How to Strip "Sealed" Concrete Garage Floor for Epoxy Shield

misanman said:
We bought garage floor tile from Costco - the MotoFloor

https://www.costco.com/garage-flooring.html
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Woop!
Thanks for the link. On sale, $50 off per box. Ordered 480 sq. ft with one edge kit for my two garage door openings of 8' each. I just did all my garage cabinets and the bases all have wheels so should be easy enough to empty my garage to install. Back ordered 2 weeks though.

Photos and any info or opinions please.
 
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We stripped our outbuilding floor. Had it built in 2000, 40x60, about 3/4 of it is shop with sealed concrete. Quite the job, did each area about 4x6, spread the stripper, waited, scrape, then mopped many times changing the water often. It's doable, just takes time, can't be rushed. Finished with the epoxy paint and chips. Still holding good after 12 years.
 
I rented a concrete floor grinder for both of my garages. And I used a 4" angle grinder for the edges. And an acid wash.

I epoxied my detached garage workshop and used a Sherwin Williams concrete paint on my attached garage. Both done about 15 years ago. Epoxy has held up great. Concrete paint not so good - it's peeling.
 
skipro33 said:
Woop!
Thanks for the link. On sale, $50 off per box. Ordered 480 sq. ft with one edge kit for my two garage door openings of 8' each. I just did all my garage cabinets and the bases all have wheels so should be easy enough to empty my garage to install. Back ordered 2 weeks though.

Photos and any info or opinions please.
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Hope you read the reviews and comments on the Costco site. Good info.

omni
 
omni550 said:
Hope you read the reviews and comments on the Costco site. Good info.

omni
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Yup! I always start out with the one-star and work my way up. In the case of these, the overall is 4.5 out of 5 stars. The ones that rank low stars turns out they didn't watch the videos on how to install and such. I like the idea that the floor is 1/2" thick and provides some insulating value, something no one mentioned. I really hate my concrete because it's so freaking cold to stand on in winter. A 1/2" raised floor with air pockets sounds like a good deal to address that.
Plus it's easy to undo and return if I don't like it. Just costs my time.
 
I like the idea of installing tiles. Except that they seem expensive and where does the water and salt slush go after it melts on the tiles?
 
freetodream said:
I like the idea of installing tiles. Except that they seem expensive and where does the water and salt slush go after it melts on the tiles?
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Well, the OP is in Florida and probably is not worried about salt slush melting. Water, well it will evaporate. Or you can mop it up.
 
If the sealant is peeling I would want to check (if possible) to find out if the concrete was poured on top of some kind of waterproof membrane. If not then that could be a factor contributing to the peeling. It would be worth knowing before spending money on R&R any other surface protectant.



Cheers!
 
I like the look of tiles, but all the edges between the tiles will hold dirt and let liquids seep underneath. All the raised nibs will make it harder to sweep. Depending on your situation they maybe well suited, for myself anything I'd put down would get damaged from dragging stuff around.
 
If the paint is already peeling, a power washer might be able to do the job.

It could also be that you have high water vapor pressure through your slab and that any new sealer would pop off anyway. Garage tiles looks like a good option.
 
I have used both plastic tiles and epoxy on different garages. If you decide to go with epoxy you have to prep the existing surface with a grinder or you will have peeling of the new surface in a couple years.

I prefer epoxy, but the tiles worked great for me and stood up to everything. I used Gladiator tiles. Easy DIY job and I just power washed once a year and they looked new again afterwards. Some people complain the tiles make a cracking sound when you walk on them, which is true, but it never bothered us. Good luck with your garage.
 
misanman said:
We bought garage floor tile from Costco - the MotoFloor

https://www.costco.com/garage-flooring.html
Click to expand...

BTW, these ties at Costco, MotoFloor, are the same as Race Deck, just banded for Costco. They are made in the USA, so I feel good about buying those and supporting a US company. Out of Utah I believe.

Many car forums discuss and so far none have any negatives to say. I think those on forums like that tend to be particular about their garages and cars, so that bodes well. In 2007 Costco had these on sale for $10 a box MORE than they are on sale for today.
 
From a post of mine in July. Available (special order) through Home Depot, which had the best price. Still very happy with it.
braumeister said:
Just put down a new garage floor with this stuff.
Raised Coin Pattern PVC Tiles

Definitely in Blow That Dough territory, but available for less at other sites. This link is to the manufacturer. Very easy to install and I'm extremely pleased with it.

The previous owner had put some kind of epoxy coating on the garage floor which looked nice but was quite slippery when wet. As my balance is nowhere as good as it used to be, that scared me a little, so I wanted a nonslip surface.

