The subject of a polyurethane or epoxy coating for a garage floor eventually comes up when deciding on what materials to use for your project. Admittedly, it can become a bit confusing when asking around or researching which floor coating is best to use.
Epoxy and polyurethane are great for protecting your garage floor against stains, damage, chemicals, oils, and wear. They are both light reflective, easy to clean, and long lasting. They also have their own advantages depending on the application.
So which one should you use and what is the difference? Well, the short answer for most applications is to use both. Let’s see why.
Epoxy Floor Coating Benefits
Epoxy is a thermosetting polymer coating that also acts as a concrete sealer. It is available in three different formulations; water based, solvent based, and 100% solids. These formulations allow for varying degrees of thickness from 3 mils to over 10 mils for a single coating. They can also dictate the ease of application, provide special bonding characteristics, and offer different VOC considerations.
Epoxy bonds extremely well to properly prepared concrete. It is sometimes used as a resurfacing agent for old or worn concrete and as a repair material for concrete cracks, pitting, and other surface repairs.
The best epoxy formulations are high solids to 100% solids. They are an extremely hard, thick, and impact resistant surface. This self-leveling thickness contributes to filling in the small hairline cracks and imperfections of the surface as well as providing a high build coating for protection.
They also work well against hot tire pick up and wear from abrasion. Though some epoxy formulas come with U.V. inhibitors, they will still eventually yellow or amber as the industry calls it when exposed to sunlight for any length of time. This is something to consider when choosing an epoxy garage floor coating.
Polyurethane Floor Coating Benefits
Like epoxy, polyurethane is a thermosetting polymer and considered a high performance coating. It is commonly known as urethane for short, though that it is technically incorrect. There is actually a big difference between polyurethane and urethane. If someone is advertising a urethane coating, it is actually polyurethane.
Of the different formulations available, aliphatic polyurethane is the desired choice for garage floors. Though they are approximately 60% to 70% solids depending on the manufacturer, a polyurethane coating is only about 2 to 3 mils in thickness. It can’t be applied any thicker in one application as some epoxy coatings can.
Don’t let the thinner dry film thickness fool you, however. Aliphatic polyurethane has more flexibility than epoxy which makes the surface much more scratch resistant. It also aids in absorbing impacts better and provides much higher abrasion resistance. In fact, some manufacturer’s claim that the wear resistance of polyurethane over epoxy is almost 3 to 1.
Polyurethane also has a higher resistance to chemicals than epoxy. This includes resistance to petroleum products and solvents, such as methylene chloride, which is the primary ingredient in paint stripper.
Another advantage of polyurethane over epoxy is that it is U.V. stable. This means that it won’t yellow like epoxy does when exposed to small amounts of sunlight over a period of time. It can also tolerate larger temperature swings and handles humidity much better.
Polyurethane concrete coatings have a very glossy finish, though some brands have the option of a satin finish. It is also a better medium than epoxy to mix in anti-slip aggregate if you want an anti-slip surface.
Despite the fact that polyurethane has many advantages over epoxy, it does not bond well to concrete. Its thin dry film thickness means that it is not a high build coating either. It will not work well to fill in small cracks and divots in the surface. Another consideration is that most polyurethanes are solvent based, meaning some can have high VOC’s and may not be shipped to your state or to particular counties.
Final Verdict
So, which should you use? As a rule, you will get maximum performance by using both polyurethane and epoxy together for your garage floor coating. Whether you are applying the coating yourself or hiring a professional, epoxy is best used for building up the thickness of your floor coating and providing color. You would then follow up with polyurethane as a clear coat to protect it. The clear coat will provide for a longer wearing and more scratch resistant surface.
If you don’t want to worry about yellowing at all, one option is to apply a full color flake floor. The acrylic color chips are U.V. stable and will not yellow. Follow up with a couple coats of clear polyurethane over the chips and yellowing will never be a problem.
Another option is to apply a colored polyurethane over an epoxy primer. You can then apply a clear polyurethane over that. This is an excellent choice for those that want a floor without color chips.
Something else to consider is that most epoxy clear coats are not actually crystal clear. Though they may be clear in color, there is still a slight tint to the coating. Polyurethane on the other hand is considered water clear. It can provide a very clear and glossy surface that gives your floor depth.
