White epoxy garage floor coatings are not something that you see every day. In fact, it’s a color that many floor coating vendors try to avoid. Nevertheless, it didn’t prevent Tres, a resident of Oklahoma, from installing one himself. After doing some research, he purchased and applied this stunning-looking white epoxy floor coating from ArmorPoxy. It is the envy of many a garage enthusiast.
When Tres purchased his house five years ago, he assumed the new epoxy coating that the previous owner had installed was done correctly. However, it didn’t take him long to realize that it was an inferior epoxy that was poorly applied when it began peeling up in multiple places. After putting up with the poor floor coating for all that time, he decided to do something about it.
Tres uses his garage for a variety of projects. This includes woodwork, metal fabricating, and automotive work. He initially decided on a polished concrete garage floor, but after grinding to remove the old coating, he discovered that the surface was not a good candidate for polishing.
When he applied a densifier and started the polishing process, he realized that it was not going to look the way he wanted it. The concrete was covered in stains and other imperfections that would diminish the attractive looks that a polished surface delivers.
Still wanting a glossy-looking finish that would provide good light reflection and durability, he decided on a white epoxy garage floor coating with no color flakes added. Fortunately, Tres did his homework and took the time to research white epoxy coatings to make sure he did the job right. The final results paid off big time.
Why White Garage Floor Coatings are Not Very Common
There are a few reasons why you don’t see more white epoxy garage floors – especially solid white. The most predominant reason is that white requires more maintenance to keep it looking clean. Dirty tire tracks and most other dirt stand out more than traditional epoxy colors.
Vendors who sell white floor coatings will try to persuade most people to choose off-white with color flakes added instead. Off-white is more forgiving and doesn’t show every bit of dirt like traditional white can. The color flakes help to hide dirt as well.
The other reasons for not seeing white floor coatings have more to do with the required materials, the multi-coat application process, and the proper floor prep that will ensure a successful outcome. This is why white is not available with the traditional home improvement store epoxy kits.
Most importantly, there are some issues and characteristics with white epoxy that need to be addressed properly.
The first issue is that concrete is darker than white and can ghost through a single coating. This can alter both the color and hue. Older concrete floors, in particular, can have dark spots or darker areas from prior stains and other problems that can make the ghosting even more obvious. Crack repairs and patches to the surface of the concrete will only add to the issue.
To prevent this ghosting in the color, it is important to use a white-tinted epoxy primer. Besides the traditional benefits of an epoxy primer, the white tint will tone down the darker concrete. This will result in a more consistent and pure color tone when the white base epoxy coat is applied.
The other issue is that epoxy will amber (yellow tint) when exposed to UV light. This change in tint is most obvious in white and readily stands out. To ensure you will not have any issues with ambering, it is essential to apply a final color coat of white polyurethane (urethane for short).
Polyurethane coatings are UV stable and will not amber. In addition, they are more chemical-resistant and scratch-resistant. Because they go on thin and do not adhere to concrete very well, they are primarily used as a top coat.
ArmorUltra Garage Floor Coating System
After doing his research, Tres decided to purchase his materials from ArmorPoxy. ArmorPoxy is a leading commercial manufacturer and distributor of extremely high-performing epoxy floor coatings and other concrete floor coating systems.
Despite being such a large company that provides services to a variety of commercial and government entities, ArmorPoxy also supports and provides materials to the typical DIY installer at a very good price point. They are known for providing good customer service and application guidance with all of their garage flooring products.
Tres chose their ArmorUltra Job on a Pallet, which is a 3-layer commercial epoxy coating system. He also requested to have the primer tinted white.
The ArmorUltra kit includes an epoxy primer, 100% Solids epoxy base color coat, and their military-grade polyurethane top coat. The Military coat is tinted to the same color as the base coat.
All of ArmorPoxy’s Jobs on a Pallet include almost everything you need to complete your project. This includes floor prep, full instructions, and unlimited telephone support.
Though his garage floor is large at just over 900 ft², he ordered enough materials for 1000 ft² to ensure he had enough. He also ordered the ArmorPoxy concrete floor patch to repair the cracks and other irregularities in the surface of the concrete.
Tres’s White Epoxy Garage Floor Project
The first order of business was to grind the concrete again. Because Tres had applied a densifier when he tried polishing the concrete, he needed to grind the floor again since the densifier can act like a sealer and prevent the coating from penetrating the surface.
He rented a floor maintainer from Home Depot along with the appropriate Diamabrush concrete prep tool. This would roughen up the surface to provide mechanical bite as well as open up the pores of the concrete for the epoxy primer to penetrate.
Though not necessary if you are grinding the concrete, Tres decided to etch the concrete afterward with the phosphoric acid etching solution that comes with the ArmorPoxy kits. There was no chance of his concrete not accepting a coating after that.
He then used the ArmorPoxy concrete patch repair to repair the concrete cracks and fill any divots or pitting in the surface. Proper repairs are very important when applying a solid color floor coating or the repairs will telegraph through the coating and be visible.
