Garage Epoxy Floors

Someone recently asked me about epoxy floors for a garage. I’ll start by saying this is one of the best investments you can make in your garage. It will improve the usability of the space now, and it shows very nicely when you are looking to sell/ rent. There are some important caveats, though, to getting it done well.

Floor epoxy is one of those jobs that you can take on yourself, or you can contract out. It really depends on how “perfect” you want it to be. We did our place in California, but hired it out to a crew because of some nuances with our garage. I’m going to focus this post on DIY, though. The good news is that you can rent almost all of the tools you’ll need to do a really good job. As I’ve said before, using the right tools can make a huge difference. I’ll provide links in the text below.

As with most of construction, *prep work* is the key. If you do all of the prep work correctly, you’ll get a good result and it will last for a long time. If you skimp and cut corners, the epoxy may not bond well and may peel off the floor. A 2-car garage is typically a 3-day job for a professional crew.  For rookies, add on an extra day so you can really nail the prep work.  If the garage has an expansion seam in the middle, then you can consider doing one side and then the other. However, if it’s a continuous slab, you’ll want to do it all at the same time.

Here’s the video of them doing my garage in California. We split mine down the middle because I have a lot of tools that I can’t store outside.

Step-By-Step

First, you’ll need to fill any cracks in the floor.  Note that in the video from my garage, they fill cracks AFTER they grind the floor, but in the case of DIY, I’d recommend filling first, then grinding, so that any extra filler is level with the garage floor. If the cracks are very fine, sometimes it is helpful to open them slightly with a diamond blade on a hand grinder. (also available for rent at HD).  Then, mix up some self-leveling cement in a small bucket, and pour it into the cracks using a red solo cup or something similar.  If the crack is large, you can stuff a backing foam into it, or else you’ll be pouring gallons of concrete into the holes.  (Note, that big hole in the middle of the garage is called a “floor drain”, and you should NOT fill that with concrete 🙂 ). Let the filler cure according to the instructions (usually 2-12 hours depending on the product)

Here’s the material I’d recommend:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rapid-Set-50-lb-CTS-Concrete-Leveler-186010050/204414391

Once the cracks are filled, then you need to prep the whole floor by grinding it.  Some folks might suggest that you can use acid to “etch” the floor, but I’d recommend grinding. The kids of acid you can work with without a hazmat license just aren’t going to do enough to make the floor last. Remember: prep work matters.

You can start prepping the edges while the crack sealant dries. I recommend using a hand grinder and a diamond cup to get in close to the edges. You may also want to go up the stem walls as well. For the main floor, you’ll have to wait for the cracks to fully cure and use the big floor grinder.

Here’s a link to the floor prep tool: HD Rental – Floor machine
And the “wheel” that attaches to it: HD Rental – diamond wheel

Definitely worth watching the video on the HD website for how to use the “wheel” – good information.

I’d recommend doing this “wet”, not dry. (Meaning, do it with water, which will keep the dust down).  If you don’t use water, then two notes: 1) Seal off the house (doorway, as well as any heating ducts) so the dust doesn’t go inside2) Wear a high quality respirator. Concrete dust is really bad for your lungs.

If you do this with water, you can point fans at the floor to speed up the drying process. It’s important that the floor not be saturated when you put down the finish.

For the actual nuts and bolts of how to apply the coatings, watch the manufacturer’s videos. They have chemical engineers who have designed this stuff, and no sideline advice should ever top their guidance.

The basic process is to roll out the coating, starting in the back corner and work your way out of the garage. Having two or three people really helps, because you don’t have a lot of working time with the epoxy. One person can work the edges with a small roller/ brush, one person can deal with the main portion using a large roller, and one person mixes up the epoxy. After you’ve painted the entire floor, immediately apply the chips. Make sure you’re throwing the chips *up* so they just rain down on the floor. You’ll get a much more even distribution vs. throwing them in a downward motion. The pros wear spiked shoes for this. If you have a pair of old golf cleats, they’ll work just fine- my make sure not to drag your feet around as you’re walking on the wet epoxy.

After the epoxy cures overnight, you’ll scrape off the excess chips. We opted to “super-saturate” our floor, because we liked the look. Also, I do a lot of wood working, and it’s important to have a textured surface. Just plain epoxy can be slippery, but the chips add enough texture so you won’t slide around.

After scraping, apply the clear coat and let that cure. We waited 2 days before we moved anything back onto the floor, particularly because my tools are very heavy and the weight is concentrated in very small foot pads/ wheels under the tools.

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Good luck! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and ask!