So unless you are just doing a one-coat epoxy coating for your garage, a combination of epoxy and polyurethane is almost always the best answer to get the maximum combined benefit out of both materials. The result is a high performance garage coating that will stand up to the rigors of a working garage for years to come.
Richard says
I have a two car garage and live in Southern California I prep the floor well and I used the rust oleum epoxy and then a water-based clearcoat polyurethane on top. The problem I’m having is each time I pull in and out of the garage I’m leaving nothing but black tire marks. If I scrub hard enough I can get most of the black tire mark off but I was wondering if there was a different top coat that I could use. (Oil based perhaps)?? I let it dry for days before I ever pulled the car on it does not feel tacky it feels completely like it hardshell so I’m at a loss. Any advice that you give me would certainly help thanks for your time. Richard
Shea says
Hello Richard. It sounds like you may have used a lower performance polyurethane. Either that or you have a particular model of tire that is leaching plasticizers when parked. What polyurethane clear did you use? Do you live within the boundary of the South Coast Air Quality Management District? If so, you are limited with what you can use due to VOC’s. Most high performance polyurethane coatings have solvents and cannot be shipped to your area. Oil based polyurethanes are for wood products and should not be used.
Madalena says
Thank you so much! It was great advice! I’ve used clear Epoxy before on my counter-top in the kitchen, we where rookies and made a mistake when we realize over time that it started to turn yellowish. In the end we manage to sell our house, but we’re building a brand new one and we wanted to put a nice slick floor for the whole house, and since it has been a while since investigating again about the products we didn’t wanted to make the same mistake, we wanted to get the right stuff so it is U.V. resistant. We’ll use PU as they call it here in Holland for polyurethane. Any other tips we should consider?
Shea says
Hi Madalena. Polyaspartic and polyurea coatings are 100% U.V. resistant as well.
Ty says
Shea,
After prepping and etching I’ve applied 3 coats of Behr 1 part epoxy paint (gray) to my new garage floor, as well as flakes. After reading through the comments it seems like I should have applied the two part epoxy. My question is, can I still apply a clear coat for a high gloss finish? My goal was to have have a glossy finish. Is that still possible? If so what product would you recommend. Thanks.
Shea says
Hello Ty. They make acrylics that can be applied over paint, but they don’t hold up well at all in a garage. The reviews are horrible. As far as a quality clear coat, there are two issues to contend with, the flakes and the 1-part epoxy paint. The surface would need to be roughed up to apply a quality clear coat and that can damage the flakes depending on the amount applied. Secondly, the cost of a quality clear coat is going to be close to what you paid for the 3 coats of Behr and the paint can still peel up just as easily from hot tire lift despite the top coat. Your coating is only as good as its weakest link.
Your best bet is to enjoy what you have now. When it starts to wear away and peel after a couple years, you can always grind the remainder off and put down a better coating.
Jerry says
Hi Shea,
After a full day of research, I am still in the dark. After 15 months of construction, our new home is just about ready to move in. The contractors have created smooth hand troweled, natural concrete interior floor in our home. We love the look and want to create a matte or satin finish. The contractors were starting to seal the floor with Behr premium Concrete & Masonry Protector and Waterproofer. I asked the to hold off until I researched it a bit today. Apparently that Behr product is not regarded very highly among concrete professionals. After reading quite a bit, I think it would be best to finish the floors inside the home in a water-based polyurethane. My contractors will not go to the trouble of using an epoxy as a first coat. My question is — are the typical Home Depot and Lowe’s off-the-shelf water-based polyurethanes like Winmax, Rust-Oleum, Varathane, etc. appropriate for use on my raw concrete floor? — Or is a specialty water-based polyurethane required? And if so, any recommendations? Thanks in advance!
Shea says
Hello Jerry. The Behr product is just an inexpensive penetrating sealer that will waterproof the concrete, but it will not resist stains well from food products and drinks. For inside a home, a topical sealer will protect the bare concrete much better and can provide a nice matte or satin finish depending on the product.
