kinda rough, and the coating has to be applied quickly within a specified time period). And is the quality of the coating comparable to a professional job? Post your thoughts in comments.
Garage Floor Coating [Rust-Oleum]
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19 Responses to Hot or Not? Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield Floor Coating
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NOT HOT!
We had our shop area professionally epoxy coated, and it has stood up great since it was done in 2003.
I decided to use the Rustoleum Epoxy kit in our shipping area in 2004. I had watched the pros do our main shop area, so I knew how to do it. Pressure washed the concrete with a degreaser, worked in a dry degreaser / cleaner on the hard spots, rinsed, mild muriatic acid etch, rinse, rinse and let air dry. Coated with the Rustoleum kit.
Within months it was showing wear. If we drop a shipping label or a piece of clear packaging tape onto the floor, and don’t pick it up right away, but go to pull it up later, it will pull some of the coating up. We have an office chair with rollers in the shipping area as well, the area under the office chair is severely worn… almost to the bare concrete. These are light duty plastic rollers.
I don’t consider our shipping area severe duty, our shop is, but I would think our shipping area sees the same kind of traffic and use that a home garage or shop would. The Rustoleum product does not stand up as well as I would have liked.
Oh, I didn’t use any of those dumb flakes. It is my belief that the kits that contain the “decorative flakes” are meant to trick your eye once the actual epoxy coating starts to chip. You’re never going to see the chip in the epoxy with tons of multicolor flakes embedded everywhere else. Aside from that, I think the flakes just look dumb.
Your problem was in your prep, it says to only use the citric acid that comes with it and not muriatic acid etch,it also said to rinse twice and let dry for 24 hours. If you did that then when it cam up you could have contacted rustoleam for a refund.
Reading the above comment makes me feel better about cheaping out and using regular (non-epoxy) floor paint instead in my garage. It’s sticking to the floor except for a few areas where I will sand it back to where it is still good, then repaint those spots. It was half the price and a lot less trouble.
I also thing the sprinkles look cheap.
Not hot. We put this on our cement steps outside our front porch last summer and it’s mostly worn off already. And this is not the entrance we even use. Don’t waste your time or money.
Several of my neighbors have installed the EpoxyShield, and I know two that have had it removed and professionally re-done. Not worth the money and frustration in my book.
But hey, if you are going to do this project yourself, look in your local phone books for epoxy suppliers. Most will sell to anyone. It’s pretty much the same process as the EpoxyShield, plus you can add as many coats and colors as you want. Just don’t buy one of those “kits” they sell online. Talk to your local supplier and they will give you all the tips you need, and you’ll get a better product.
I used to work for a company that did parking garage rehab, and the prep work for epoxy coating is pretty important. We’d generally shotblast the concrete to open up the profile and ensure better adhesion. Then, while it was still tacky, you lay down a layer of sand with a grass seed broadcaster type thing until it wouldn’t take anymore (“seeded to rejection” was the term). You sweep off all the excess sand, then give it a final coat of epoxy.
I’m thinking that the glass smooth surface of most home garages are too slick for epoxy to adhere properly, not to mention the presence of grease and the amateur level skill in application probably would make this a less than ideal solution. Also, for slab on grade you have to make sure you have good drainage, or the hydrostatic pressure from the ground water can delaminate your coating or cause spalling in the concrete. If you’re worried about that, go for a siloxane sealer instead. Seals the concrete, but allow moisture to pass through.
I used non-flake epoxy on the floor of my two-bay garage and placed plastic interlocking tile (Raceway Tile) over that. On the stairs into the house and apron of the garage I used the Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield. Those areas have held up for the last four years in the Washington, DC area.
Sorry, left a step out. Once you’ve shotblasted, you run a sweeper over the concrete and apply your first coat of epoxy while it’s still clean and the surface is rough.
I had a garage floor in California that was extremely smooth – you could slide under a car without a creeper with ease, water would bead up on it for just long enough to wipe it up, and oil wiped off with ease.
All my other garage floors were normal concrete – sandpaper rough, and sponges for oil & stains. Anybody know how to specify the smooth finish I liked in California? Any downsides to it (aside from being slippery when wet)?
I did the rust-oleum epoxy shield floor coating on my garage just before we moved in last year and have had no problems with it at all. It’s a really high traffic garage. We built a gym and moved in a super heavy smith rack and it didn’t scratch or flake off as we slid it around into place.
Not Hot. I bought a house and one of the first things that I decided to do before I filled up the garage was do the floors “right”. The garage was ttally empty so it was the perfect time. I followed the instructions in the video to the letter, scrubbed, washed, etched, washed, etched again, washed again. and put down the epoxy as per instructions. Within 2 weeks, I had my first “pop”. I have a 20×25 garage and I have pops coming up all over the place. It’s pretty much a disaster and looks like crap. I’ve worked in professional NASCAR garages, and I know what a good floor should look like and how they should perform. This is nowhere close. I am really disappointed because, if I was told to go through extraordinary measures to prep the floor, I would have. Now I have the garage full of equipment with cabinets installed etc, and it’s now going to be a big ole PIA to redo everything the right way.
Not Hot.
I used a real epoxy kit in my Texas garage and 4 years later it was still fantastic.
Moved to California and found this kit, followed the instructions to the letter and less than 6 months later its awful. Hot tires would lift the finish, it stains and ( as mentioned above ) looks like crap.
Looks like it’s mostly been said, but the Rust-Oleum is not what you want to put on your floor. Go to a paint store and tell them you need a serious, marine grade, true epoxy for industrial floor use.
You can search the forum at http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/ for other opinions.
MeasureOnceCutTwice Says:
You want a hard trowel finish. Most things like sidewalks get a broom finish for traction, as the hard trowel finish is pretty slick. After the concrete is floated and sets up a little, you proceed with trowelling. You can do it by hand, but most finishers use a power trowel, otherwise known as a trowelling machine.
I cheaped out and used a latex, which you can still kind of see in the corners and under things a little bit.
When I painted the trailer I made, I used Sherwin Williams Macropoxy and some dripped on the floor. I couldn’t chisel this shit off the floor it sticks so good. Plus it can be tinted, and you can save the leftovers for a year in a separate container. I think the coal tar epoxy is cheaper if you don’t mind black – this is what they put on railroad tank cars. Either one is usually in stock if you have a Sherwin Williams close by, and runs about $100 for two gallons one each of resin and hardner.
i used floor paint from griots garage
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/in+your+garage/garage+flooring/gray+floor+paint%2C+1+gallon.do
it’s been down 15 years and all it needs to look new is a good mopping. while my garage is not like a pro shop i have swapped moters and trannys in it. my current project is a 53 chevy that i’m putting a 500 caddy moter in.
later jim
wow i misspelled motor twice, DOH!!!
The only downside for a floor coating for me would be spots from weld spatter. If it weren’t for this, I’d have jumped on it long ago. As it is, my floor is smooth and cleans up pretty easily. it’s got character. A little spray paint overspray here, a little there, some ground in grease from a trans rebuild… The rest of the shop isn’t up to snuff to match a spiffy floor anyhow.
Well, I’m actually right in the middle of the process (waiting for the floor to dry as I type). After reading KMR’s comment, I’m beginning to question the so-called expertise. It’s says right in the directions: DO NOT USE MURIATIC ACID. Maybe that’s your problem?
I’ll be back with a review once it’s down and I’ve driven over it for a couple weeks. That is AFTER I wait the full three days to cure (instructions are meant to be read)!