Just finished my garage with the Rustoleum Professional Epoxy Shield (SOLVENT based, not the water based junk from HD) and the Premium Clear. Looks amazing.
1) As said by others many times before, prep, prep, prep and then prep some more! My garage is about 6 years old and the floor was in really good shape. Only issue I had was with a large oil spot caused by my 2002 civic which likes to mark its territority. I used the Rutoleum degreaser and got a lot of it up but this stuff was really in there. Then I used a product call "Pour-n-Restore". This worked really well and I was surprised how much of the oil it "pulled out" of the concrete.
2) I etched my floor with acid but I used the stuff made by Surface Gel Tek. They make a 24% acid solution that is suspended in a gel solution. You actually roll the stuff on with a paint roller. It produce a very uniform profile on the floor that felt like 100~120 grit sand paper. VERY easy to use and much less messy than muratic acid. Only drawback is it is a little pricey, about $70 per gallon and most likely it will have to be shipped to you (very few distributors). Shipping is expensive since it is hazardous materials. Total cost to get 2 gallons was about $180, but I think it made the job MUCH easier and was definitely worth it.
3) After etching, washing, etc I let the floor dry for 4 days to be 100% sure it was dry.
4) I applied 2 coats of the epoxy shield color about 24 hrs about. Don't try to be cheap and do just 1 coat of the epoxy. You won't be happy with the results. My garage is 440 sq ft. I talked with Rustoleum and the tech said even though they kit says it will cover 500 sq ft in reality the Professional Epoxy kit covers about 350~400 sq ft. So i purchased 4 kits, total of 8 gallons of material. And I am glad I did. No way that 1 kit would have been enough for each coat. Applied the 1st coat "medium" and went very heavy on the 2nd coat. I did not follow the suggestion from Rustoleum to paint in 4x4 sections. I just painted from side to side front to back and made sure to keep a wet edge. I did a medium broadcast of the color chips on top of the 2nd coat. I made a pair of "spike" shoes using two pieces of 1"x4" board and drove drywall screws through it. Then I used duct tape to attach them to a cheap pair of shoes. Worked like a charm and allowed me to easily walk across the wet epoxy to broadcast the chips..
5) After 48 hrs I applied 1st coat of the Premium Clear. Stuff goes on very thin and like others have said you have to use a bright light sitting at floor level in order to be able to see where you have painted. I actually found it was best to shut the garage door and just use the floor light (yes, you HAVE to wear a respirator if you don't want to die).
6) Applied a 2nd coat of clear after 24 hrs. For this final coat I mixed in the Shark-Grip anit-slip additive. Without it the floor would have been an ice rink! The directions on the Shark Grip say to use the entire 3 oz bottle to 1 gallon of clear but I cut this back to about 1/2 and ended up with a good compromise between floor gloss, clean ability and anti-slip. You couldn't slip on this floor if your tried.
So, the stuff has been down about 9 days at this point. I am going to wait at least 1 more week before pulling the cars back in just to make sure I won't have any issues. I'll try to update in 6 moths or so to let you know how it looks.
***Update***
4/16/13 - Well it has been about 1 year since I applied the Rustoleum Professional Epoxy and it has held up very well. Not a single occurence of the epoxy lifting from "hot tire" pick-up or a single chip from all the tools I have dropped on the floor. I think this is motly due to the extensive prep work and the nice etching profile I was able to get with the Surface Gel Tek product.
I do a fair amount of auto repairs in my garage and nothing that I have spilled on the floor has left a single stain (and no issues from the winter's road salt). The floor did get a little dirty after some of the larger repair projects but after sweeping and a quick mop it looked pretty good. What really made it look like new was a good spring scrubbing with simple green and water. I was surprised how great it looked after this.
The only cons I have encountered is that the clear coat does scratch a little easier that I thought it would. For example, if a pebble gets stuck under the wheel of my creeper it will scratch the surface. But I am a very OCD person who notices every little scratch. Most people don't even see the scratches unless I point them out. Also, I am only talking about surface scratches on the clear coat. I don't have any scrathes that cut through the epoxy. I just make sure to use common sense when moving a heavy object around the floor (I would not reccommend dragging a transmission from one end of the shop to the other).
Overall, I am still very happy with how the floor looks and how the Rustoleum Professional Epoxy has held up. I would definitely use it again. Btw, did I mention to be sure and prep the floor? :)
| Brand | Rust-Oleum |
|---|---|
| Color | Tile Red |
| Finish Type | Matte |
| Size | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Special Feature | Washable |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
| Paint Type | Watercolor |
| Specific Uses For Product | Interior/Exterior |
| Surface Recommendation | Tile |
| Item Form | Liquid |
| Included Components | Painting Supplies;Paint & Stains;household-paint-solvents |
| Age Range (Description) | Adult |
| Model Name | 238468 |
| Package Information | Can |
| Color Code | 000000 |
| Coverage | see package |
| Manufacturer | Rust-Oleum |
| Part Number | 238468 |
| Item Weight | 25.7 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 13.62 x 17.25 x 8.75 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | 238468 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Finish | Matte |
| Material | Plastic |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Special Features | Washable |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | Warranty |