The polyurethanes you have been researching are for furniture and wood floors. They are not for concrete. Home improvement centers are not the place to find proper concrete floor coatings. They need to be purchased from concrete coating vendors or manufacturers. Most polyurethane coatings for concrete are solvent based and require at least an epoxy primer to be applied first. There are some 1-Part moisture cured polyurethanes that can be applied to raw concrete as well, but you need to check if they can be acquired in a matte finish. The concrete will need to be prepped first via grinding in order to apply a resinous coating on concrete. Acid etching is not an option inside a home.
Your other option could be a quality MMA acrylic sealer. You can see an example of such a product here. The example was done with a gloss finish but many are available with a matte or satin finish as well. These are easy to apply but you still may be required to prep the concrete first due to the smooth troweled finish.
In our experience, home building contractors are not the people you want installing concrete coatings. No disrespect to them, but most know much less than they think about proper floor coatings and installation. You need to use a professional concrete coating installer unless you are confident in your own DIY skills.
We recommend that you contact Scotty from Legacy Industrial. You may even be able to contact him today. He is a vendor for an industrial floor coating supplier that can help you out and answer your questions. They have great prices on their product and they ship for free. They provide product throughout the U.S. and may even be able to direct you to an installer they could recommend.
Ang says
I have an unusual situation, and I’m really confused. My home was built in 1978, built into a hill, with poured concrete floors – originally installed to be garage flooring (never used as such). The concrete was sealed & tinted (not sure what type of sealant, though), then carpet & padding was installed over it.
Now, I am about to re-carpet the bedroom floor. There are a few small ‘gouges’ in the surface, but otherwise it is in good condition. I’ve been told it is a good idea to re-seal the concrete. Since it will be carpeted, I am less concerned with any decorative look after the re-seal.
I will be doing this project myself. Everything I read about concrete refers to garage or decorative flooring. Should I use epoxy or urethane? I want it to be durable (cold weather), resist any water leaking (damp conditions), and long-lasting (I don’t want to have to re-apply every few years). It would be good if it self-leveled (because of the digs) and was easy to apply.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Shea says
Hello Ang. If the concrete you are referring to has already been sealed, there is no reason to reseal it. The sealer cannot “wear out” from having carpet installed over it. It would require grinding of the concrete to remove the old sealer first before applying a new sealer.
Epoxy, polyurethane, and other topical coatings are designed to seal the concrete from moisture intrusion from on top of the concrete. That is not an issue indoors with carpet. The type of sealer you would require penetrates into the concrete (non decorative in most cases) to keep water from coming in from the outside or underneath since your home is build partly into a hill. This is what you most likely have now.
Greg says
Hi, I have a painted garage floor (in west-central Florida) that is very slippery when wet (grey color, about 4 years old, type of paint unknown). The finish has good appearance and adhesion to the slab using tape-test. Can I use clear solvent-based polyurethane with anti-skid additive? I would like to do minimal surface prep (both to minimize effort/costs and not degrade the existing appearance), maybe scrub with a floor polisher with a stripping pad rather than full sanding. Would this give me sufficient adhesion? Being a clear coat, minor peeling over time wouldn’t be a great big deal, weighing the reduced time and costs vs. a full sanding and re-coating with a 2-part garage floor epoxy ($50 solvent-based polyurethane vs.$200 epoxy). Can you make any comments or recommendations? Thanks, Greg
Shea says
Hi Greg. Your prep plan is fine, but the issue is not knowing what you type of coating you have. If it’s paint, a solvent based polyurethane will not be compatible as it can soften the paint and cause delamination issues. We suggest you test it first by applying some acetone in an inconspicuous spot. Let it sit for a few moments and then rub it with a rag. If the coating softens up then you have paint. If not, then it’s a resinous coating of some kind and you can apply polyurethane (do not buy polyurethane for wood floors).
If it’s paint, we suggest repainting and add the anti-slip to that. Another option is to roll on a clear water based acrylic sealer with the anti-slip added. The issue with water based acrylic sealer though is that is will break down fairly fast from gasoline or solvents spilled on the floor.
Greg says
Thanks for the info Shea!
Shea says
Your welcome!
