@minimoke how did you get on with the floor? how does it look now?

What products did you end up using?

Jase2985:

@minimoke how did you get on with the floor? how does it look now?

 

What products did you end up using?

Ha @Jase2985 this thread brings back horrid memories. I finally closed off my EQC claim last year. They had to come back and do about $80k of remedial repairs after botching first round. And I finally convinced them there were cracks in my concrete slab. By far the worse experience ever in my whole life. And the  cherry on the top was an email last week to say I was one of the 8,000 who they released claims details in a privacy breach. 

Anyhooo. Back to the garage floor. 

I ended up doing it myself after EQC filled the cracks. I diamond ground back the surface (hired a groinder with vacuum from down the road). Then applied a couple of coats of Resene 2 pot Aquapoxy. It is excellent stuff. Went on no trouble at all. I just mixed it up and applied it with a roller. It has worn really well. We have a Santa Fe which sits in a bit of a tight spot - so the front wheels tend to get turned on one spot in the parking reversing maneuver. No sign at all of any wear in this spot. The areas where they tyres run back and forth every time we move the cars is also showing zero wear. This stuff is as tough as old boots. Also no fading - but wouldn't expect any in a garage.

My only "complaint" is after a rain and water falls of the cars it puddles on the garage floor. It does not allow water to seep through to the concrete. So you have to wait for the water to evaporate. This then leaves a bit of a muddy stain where the water has pooled. Not really a problem - when I get bored I just get out with a mop and some detergent water and give the floor a clean.

 Would highly recommend the Resene product. Oh - and EQC ended up paying for it - and we found a way of covering my labour as well. 

I wanted to put down some decent paint on the floor in my newly built shed a couple of years ago, because at my workplace, the floor has an epoxy coating and it makes cleaning up spills etc so much easier, plus it looks great.

I went for the 20L Grey Epotread 1000 semi-gloss from Regis Coatings, which is a two-part water based epoxy.
https://www.regiscoatings.co.nz/Products/Instance/Floor-Coatings/Epotread-1000-Semi-Gloss/

Got the concrete slab professionally diamond ground, and then I did all the painting myself with a roller on a long handle. Three coats of the stuff was super easy to put down & I ended up using a lot less than expected.

Fast-forward two years, and it's holding up well, although one of the vehicles in the garage tends to stay put for months at a time, and there was a small area (around 1x1cm which did lift from becoming stuck to the tyres. All good though, I just did a patch repair with the left-over epoxy & now the tyres sit on old carpet tiles to stop this from happening again.

Would happily use the stuff again in future sheds. It's nice to work with and doesn't have any scent, unlike some other epoxies.

@Mehrts how much did it cost to get the shed concrete floor professionally diamond ground and how much sqm is the floor? I am looking at doing epoxy flooring for the garage for a new house build before we move in. Need to do 42sqm so 2 x 8L buckets will be plenty

@minimoke thanks for the reply

Thats kind of what i was wanting to hear. Mine is a brand new floor and is going to need 28 days to cure/shed its moister before i can coat it, and looking at its finish i think im going to have to acid etch it

@Mehrts ive also looked at Epotread 1000 and it seems to be quiet good too.

@billgates

It wasn't cheap, for memory it was around $1200 for a 7m x 7m Totalspan shed, however the guy who did it had all the gear mounted to a trailer and was totally self-sufficient. He had a big three phase generator, and a massive vacuum unit to deal with the concrete dust. I was impressed with how little dust there was when he'd finished. You could touch the concrete and your hand would come away clean, whereas beforehand it would be dusty as hell.

It would have been an easier job for him if the shed hadn't already been erected, as he wouldn't have had to spend as much time on the tricky areas around the frame footings.

I was debating whether to have a crack at roughing up the concrete myself, but I could just see that turning to sh*t and the epoxy not adhering properly which basically makes the whole task pointless. Just like any paint-job, it's the preparation that matters the most.

