New Garage Floor - what type?

[sixt9rsx33]

I am building a new garage, and was of the mindset to put down a good epoxy that will resist solvents etc. A nice commercial grade material, but a buddy suggested that I just polish the floor. I thought about and considered this may be a good option. I know this is used in offices in some applications but did not know if anyone has used in their shop. Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks

[Crush]

For what it’s worth I dyed my concrete , rough trowel, sealed then epoxy. Another section I used race deck.
My concrete is a bit dark but overall I’m happy

[Canuck]

We did an clear epoxy coating over old concrete that was ground down before flooded with epoxy. It’s done well except for a few areas where it got chipped.

Completed floor.

[Charley Lillard]

Just finishing a new garage and had the concrete polished. I would do it again. I have epoxy in one of my shops and what was supposed to be non staining etc is staining etc. Floor is actually dirty in these pics.

[dustinm]

You cant go wrong with terrazzo, it will last longer without stains than anything else.

[RPOLS3]

I just went through this last spring.


After 16 years of use I had some salt pitting on the floor that I needed to address...…….and like most car projects it evolved into something larger........a garage refresh with new lighting, paint, furnace, and some other things....




I work in the commercial construction business and chose to use a SikaFloor system based on recommendations from a vendor that I had 25 years of good experience with. It is a 3 step, seeded system. First day they come and grind the floor and install the base color and chips, second day an initial clear coat and more chips, 3rd day a final gloss clear coat.


Not inexpensive for sure, but very happy with the results and performance. I did not want to mess with the home store do it yourself kits that start to fail after 10 years or so. Very impact resistant with floor jacks, jackstands, dropped impact sockets (just used them last night), highly resistant to everything I have put on it so far (melting salt water from cars, oil, grease, gasoline, mineral spirits, etc.)

[olredalert]

----WOW, Jake! Where did you put all your stuff for the days needed. Just that moving of everything is why I probably won't redo my epoxied floor which seems to chip and scratch way too easily. Not happy...…..Bill S

[Charley Lillard]

Here is my shop floor I had done in 2004. Was a new slab that I let sit for a few months. Supposed to withstand everything etc. Expensive 3 part epoxy that looked great for a few years. Mind you this is not a working shop, just a place to park done stuff. After a few years, staining, lifting, hot tires pulled it up etc. Company that did it is no longer in business.

[Jonesy]

I did the same thing in my garage as Jake did above with the color flakes and epoxy.
Its industrial use flooring. I had this in my old garage I built in 2006. Never any issues.
They can run it up the wall 6 inches which acts as a base.

Sikafloor was the brand. Same as Jakes.

Cost installed for me was around $4/sq ft. I also have a 60x72 garage. The grout lines also added to the cost.

[Crush]

The peeling etc is why I dyed my slab. Even though I cleared it when it flakes or stains you can’t tell.
In my older barn As mentioned I use race deck. Put down some black felt to keep the noise down and just snap that stuff in place awesome I’ll attach a picture