CJ says
Aloha Shea,
Great article. Wish I came upon the allgaragefloors.com website before doing any painting to my garage floor. Anyway, I’m on my last step of adding a clear top layer on my garage floor. What lies underneath is a Behr concrete and masonry primer (http://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-Premium-1-gal-Concrete-Masonry-Bonding-Primer-88001/100129649), two coats of the Behr 1-part epoxy paint (http://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-Premium-1-Gal-PFC-69-Fresh-Cement-1-Part-Epoxy-Concrete-and-Garage-Floor-Paint-93001/203937011) topped with paint flakes. I’m came across your website as a Google hit for a clear epoxy finish. Looks like the polyurethane top coat will be acceptable for me however I’m not too sure if the ones I came across the Home Depot site would work. Many of the polyurethane paint I came across are for interior, wood applications. Are these that I can use for my garage flooring project? any recommendation from Home Depot will be greatly appreciated as well as some advice.
Thanks.
Shea says
Hi CJ. At this point, you’ve done about all you can do for a 1-Part epoxy paint garage floor. Most clear top coats are designed to go over 2-Part resinous floor coatings, not paint. 1-Part epoxy is latex paint with an epoxy additive that helps to make it more durable than regular concrete paint. That is why you can’t find a 1-Part epoxy clear coat – there is no such thing as clear paint. Technically, you could apply a water based clear epoxy over it, but it would require lightly sanding the finish first in order to achieve a mechanical bond for the epoxy. This is difficult to do with color flakes in the paint.
Polyurethane is not a good fit at all as most are solvent based. It is not compatible with paint and can make it soft if applied. None of the home improvement centers sell polyurethane for concrete coatings either. What they do sell are all for wood floors and will not work on concrete. Plus, they have a yellow tint. Most quality floor coatings are purchased from vendors that specialize in the field. You can usually find these vendors online or at your local concrete supply companies.
CJ says
Hi Shea. Thank you for quickly replying to my questions. Again wish I came across your website before I started on my project. With the intention of applying a clear top epoxy coat, I would have started with a two part epoxy paint on the bare concrete. I went with a one part epoxy paint which was recommended by Home Depot sales person. That person knew that I will add flakes to the flooring so I wonder why she did’t advise me to go with a two part epoxy paint. Anyway I found this epoxy paint from Lowes which may be water base since water and soap is all needed to clean up. Here is the link. http://www.lowes.com/pd_293603-4-024.0081052.022___?productId=3850781&pl=1&Ntt=valspar+clear+coat. Question then for you is is it really critical that I do lightly sand the epoxy one part paint and if I did not will it really come off easily this epoxy top layer? I guess that’s a risk I will have to take. Again thanks or as they say where I’m Aloha.
Shea says
The reason they didn’t recommend a 2-Part epoxy CJ is because the people working at the home improvement centers actually know very little about garage floor coatings. They try to help, but they are just not educated in the field of garage floor coatings and only know about the product they sell.
The Valspar product will work, but you need to rough up the finish with at least 150 grit sandpaper. A pole sander works well for this. If you don’t, the epoxy cannot form a mechanical bond to the surface because it is too smooth. An example is paint on glass. It will peel or scrape right off. If you etch the glass lightly first, then the paint is difficult to remove.
CJ says
Aloha Shea.
Thank you for all of the expertise response. You have my great resoect. Greatly appreciate it. 🙂
From Hawaii. CJ
Shea says
You’re welcome CJ!
Mark ross says
Hi Shea
Are you familiar with Fosroc Nitoflor FC 130 . It’s a two component water based epoxy resin .
Applied to newly abraded concrete slab . 3 months old .
We’ve had an issue when apply the 1st cost ( room temp 16 degrees C ) . 15 minutes or so in . Small rubbery crystals started appearing in the product . They made application difficult and are now all over the surface of the floor .
Have tut any idea what might have happened to the product for it to behave in this manor ?
Thanks and regards
Mark
Shea says
Hello Mark. We aren’t familiar with the product, but the TDS sheets indicate it’s a standard water based epoxy. From your description, it sounds like the epoxy has encountered contamination of some kind at the surface of the concrete. This can be caused by an excess of concrete dust, oils, or cleaning agents on the surface. While it’s possible that you encountered a bad batch of epoxy, it rare. Epoxy is made in very large batches that are tested during the process. If what you purchased had production issues, the company would have known about it due to complaints from all the other bad product sold from the batch that was produced.