@Jase2985

I'd happily recommend this stuff. It was my first time painting a horizontal surface, and the the results were great. It obviously isn't cheap, but it's not too bad overall for two 10L containers of harderner and colouring to give 20L overall.

I purchased off their website, and had it couriered to Palmy. The only strange part of the purchase, was that they used PayPal, but that was ok.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, if your car has been in the rain and you park it in the garage, water does pool on the floor as it runs off, and this can take a while to dry if left. Because of the smooth surface, if wet it can become slippery, so a small amount of anti-slip granules could easily be mixed in to give a rougher surface, however this would make spill cleanups much more difficult.

Resene say put down one coat, then a coat with the SRG Grit then a final coat. i would hope that would make it a bit more grippy but still easy enough to clean

@Jase2985

If the granules are under a coat or two, then that would help make them a bit smoother. I personally didn't worry about it, as it's not often that I have water where I walk.

Also, if possible, I'd wait longer than 28 days after the concrete has been placed, especially in the cooler months. The longer you can leave the slab to cure, the lower the chances of having any top coatings lift due to the moisture coming out of the concrete. I left mine for a couple of months over Sep/Oct before coating the floor. I also didn't put anything that could drip oil etc on the concrete for that time too. I was a bit anal when it came to the prep haha.

What's the reason for acid etching or diamond grinding it? Will a smooth concrete finish not allow the paint to stick? I am in the roofing phase of a garage build and wondering what to do with the concrete. Potentially just seal it as-is?

Delphinus:

 

What's the reason for acid etching or diamond grinding it? Will a smooth concrete finish not allow the paint to stick? I am in the roofing phase of a garage build and wondering what to do with the concrete. Potentially just seal it as-is?

 

concrete is very alkaline, and generally has salt and dust when new. this along with a smooth finish makes it hard for paint to stick and stay stuck to it.

Acid etching and diamond grinding roughs up the surface and takes off that top smooth layer via different methods but achieves a similar result. a finish that resembles 120-180 grit sand paper that gives the paint much more surface area to adhear to.

Jase2985:

 

Delphinus:

 

What's the reason for acid etching or diamond grinding it? Will a smooth concrete finish not allow the paint to stick? I am in the roofing phase of a garage build and wondering what to do with the concrete. Potentially just seal it as-is?

 

 

concrete is very alkaline, and generally has salt and dust when new. this along with a smooth finish makes it hard for paint to stick and stay stuck to it.

 

Acid etching and diamond grinding roughs up the surface and takes off that top smooth layer via different methods but achieves a similar result. a finish that resembles 120-180 grit sand paper that gives the paint much more surface area to adhear to.

 

Pre-existing concrete in garages is usually sealed and paint will absolutely not stick to that. Diamond grinding is necessary to remove that. Sounds like you've got a new build though. I'd check with your concrete person, but usually you should be okay one it is fully cured. More info: https://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/datasheets/d83-Cementitious-Surfaces.pdf

How many cracks were there?

There are concrete crack filler products but do not think suit this application. You can fill "some" cracks, but its not likely ideal product for hairline cracks and you do have to chisel a V into the cracks and if you have a LOT then likely not be worth the effort to you.

Resene do a wide range of elastomeric paints, so whether for spider cracks on Gib, to prevent them in damp areas like bathrooms, possibly for rendered exterior, or possibly for this use it might work well. Hit them up and ask.

Obviously a low shine darker tone will hide spills better but possibly also any break through cracks.

They also do an undercoat for crumbly old brick work etc, but I dont think you would need this but best to ask.

Resitex is there generic brand.

I have 3 horizontals, but they dont catch on a nail so I may paint too, Im not sure yet. Its not a priority as is not my PPOR.

edit: sounds like you already have great advice in here. x-200 was what I was thinking of, but there are many others in the range. The guys here would be better to know if it is suitable or not than I, but resene should be able to suggest the correct one if not this.

https://www.resene.co.nz/products/weathertight-textures-products.htm