Best Garage Floor Coating

admin October 24, 2014 Garage Floor
Garage Floor Coatings

The two best types of garage floor coatings are epoxy coatings and urethane coatings. Acrylic sealers are also becoming increasingly popular on residential garage floors.

Acrylic Sealer Epoxy Coating Urethane Coating
No surface prep required Must acid etch surfce Must grind the surface
Lasts 5+ years Lasts 7+ years Lasts 10+ years
Easy recoat Screen sanding to recoat Screen sanding to recoat
Repells water and other liquids Repells water and other liquids Repells water and other liquids
Oil will soften coating Resists short term exposure to oil Resists long term exposure to oil
Chemicals will soften coating Resists short term exposure to chemicals Resists long term exposure to chemicals

Best Epoxy Garage Floor Coatings

Epoxy coatings can be broken down into epoxy paint and epoxy coatings. Epoxy paint are typically 1-part low solids epoxy coatings that can easily be applied with little to no surface preparation. They aren’t as resistant to moisture, and oil and gas will cause them to soften. Epoxy paints are often compared to acrylic sealers because of their ease of application.

Epoxy Paint Epoxy Coatings
1 Part 2 Part
Applies Like a Paint Requires Surface Prep
No resistance to oil, gas, or chemicals Resistant to oil, gas, chemicals
Moisture will cause it to peel Will reduce moisture vapor transmission
Can’t be used as a primer Can be used as a primer or complete system
Low Solids High Solids

If the garage floor has moisture issues, or if it is expected that oil and gas will spill on the surface, then you really want an epoxy coating. Epoxy coatings are typically 2-3 part systems and contain at least 40% solids. Epoxy coatings are commonly used as a primer coat to many urethane coatings because they aggressively bond to properly prepared surfaces.

There are a few problems with epoxy coatings however. The first problem is that epoxy coatings are known to yellow over time. It may not be evident in the first year, but in a few years a yellow hue will star to appear. The second problem is that while epoxy coatings are great for most residential garage floor applications, they should not be used on garage floors where cars are constantly being worked on. They can withstand some exposure to oil and gas, but not for long and not that often.

Best epoxy coatings:

  • Armor Epoxy Coating: Water based 2-part epoxy primer and top coat in one. Will reduce moisture in concrete, and protect the concrete surface against staining and deterioration caused by surface abrasion. A higher solids version is available for consumers that need more moisture protection, or want to apply the epoxy in a color.
  • Sherwin Williams Epoxy Coating: Ready to apply residential grade epoxy coating for concrete floors.
  • Rust-Oleum Epoxy Coating: Ready to apply residential grade epoxy coating for concrete floors.
  • Laticrete Epoxy: 2 part epoxy primer and top coat in one. Will reduce moisture in concrete and protect the concrete surface against staining and deterioration.

Best Urethane Garage Floor Coatings

The two most common types of urethane garage floor coatings are polyaspartic and aliphatic urethane. Both types of coatings offer similiar benefits but polyaspartic coatings are difficult to work with because of their short pot life and fast cure times. If you aren’t familiar with polyaspartic coatings, it may be a mistake to choose one as your first coating. Aliphatic urethane coatings are just as strong, if not stronger, and have more of a pot life and a longer cure time.

Best Urethane Coatings for Garage Floors:

  • Armor UTN60 – Oil, gas, chemical, and acid resistant aliphatic urethane coating for concrete floors. It is available in clear or color options.
  • Ultra-Thane: Chemical resistant apliphatic polyester urethane coating for concrete floors.
  • Dura-Shell: Water based aliphatic urethane coating for concrete floors, residential grade.

Easy to Apply Garage Floor Coatings

Epoxy and urethane garage floor coatings are great to use if you are looking for something industrial. If you work on your cars or have issues with surface stains, these types of coatings will help to provide the long lasting protection you need. The downfall to epoxy and urethane coatings is that they require surface prep. Typically you will need to acid etch or diamond grind the concrete. If you only use your garage to park cars, and have little to no issues with oil and gas spills, an acrylic sealer may be a better option. Acrylic sealers can penetrate and bond to smooth concrete, and provide years of life and protection against the floor. Acrylic sealers will still protect the concrete from oil and gas stains, but long-term exposure will cause the acrylic to soften.

If you are looking for a long lasting, easy to apply, and easy to maintain coating, an acrylic sealer is a great option.

Best Acrylic Sealers for Garage Floors:

 
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Author: admin