Mark ross says
Hi shea
Thank you for you speedy reply . I can confirm that the. Surface was a brand new concrete floor . We were maticulous in surface prep . Which was only washed with water and very well hoovered to unsure no concrete dust was present .
The actual crystal like components I refer to , actually appeared in the tub that the two part components where mixed in . I will try and attach a picture for your comments .
Do you think that if the product was out of date . And being water based , it is possible it has become stale ?
Regards
Mark
Shea says
Yes, solids from out of date epoxy can settle and get funky (for lack of a better term). We suggest that you call the manufacturer and give them the batch numbers on the containers. They can confirm if you are dealing with old product or not.
Emerson says
Hi Shea,
I am about to apply Rustoleum professional garage floor coating http://m.lowes.com/pd/Rust-Oleum-Interior-Gloss-Garage-Floor-Epoxy-Kit-Tintable-Water-Base-Paint-Actual-Net-Contents-320-fl-oz/3363146 on my garage floor and I would like to apply a clear topcoat of polyurethane. I have the following two questions:
1. What is the best time to apply the polyurethane coat? I gather from the post and the comments that it would be right after 12 to 24 hours from applying the epoxy coating. Is this correct?
2. Is this a suitable product? It is an aliphatic compound. http://m.lowes.com/pd/Minwax-Poly-for-Floors-Gloss-Base-128-fl-oz-Polyurethane/999913707
Thank you in advance for your help,
Emerson
Shea says
Hello Emerson. Question #1 is correct. Press your thumb to the coating. It should feel tacky but not leave a print when it’s ready. If it leaves a print, you need to wait longer.
Question #2 is no. That is a polyurethane coating for hardwood floors only. It will not adhere well to the epoxy and it has a yellow tint. You would have a mess on your hands if you used it. You need a polyurethane coating for concrete. Home improvement centers do not carry quality clear coatings. You need to order from a floor coating vendor online. Here is an example of some good product. If you have a concrete construction and supply company in town, they may carry it as well.
Emerson says
Thank you for the excellent and prompt response!
Emerson
Emerson says
Shea, thanks again for the reply. I have cleared my garage and ordered the Aliphatic Urethane Topcoat from the link you shared. My only fear right now is that the epoxy coating will chip in the future due to a poor surface preparation. My garage floor has seen better days, it is 14 years old, and while cleaning it I have seen some yellow ultra strong glue (resistol 5000 type), paint, oil, drywall compound, rust, cracks and even molten metal.
I have filled the crack and I am planning on using a power washer (cold) rated to 3,500 psi. Is this enough to prepare the surface for the citric acid? Or do I need to pre-treat the stains (I have pull-it-out)? Or do I need to do something more severe? i.e. grinding?
Thanks,
Emerson
Shea says
We were able to view your floor via the link in our email notification Emerson. Wow, there isn’t much of your floor that isn’t stained in some fashion! No worries though, we’ve seen much worse. Based on your description of the different residue on the floor, this is what we recommend.
Clean the floor best you can with the pressure washer. After that, we highly recommend grinding the concrete vs etching. With the various stains that are present, grinding will open the pores much better and help to remove any residue on the surface the pressure washer did not. The 10″ Edco grinder from Home Depot or a local equipment rental would be the better choice in this case. You can add weight to it to get a better grind. It will also reveal any remaining areas that might need patching. Acid etching isn’t good with stains because the acid reacts to the free lime in concrete. If the surface is blocked by a stain the acid will not be effective. Make sure to do a water drop test in a few areas after grinding to ensure that the concrete will readily absorb the water.
For best results we also recommend 2 coats of the Rust-Oleum Premium Epoxy. Since it’s not a high solids epoxy, the first coat is going to act like a primer and look blotchy after it starts to cure. This happens because it will penetrate the concrete better due to the grinding and create areas that are thin at the surface. The second coat will add build and good color uniformity throughout the garage floor.
