Rant: I always thought epoxy floors were a gimmick until my buddy's shop changed my mind

So I've been building out my garage for about 6 months now, mostly for my '72 CB750 project that's been sitting in pieces. I was dead set on just leaving the concrete bare because I figured epoxy was overhyped and expensive. Last week I went over to my buddy Mark's place near Portland to help him swap a transmission, and he had just done his floor with a simple two-part epoxy kit from the hardware store. Cost him around $180 total for his 2-car garage. We spilled a whole quart of gear oil on day one and it just wiped up with a paper towel, no stain or anything. Then he dropped a heavy jack stand and it didn't even chip the surface. I was like okay, I get it now. He told me his old bare concrete absorbed every drip and he spent hours scrubbing stains, plus the dust was terrible in summer. I'm probably tackling mine next month now. Has anyone here tried the cheaper kits versus the professional install ones for a home garage that sees daily use?

2 comments

2 Comments

rose_young15d ago

Did you use any special prep like etching or grinding before you laid it down? The surface prep is usually what makes or breaks these cheap kits in my experience.

sam_anderson15d ago

180 bucks for a two-car garage is basically the cost of three nice dinners out here, so I'd say that's a solid deal if it actually holds up. I mean, that gear oil story alone sold me - my garage floor has a permanent map of every fluid I've ever leaked on it. Maybe just don't drag a engine block across it and you'll be fine.