All you need to install it is a rubber mallet, and most of the time not even that. The pieces interlock securely, and they have air channels on the bottom to eliminate condensation concerns. Also very easy to cut to fit the edges with just a regular utility knife.
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What about dirt, peat moss, etc. from all my gardening and yard work? Won't that fall through the cracks between the tiles, and then get wet when the floor is cleaned?

EDIT: How did you deal with the garage walls? Did you need to buy edge trim?

braumeister said:
From a post of mine in July. Available (special order) through Home Depot, which had the best price. Still very happy with it.
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I am thinking the same thing. I really USE (read: dirty up) the garage. The car lives there, but lots else goes on in there as well.

arbeadub said:
I like the look of tiles, but all the edges between the tiles will hold dirt and let liquids seep underneath. All the raised nibs will make it harder to sweep. Depending on your situation they maybe well suited, for myself anything I'd put down would get damaged from dragging stuff around.
Click to expand...
 
Amethyst said:
What about dirt, peat moss, etc. from all my gardening and yard work? Won't that fall through the cracks between the tiles, and then get wet when the floor is cleaned?
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Your usage may be different than mine, but I've found it extremely easy to keep it clean. I also like that there are channels under the tiles so air can circulate. That eliminates the chance of moisture building up, so no mold growth.

How did you deal with the garage walls? Did you need to buy edge trim?
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The installation instructions make that very clear. I only got enough trim for the garage door openings.
 
Amethyst said:
What about dirt, peat moss, etc. from all my gardening and yard work? Won't that fall through the cracks between the tiles, and then get wet when the floor is cleaned?
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Amethyst,

Not if you opt for the highly-rated commercial-grade sheet flooring described in post #39 which looks identical to the gray tiles with the raised quarter-sized circles on them, shown in post #41.

Check it out. Satisfied users say it was a breeze to install.

Sand, being insidious, may easily lodge in all those spaces between the tiles. And think of all the water dripping off the cars after a drive in your wet summers.


omni
 
I'm partway through doing an epoxy coating in the garage as the OP had originally mentioned. It's also Rustoleum but a different product line (Rock Solid). My original intent had been to just fill a few cracks and paint the floor so it would be easy to squeegie off melted snow/slush in the winter. The more research I did the better the epoxy looked. (I never even considered tiles or a floor covering.) Then my neighbor, who is retired from a company that made and installed epoxy floor coatings for industrial applications got involved and made a few suggestions. So now I have a new hobby.

Today I acid-washed the 2nd half of the concrete floor and will let it dry overnight. Tomorrow I'll use a primer on the cracks I've filled and the hairline cracks that were too small to fill. On Thursday we'll put the coating down, complete with the "terrazzo" flakes. After that dries a few days I'll do a clear topcoat with a little grit mixed in so it won't be slippery. After that I'm not taking on any handyman jobs for a good long time!
 
I seem to recall the Rustoleum epoxy kit we used in our last garage, had some kind of grit mixed in with it so it wouldn't be too slippery. The end result seemed to have enough traction.

I'd gladly use the same product again. My only issue is getting rid of the #$@! cheap sealer the previous owners used.

friar1610 said:
I'm partway through doing an epoxy coating in the garage as the OP had originally mentioned. It's also Rustoleum but a different product line (Rock Solid). My original intent had been to just fill a few cracks and paint the floor so it would be easy to squeegie off melted snow/slush in the winter. The more research I did the better the epoxy looked. (I never even considered tiles or a floor covering.) Then my neighbor, who is retired from a company that made and installed epoxy floor coatings for industrial applications got involved and made a few suggestions. So now I have a new hobby.

Today I acid-washed the 2nd half of the concrete floor and will let it dry overnight. Tomorrow I'll use a primer on the cracks I've filled and the hairline cracks that were too small to fill. On Thursday we'll put the coating down, complete with the "terrazzo" flakes. After that dries a few days I'll do a clear topcoat with a little grit mixed in so it won't be slippery. After that I'm not taking on any handyman jobs for a good long time!
Click to expand...
 
Can't find out where I saw or heard about it, but I seem to recall some of the Pro's use a machine with ball bearings (like a sand blaster) to prepare the floor. Seems to me it would remove whatever is on the floor, and prep for the epoxy.


I prepped my concrete floor with 3 phases using a degreaser, then acid to etch, and then the Rustoleum. Used their "flakes" sold in a bag to add traction, otherwise it would have been extremely slippery. Happy with the results.
 
Scarab said:
... Used their "flakes" sold in a bag to add traction, otherwise it would have been extremely slippery. ...
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++1 Yes. A flying club I used to belong to had a large hangar with a glossy painted floor. It looked beautiful, but when a thin layer of snow blew in it was like walking on ball bearings. When I say "thin" it was almost too thin to see. Pulling an airplane with a tow bar, usual practice, was almost impossible.
 
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