KR says
I have a wooden garage floor from 1937. It was never finished and quite beaten up. I’ have just (today in fact) sanded it down, stained it and used a hard-wear floor water-based poly. Now I realize, that it will probably get wet when its raining and the car comes in wet and I’m worried this will destroy the finish. I was going to get some water-based Spar varnish and put that on top to provide some water-proof protection, but am I reading that Spar is soft and not best used for floors so I’m thinking the weight of a car would just leave marks in it. I have a two-part clear epoxy, but it is serious stuff and if something goes wrong would be impossible to remove and it takes 48 hours to cure completely. Any suggestions or should I just stick with my original water-based poly and try not to get it wet in general.
Shea says
Hi KR. The water based polyurethane you are referring to is for wood floors and not designed to be driven on – just walked on and placing furniture. You will definitely have issues pulling a car in wet. A 2-Part epoxy will adhere well to bare wood, but the problem with epoxy is that it cures extremely hard and does not have flexibility. If the wood floor flexes much under the weight of the car the epoxy will crack.
Your best solution would be a polyurea or polyaspartic coating. They cure fast and have the needed flexibility. The water based polyurethane would need to be sanded off first however in order for the polyurea/polyaspartic coating could be applied. Legacy Industrial makes an easy to apply DIY polyurea that may work wonderfully. We recommend giving them a call first and explaining your intended application before purchase.
Mark says
I am using rustoleum 2 part water based epoxy with the flakes. I am a little confused about what kind of polyurethane top coat to apply. Water based, oil based, 2 part? When I read the application instructions they all refer to wood. Nothing about painting over epoxy.
Shea says
Hello Mark. You are confused most likely because you are looking for polyurethane coatings at home improvement centers. The polyurethane you find there is for furniture and wood floors only. 95% of all polyurethane coatings for concrete is solvent based. Many are 2-Part though there are some good performing single part moisture cured polyurethanes available. Most quality garage floor coating product is purchased from specialty vendors online. If you have a Sherwin Williams nearby you can purchase polyurethane from them. Here is another example from one of our sponsors. You will find the best help and customer service for your project when dealing with these type of vendors.
Bryant Vega says
I started a project of redoing my kitchen and the floors where the 1st thing I would do. I was going to take on the world od DIY and remove my old tile flooring and leave a bare concrete canvas to work with. Long story short after $100s of Dollars and time and dust and figuring things out I finally ended up with a non smooth and non perfect concrete floor. (which is actually what I wanted). I like seeing the grinding marks it goes with the modern industrial look.
My question/dilemma is that the floor does not feel nice to walk on. I put a high gloss water based sealer from Lowes (meant for garages) on the concrete and it sealed fine, it just still feels like gritty porous concrete to walk on barefoot.
Is there any way to remedy this? Will Epoxy or PolyU create that thickness to where it doesn’t feel gritty to walk on? I don’t mind hard, but it just doesn’t feel finished. Also if I do go with one of those is there any way around not stripping off the water based sealer? Help appreciated!:)
Shea says
Hello Bryant. You left out a key part of the equation – what kind of sealer exactly did you put down? Based on your description it sounds like an acrylic sealer. Acrylics are very thin and will not self-level and fill-in the course looking concrete which you achieved via grinding. Unfortunately if this is what you used, you will have to remove it first via chemical stripping or grinding before you can apply a good coating.
Epoxy with a polyurethane top coat will provide a thick coating that will create a very smooth floor. Nohr-S is another great product which can do this on its own.
Manuel Julimar Lopes says
Hi. Fo an old tiler floor I want to change its appearance, I am thinking of an epoxy primer, then an colored epoxy thick layer for levelling and finally an polyurethane clear coat just to improove scratch resistance. Do you believe it would help to minimize the epoxy yellowing under the PU clear coat or not?
Thanks for the tips ! Manuel
Shea says
Hi Manuel. Yes, the polyurethane does a good job at delaying, as well as minimizing, yellowing of the epoxy color coat. High quality epoxy also has U.V. inhibitors that help to slow the process as well. Also, if you are applying color chips they are U.V. resistant. So the more color chips you have, the less chance you have of the epoxy yellowing.