Color flakes help to mask or camouflage concrete irregularities, whereas solid color floors will not. Grinding the repairs afterward will smooth out and blend the concrete repairs nicely.
Following the ArmorPoxy instructions, Tres applied the white epoxy primer coat. Once the coat had cured the required amount of time, he then applied the 100% solids white epoxy base coat. This coat is the build coat which helps to smooth out the finish and is what adds to the thickness of the coating.
Lastly, he applied the white polyurethane top coat. Though this coat is much thinner than the epoxy coat, it provides the U.V. protection required to prevent the ambering of the color. It also provides better chemical, wear, and scratch resistance than the epoxy coat.
As you can see from the images below, Tres’s garage floor coating project turned out fantastic.
Click on any image to make it larger
After the coating had cured for a few days, he began moving everything back onto the floor. As you can see based on the work benches, cabinets, toolboxes, presses, and other equipment, Tres uses his garage for a variety of projects.
One note that we would like to make is that ArmorPoxy highly recommends using the anti-slip grit additive that comes with the Job on a Pallet. It should be mixed in with the final coat. The reason for this is that this type of high gloss coating without color flakes can be very slippery when wet.
Tres elected not to use the anti-slip additive in the coating. He states the floor can be slippery when wet, but no accidents so far. He is careful about how he steps when the floor is wet.
Final thoughts and 6-month review
Tres wants to make sure his wife, Nicole, gets his thanks for the help and patience she provided throughout the process. They both have been extremely happy with the performance and looks of the floor coating. They are even considering using one of ArmorPoxy’s coating systems throughout the interior of their home.
When asked why he chose ArmorPoxy, he said it was due to their relatively low price, ease of installation, and the fact that they had a high-quality product that would provide the gloss and durability he was looking for.
Installation was straightforward and not that difficult. Tres says to make sure you have plenty of ventilation. However, counting all the grinding he did to remove the previous coating and attempts to polish it, he estimates that he put in 20 hours of total grinding time. Phew!
Most of the images of the coating were taken after it had been down for six months. As you can see, it still looks brand new. Tres just washes it out occasionally with a garden hose and dish soap once a month to keep it looking nice.
He did say that dragging jacks and using jack stands has produced some small scratches, but it’s worth every bit for how well the floor has performed so far.
What surprised him was that the tires on his brand-new truck did leave some tire marks on the coating that were difficult to remove initially. It tends not to do that so much now. Tire marks from his wife’s car just wipe right up.
Additionally, they got some Oklahoma red dirt on the floor that was stubborn and difficult to remove. However, with some elbow grease, along with a degreaser and an application of Goo Gone, it did come clean.
As you can see, a white epoxy garage floor coating can look absolutely fabulous, but it does require using the proper materials and installation for successful long-term results. Keeping it clean will entail more maintenance than the more common gray and tan floor coatings with color flakes. However, if you are OK with that, white may be the color for you.
Do you know of a professional company that will take the time and care to do this application? Oh in San Francisco area. Thanks. PS your floors look beautiful.
Hello Adriane. We have a good article on how to choose a garage floor coating contractor. We suggest giving a few a call and tell them what you are looking for based on the material details in this article. Most will come to your home to give a free estimate. Just search “garage floor coating companies” for your area.
Congratulations on not using grit additive. Here in rainy western Oregon, we have three detached garages with epoxy floor coatings. None have had grit added (we did all three ourselves) and all have performed very well for years. The slipperiness concern is, in our experience, quite overstated. True, most shiny floors, including tiled or varnished domicile entryways, can be slippery if wet, but this is not the slipperiness of glare ice, as in North Dakota where I grew up, but a much more manageable reduction of traction. We are active in our garages, which include multiple work areas, and have never had a traction problem despite frequently walking in with wet shoes from our parking area. But, if you were a company concerned about possible legal liability claims, you too might well want written proof of having offered increased anti-slip options for added traction.
Hello. Thank you for the photos and info. Your floors look gorgeous. Do you know if this epoxy would adhere to painted/sealed concrete floors? I do not want to grind my floors due to dust.
Hi Angel. No, you would need to grind first. That goes for any coating you may be interested in. Coatings require properly profiled bare concrete so that they can penetrate into the surface to achieve the tenacious bond they are known for. You can’t etch concrete that has been sealed either. Grinding can be done with minimal dust if the proper equipment is used.
Hi, this garage looks amazing and just what I want in mine. I live in Nevada, which is a very hot desert. Would this product be okay to use? If not, what product do you recommend? I prefer a lighter color, like the white – preferably no flakes…but if I have to have them for durability in the desert, I will consider them. Thanks
Hello Erin. Yes, this product would perform very well. Color flakes will not provide any durability. They are decorative only. The only exception is if you broadcast color flakes to full refusal into the base epoxy coat. When that is done, they create an approximate 5 mil layer that helps with impact resistance, but that is it.
We are buying a new home, it is still under construction. I would love to have a white garage but should we be grinding even if it’s a new garage?
Hello Kanni. That is correct. You need to etch the concrete at a minimum or grind it for the best adhesion. This article here explains why.