Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Some people think that just because their garage is dry-walled and insulated it is "finished" - it's not! Most people forget about the floor. Concrete is porous and unless its been epoxied or sealed, it'll absorb almost anything that spills on it: vehicle fluids (motor oil, transmission/differential fluid, etc), lawn fertilizers and pesticides, paints and varnishes, and everything in between. The answer to help combat this stuff from staining your concrete and, in some cases, preventing odors from these chemicals even after they've been cleaned, is to epoxy your garage floor. If prepped and applied correctly, it'll cover the existing eyesores and smell and will make your garage look good as new! I've lost count of how many times I've applied this product for myself (in three different houses and two barns) and for friends and family. When I epoxied my first house, I used Rust-Oleum 251965 Garage Floor Kit but found that even after I had prepped the floor properly, I would have chipping and hot-tire lift. I was able to remove most of it and used this professional grade floor kit and fond it to be the best! Ever since then, I've been using it with great results. Some people might be turned off about the amount of work and time that is involved. Make no mistake about it! Depending on the size of the floor you are doing and how dirty is was previously, it take A LOT OF TIME and some elbow grease (this has allowed me to make a part-time business out of applying this stuff). You also need decent weather conditions (70°+ and no rain for two days) for the best application. Also, make sure you have plenty of epoxy. If you are remotely close to 300 sq ft per kit, I recommend getting another kit - it is better to have too much than to run short! When you are starting to apply you have no way of knowing how much you'll have left. But as long as you don't slop it on there or have excessively porous or rough concrete, you should be in great shape! To make it easy, you'll need the following: Garage floor Decent weather (70°F+ and no rain for a few days) Rust-Oleum 238466 Professional Floor Coating Kit (one kit for each ~300 sq ft) Rust-Oleum 214382 EPOXYShield Heavy-Duty Degreaser, 32-Ounce (one bottle should do unless you have a lot of oil spillage) Rust-Oleum 238475 EPOXYShield Concrete Etch (one package for each ~250 sq ft) (2) 5-gallon pails Paint brushes Paint roller tray (a good metal one - not a cheap plastic one) 3/8" nap roller w/ paint roller and extension stick (so you aren't bending over) Stiff-bristle brush Paint stir sticks or power stirrer Cardboard, carpet reminant, or whatever to catch spills/drops and from tracking the stuff around if you are sloppy Hose with sprayer Squeegee The first step is to remove everything from the floor. This can take time and can be a pain since some items can be heavy and cumbersome to move. But don't complain - I can't stress how much it'll be worth it in the end. When I've moved items out of the garage, I usually just place them about 10 feet or so away from the garage door in the driveway and put a tarp over the belongings (keeps the rain off the material and keeps the riffraff from seeing what you have out there). Second step is to degrease. If you have a brand new garage floor, which most people don't, you'll likely need this step. This help remove all of the oils, grease, and some chemicals from the surface so the epoxy bonds properly to the concrete. I've used Rust-Oleum 214382 EPOXYShield Heavy-Duty Degreaser, 32-Ounce straight out of the bottle (don't dilute) for the areas where the oils and grease are. Make sure to use a stiff-bristle brush. You'll notice that the stain may not disappear because it has soaked down into the concrete but that the surface contamination is gone - this is the point! Make sure to use plenty of water when washing this stuff out of the garage, especially when using at 100% concentrate. Squeegee after rinsing. Immediately after degreasing (if applicable), you'll prepare to etch. A good etch without using muriatic acid is Rust-Oleum 238475 EPOXYShield Concrete Etch. You'll mix it in a 5-gallon pail and then should use a watering can to distribute it on the concrete. You'll hear fizzing sound (which means its working!); after few minutes, scrub with a stiff-bristle brush again and then rinse and squeegee. Let sit overnight or a few hours in the day to dry. Finally, after all that prep work, you are ready to apply the product! You'll want to have a "helper" if you are doing more than a 2 car garage - it'll help keep the application time down and give someone to help you edge (paint the concrete reveals [if you have them]), get the relief cracks and where the roller can't get to. You'll want a small, plastic paint bucket and a decent brush for this. If you are using more than one kit (in the case of anything larger than a 1 car garage), you'll want to mix the "Part B's" in a 5-gallon bucket to ensure the color is consistent across the garage. This instructions state this. Once you've done that, you'll dump the Part B's back into the can (with the exception of the last can - you'll just start and will add "Part A" and mix in the 5 gallon bucket [along with each subsequent kit]). Make sure to mix well with a pain stick with vigorous stirring or use a power stirrer. You'll then have a 30-60 minute break while the materials activate. You can always start a tad early by starting the edging and painting where the roller can't get to. Once your wait time is up and you've edged, start applying the epoxy via roller. I typically do 4' x 10' sections at a time so I can throw the flake on and keep a good rhythm. One thing about flake - use as much as you want but don't use too much. I also highly recommend that you use some, even if you don't want to, since it'll help disguise dirt, grime, and eventual sun fade and shadows from where your stuff was (if you leave your garage doors open to the sun a lot). After application, you'll need to wait at least 24 hours to walk on it and a few days (3-4) to start putting your stuff back into the garage, including vehicles. After all this time and work, you'll have a garage (floor) that everyone will envy! I still get compliments on ours, even by family that have seen the finished product.