Tina Ng says
I know this I’m on a website about garage floors, but it’s because I’m researching what’s the best product to seal (and paint) the concrete floor in my sunroom. It will be used by just me and my cats. However, my cats urinate/mark on the floor, so I need something that would seal the concrete, easy cleanup with just water and soap, and easy for me to identify the markings (therefore I was leaning toward painting the floor white). The people at Lowes advised me to use Valspar Garage Floor extreme epoxy formula. This can be tinted to any of the 40 different colors. Is this a good product to use in a sunroom? If not, what would you recommend?
Shea says
Hi Tina. No, it would not be a good product to use. Epoxy will amber (get a yellow tint) when exposed to U.V. light for lengths at a time. That is why epoxy works well in garages and indoors away from direct light, but not outside. Your white floor would take on a dirty tint. What you need to apply is a polyurea coating. Polyurea is U.V. resistant and will not amber at all. Nohr-s by Legacy Industrial is a great example and is DIY friendly as well.
tina says
Thank you so much.
sean says
hello
can you use a polyurethane over a ugl floor paint like e1 for improved durability?
thanks
Sean
Shea says
Hello Sean. 1-Part epoxy paints are not designed for clear coats. A traditional polyurethane garage floor coating would soften the paint due to the high solvents in the coating. You could rough up the paint and then apply one of the newer water based polyurethanes that are now available, but these are twice the price of the UGL coating.
Jon Z says
Hi. I’ve got to thank you for all of your helpful articles with DIY garage floors. You have been a life-saver resource for me in this process and have helped me attack my floor feeling like I know exactly what to do and what to use.
My one question, is this. I have the 2part epoxy cold coat down. It’s fully flaked out. How long would you recommend waiting before applying a polyurethane clear coat? Should I wait until it’s ready for foot traffic (24 hours) or a full cure (7 days)?
Shea says
Hi Jon. The advantage with a full flaked floor is that the clear coat adheres to the rough flake surface so you don’t have to get it down within 24 hours. Just wait 12 hours before scraping all the loose flake off the floor and then you can apply the clear when ever you want after that. Once the clear is down you will need to wait 24 hours before walking on it and a minimum of 72 before driving on it.
Don says
Hi! We have a ceramic tile floor and want to clear coat with a PU coating for a high gloss look (wet look) in a sample area I did it peels off very easy. What should I be using.
Shea says
Hello Don. Ceramic tile is not designed for such coatings and will peel as you discovered. Ceramic and porcelain tile is too smooth and would require aggressive sanding, which ruins the look of the tile, for a coating to stick.
Yusra says
Hi, I was planning to paint my 2 car garage floor and I am considering two options and I need your opinion which one is better. The first option is to use rust-oleum epoxy shield garage floor kit (https://m.masters.com.au/product/101158000/rust-oleum-epoxy-shield-garage-floor-coating-kit-tan-gloss-7-1l) and sprinkle glitter instead of flakes then seal it with water based polyurethane(https://m.masters.com.au/product/900001275/varathane-polyurethane-floor-finish-crystal-clear-gloss-3-78l) with 4-5 coats. The second option is to use Rust-Oleum Earth Brown RockSolid Metallic Garage Floor Coating and I would like to sprinkle some glitter on top of it so is it ok to do that or should I use the product as it is? And which option is better for garage floor.we are going to park our car so I need a good option, thanks 🙂
Shea says
Hello Yusra. The RockSolid metallic kit is going to hold up better than the water based EpoxyShield kit. Glitter may work on the tan EpoxyShield kit in terms of cosmetics (if you don’t use the optional color flakes), but do not apply it to the RockSolid metallic coating. It will clash horribly with the floor. Do not use the Varathane Polyurethane! It is not a concrete floor coating. It is made for wood and will not work. If you want to use polyurethane, you will need a product that is specific to concrete floor coatings. You will not find it in a home improvement store. Search “polyurethane concrete floor coatings” and find an online vendor that offers it.
