Ucoatit

[Scrrem]

I am looking to get my garage in order. First thing is to get the floor looking good. Anyone have any recommendations on floor epoxy's. I am looking at the Ucoatit product, the only one I am familar with. I have been reading reviews online and have found reviews very good and very bad. I guess success is all in the prep?
Rich

[Hammer]

I am looking to get my garage in order. First thing is to get the floor looking good. Anyone have any recommendations on floor epoxy's. I am looking at the Ucoatit product, the only one I am familar with. I have been reading reviews online and have found reviews very good and very bad. I guess success is all in the prep?
Rich

Prep and pot time. I did mine with the coating at Home Depot. I let the pot time run out on the first section and its been coming up in pieces for two years now. That's about a third of the garage. The other 2/3rds is holding up great.

[ScottZ95ZR1]

I just did my second garage using the Quikrete Epoxy available at Lowes.
Agree proper prep is most important. This kit comes with a degreasing/etching liquid mixture that helps alot.
I'm not familiar with the Ucoatit product but would imagine they're all similar.
If you choose to use the clear coat on top of the epoxy you definitely want to use the non-skid powder as it would get very slick when wet.

Good luck !

http://www.quikretecoatings.com/epoxyGarageFloorCoat.jsp

[tccrab]

Rustoleum Epoxy Shield:
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=16

My painter did my garage two years ago and it still looks new.
I've jacked up my cars, used jackstands, my engine puller, and even rolled around an engine stand with a 350 on it and no cracks or chips.
It's all about the prep work.
My painter abraded the floor with a big floor polisher and huge scotch bright pads. He then stripped it with the acid solution and then abraded it again.
He washed it and then after it was completely dry he applied the color coat. After it dried he applied the sprinkles and the two part epoxy clear coat.
It's dead simple to keep clean. I just fire up the yard blower and blow out any dust, leaves, etc, then damp mop any spots when the wife's car has been in the rain.
TomC
"Crabs"
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i159/tccrab/100_1012.jpg
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i159/tccrab/t-45038.jpg

[bdw18_123]

I see your into the R/C aircraft hobby also, Tom. That's one of my other hobbies, too! Since your in CA too, maybe we'll have to get together and fly sometime (if you don't mind hanging out with a 29 year-old :mrgreen:). :cool:

[secondchance]

I see your into the R/C aircraft hobby also, Tom. That's one of my other hobbies, too! Since your in CA too, maybe we'll have to get together and fly sometime (if you don't mind hanging out with a 29 year-old :mrgreen:). :cool:

I use to fly R/C back in 1970-1973. Back then top remotes were Kraft, Orbit (they were big with single stick 4+ channel) and EK Logic. Futaba was gaining in the market with the lowest price. I had a Kraft 5 channel open gimble and had the first plane (modified Taurus to look like Intruder stunt ship) w/ retractable landing gear in Korea. Ran OS Max 58 w/ muffler.

Didn't mean to steal the thread....:cheers:

[ZR1Vette]

Almost exactly 5 years ago when I renovated my garage I had the UCoatit system installed. Yes prep is EVERYTHING... no oil/silicone residue and must pass the plastic bag moisture test (tape down large plastic bag [yard waste size] thoroughly so edges are sealed to the floor with tape. Leave for about 5 days and then remove...if moisture has collected on the underside of the bag then you might have a problem with a painted floor system) and acid etch the floor thoroughly.

I used the 3 coat system...two color coats with grit and flex and then a clear epoxy final coat.

Here is the floor 5 years ago new:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/MRBLU/163010new_garage_with_lift-2.jpg

Today my son came by to pick up the scissor lift (replacing with a 4 post lift in about 2 weeks) so had a chance to clean floor up bit...the area just in camera front of the MINI is where the lift resided...

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/MRBLU/Garageafterliftremoved.jpg

Floor has remained very nice and just this year there are a few small areas where some of the UCoatit has released.....
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/MRBLU/GaragefloorUCoatIt.jpg

I am not going to worry about these areas yet since this is where the 4 post lift will be installed. Areas like this can be repaired (sand and repaint/seal).