joel arteaga says
i don’t recommend that brand of epoxy its like going to payless and buying “nice” shoes
ken says
hi , I’m planning on finishing my garage floor. upon researching some products I was considering an epoxy coating. Floor preparations seem to be a must with most coatings,but a product recommended called Flexstone seems a bit easier to apply and is Eco friendly. Have you heard about this product? I would certainly like to hear your opinion on this product. Thank you in advance
Shea says
Hello Ken. Flexstone is a good product for pool decks, patios, walkways, and other platforms that cater to foot traffic. While they do state that it can be used in a garage, we don’t think it’s the best product for it. We couldn’t find much information from the data sheets regarding how well this product resists staining from petroleum products such as gasoline, brake fluid, coolant, acids, oil, and etc, all which you can encounter in a garage. Also, the shore ratings for hardness is on the soft side. Plus, because the surface is designed for high grip, it may be a bear to clean in a garage, particularly if you get an oil spill or something similar. If you are still interested in it, we suggest contacting the manufacturer and ask these question. Also, ask for the Regent ratings regarding resistance to chemicals. You can learn more about data sheets here.
Sangeeta Kumari says
Hi, i have to paint a concrete surface with smooth finish on top.Earlier i got it paint with water-based primer and water-based emulsion paint.the surface of the paint started peeling off within a month.The paint is not getting adhere to the surface.Can you suggest me which type of paint system should i apply?
Shea says
Hello Sangeeta. The problem is the very smooth concrete surface. You will need to remove all the paint from the concrete and then acid etch the surface. This will provide the proper profile for paint to adhere properly.
Rick de Araujo says
Hello Shea,
I have a concrete floor previously coated with an epoxy that is now damaged in areas and must be completely overcoated to repair. There are some patches where the epoxy has been ‘peeled’ off leaving micron thin indentations.
How do I fill these before applying a poly urothane?
Is any primer required over the epoxy for the PU?
Shea says
If you have a lot of exposed concrete where the epoxy has peeled Rick, you can first coat the floor with an epoxy primer. This will adhere to the exposed concrete very well and fill in a lot of the imperfections of the old coating. You can then apply the polyurethane over that. Read this article about how to prep old epoxy for a new coat before you begin.
QL says
Shea,
During my research for a strong clear coat, some companies offer Polyaspartic and polyurea coatings. They seem a little cheaper than polyurethium you mentioned above. Can you comments the difference among these three products above epoxy base coat?
Thanks.
Shea says
QL, we have a good article that covers that subject here. Keep in mind, it’s important to compare the data sheets when looking at coatings. Price or product alone does not dictate quality.
Windy City says
I am looking to grind down existing concrete in a service bay at a rental company, and then apply a clear coat to protect is from the abuse and wear that comes with working on heavy equipment. It appears that the epoxy clear, and then polyurethane clear top coat would be the best option, but then I came across your info on the polyaspartic coatings as well, and now I am confused. What would you suggest for this project. There will be tools and parts slid across the surface, as well as oils and fuels probably spilled at some point. It is an indoor bay, with overhead doors usually open, so sunlight may affect it as well.
Thanks in advance for your guidance!
Shea says
Hello Windy City. There is nothing wrong with the performance you would get from a high solids epoxy with a couple top coats of polyurethane for what you want to achieve. A high solids epoxy makes for a good base. However, epoxy will amber (yellow) if exposed to sunlight. Though polyurethane is U.V. stable, it will only slow down the ambering process of the epoxy underneath it. The advantage of polyaspartic and polyurea coatings is that they are both U.V. stable and can be applied directly to concrete, where as polyurethane needs the epoxy base. Another advantage is that due their fast curing characteristics, they can reduce downtime considerably if that is an issue. A couple coats of a high solids polyaspartic or polyurea will provide similar results as the epoxy and polyurethane.
Jon says
Hi Shea – Thank you so much for your authoritative article. I have a garage that is coated with two part rustoleum epoxy with flakes, and top-coated with rustoleum expoxy clear coat. The garage is holding up well with the exception of the clearcoat, which has yellowed. Can I recoat floor with epoxy over the clearcoat? And then put a clearcoat of aliphatic polyurethane on top?
Shea says
Yes you can Jon. It just requires that you rough up the surface of the existing coating with 100 grit sandpaper first. This will provide a mechanical bond for the the new epoxy to bond to. Wipe the surface down with denatured alcohol after you rough it up and you will be ready immediately to recoat.