A couple cons on the UCoatit system... it is not cheap (ran about $575 for materials only for my garage) and if I had it to do over again I would leave the grit out.

[Scrrem]

Thanks Michael...I'll check out your floor when I come over for lift installation day :dancing I really screwed up..I should have done the floor right after we built the garage. It's amazing how much crap you pile into one garage in 10 short years. Yeah, I have been doing a bunch of reading online and no one seems to like the grit so I will leave it out.
Rich

[HIZNHRZ]

Why would you leave the grit out?

[ZR1Vette]

Grit really is not that effective and does wonders on clothing (think working on your knees or back and a sand paper effect) and also makes cleaning the floor more difficult (again think sand paper)

[Scrrem]

Why would you leave the grit out?

Posts I have read say that the grit make sweeping the floor more difficult and just wiping up spills with a shop rag, the fibers get caught in the grit, don't know how true that is.

[ZR1Vette]

Posts I have read say that the grit make sweeping the floor more difficult and just wiping up spills with a shop rag, the fibers get caught in the grit, don't know how true that is.

Absolutely correct...I vacuum the garage (have a central vac with a garage inlet) and the grit even does a number on a the vacuum floor brush.

[ScottZ95ZR1]

I have no experience with the Ucoatit product but can say that the grit additive for the Quikrete clear is not so abrasive
that it makes cleaning up spills difficult. It's just enough to keep me from busting my azz when the floor gets wet.

[Jagdpanzer]

I just did my second garage using the Quikrete Epoxy available at Lowes.
Agree proper prep is most important. This kit comes with a degreasing/etching liquid mixture that helps alot.
I'm not familiar with the Ucoatit product but would imagine they're all similar.
If you choose to use the clear coat on top of the epoxy you definitely want to use the non-skid powder as it would get very slick when wet.

Good luck !

http://www.quikretecoatings.com/epoxyGarageFloorCoat.jsp

Scott,
How much of this stuff did it take to cover your floor?

[ScottZ95ZR1]

Scott,
How much of this stuff did it take to cover your floor?

To be on the safe side I'd buy 1 kit more than number of cars you garage.

For a 3-car garage I bought 4 kits and had about half a kit left over.
Just did a 4-car garage and had just a little left of the 5th kit.

The clear coat comes in a separate kit and distributes about the same.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

I would not recommend Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield. I guess it okay for the price, but something like this is best done once and done right. I did mine when the house was brand new with all the prep and it is not bad, but does not hold well to abuse from floor jacks, jack standstands hot tires over the years. I wish I spent much more to get U Coat It from what I have heard and seen.:cheers:

[tccrab]

I see your into the R/C aircraft hobby also, Tom. That's one of my other hobbies, too! Since your in CA too, maybe we'll have to get together and fly sometime (if you don't mind hanging out with a 29 year-old :mrgreen:). :cool:

I'd love to!
Fresno is a little far to haul my airplanes around, but you never know, maybe someday.

As you already know, RC is nearly as bad an addiction as ZR1's.
This picture is a little old, my collection is now up to 11 motorized airplanes and 3 gliders.
*sigh*

TomC
"Crabs"

[tccrab]

I would not recommend Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield. I guess it okay for the price, but something like this is best done once and done right. I did mine when the house was brand new with all the prep and it is not bad, but does not hold well to abuse from floor jacks, jack standstands hot tires over the years. I wish I spent much more to get U Coat It from what I have heard and seen.:cheers:

Craig:

Mine has been in for over 2 years and I've not had a single problem with it.
I've pulled 2 engines (non ZR1) and a transmission (ZR1). My engine stands, cherry picker and jackstands have not made one single mark in the coating.
:dontknow:
Maybe it has something to do with the humidity over there in paradise, but here where it's hot and dry most of the time there no problems (at least with mine).

Again, I can not stress this point enough.
Preparation, preparation, preparation.
The concrete has to be clean, dry and oil free for any of this stuff to work right.
If you glop it on over crud, you WILL have problems.

TomC
"Crabs"