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Epoxy garage floor project

maknilsin
Making a Splash

Epoxy garage floor project

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So after what has been close to a year of planning I have finally completed my garage floor. 

 

It took a lot longer to get this project off the ground - as my brand new garage floor was not as pristine as one would expect from a new house. But after a couple of months of badgering my builder and a garage scrape later - we were finally ready to go.

 

I purchased a Dy-Mark Epoxy Kit from Bunnings for this project as my research into their product showed that their product had everything I needed in one simple kit to get the job done: https://www.bunnings.com.au/dy-mark-8l-epoxy-clear-garage-floor-coating-kit_p1580413

 

I also spent quite a bit of time caulking my garage. A slight gap between the garage floor and the skirting meant that there was possible risk of seepage of the epoxy when laying it down. So some quick caulking and taping of skirts was completed just to ensure there was no epoxy going under my walls or onto the walls 

 

epoxy-1.jpg

 

As my garage floor was brand new - there was no need to complete any deep cleaning or etching of the garage floor. This easily saved me a couple of days of work.

 

Once the floor was all prepped I began the process of the mixing the contents of the epoxy kit. Due to the temperature on Good Friday (below 15 degrees) I had to mix the activator and the base for slightly longer than the recommended 8 minutes and the resting time was recommended at 25 minutes so I left it for 30 minutes just to stay on the safe side. 

 

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Word to the wise - when the instructions say wear gloves and avoid contact with your skin, listen to it. Although not harmful to your skin - the adhesive nature of the epoxy meant I added close to an extra hour to the project trying to scrub off all of the epoxy that was covering my hands.

 

Once the epoxy has had time to rest after mixing it's time to start rolling out the epoxy with a simple paint roller. The instruction suggested painting in square metre sections so as to give ample time to apply the coloured flakes. I stuck to this instruction as it made the process of cutting in and rolling out the epoxy pretty simple - and meant I didn't get too boxed in during the application. 

 

After each square metre was rolled out I applied my flakes pretty liberally across each section - I defintely went overboard in the first few sections which meant I was running pretty low by the end of the garage so I suggest going easy on the flakes.

 

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The difference between the old garage floor and the epoxy is night and day as you can see below - seeing some instant results as I worked definetely made the rest of the work a lot easier.

 

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After close to 2 hours of rolling out epoxy and liberally throwing around coloured flakes my new garage floor was complete. The drying time due to the temperature was 72 hours - so I tried to keep the garage open for at least 6 hours a day as the smell of the epoxy was incredibly strong. 

 

Now I wait another 10 days before the floor is ready for vehicle use and I can adding in some garage storage products to really flesh out my garage.

 

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Community manager's note: Check out How to apply epoxy to a garage floor for expert advice.

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

Fantastic project, many thanks for sharing in such detail @maknilsin. I'm sure this will inspire many other community members.

 

It will be great to see some more photos when the floor has fully dried and you have installed some storage. You might like to check out some of this previous posts for storage ideas:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again,

 

Jason

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Isobel
Amassing an Audience

Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

I saw in this article that epoxy is also now being used for interior floors - http://www.realestate.com.au/lifestyle/6-types-of-flooring-youve-probably-forgotten-about/

 

I Googled and saw some very bold floors. They aren't to my taste - I prefer timber or polished concrete - but they certainly make a statement!

 

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Helen
Having an Impact

Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

Great project, thanks for sharing, not sure if I am up to doing this myself!

Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

@Helen - this was one of the easier D.I.Y. projects I've undertaken lately. It really is as simple as painting a wall - you are just doing it on the floor. 

 

The only difference would be if it is an existing garage floor there is some prep work required to get the floor ready for the epoxy. But the kit I bought had all of the materials needed to do this prep work as well! 

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

For those interested in transforming their own garage floor, I hope the D.I.Y. video below can provide some further assistance.

 

Good luck with your project.

 

Jason

 

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Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

Hi. Is this epoxy self levelling? I have to correct a small amount of error where 3 smaller slabs join. Its for a new ensuite area. I realize I would have to do something about the edges so it doent flow away. Im thinking of timber to hold it in while it dries. I was going to do tiles but I dont want to risk following the wrong curves. Thanks. Regards Marita. 

 

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Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

Thanks for joining in the discussion @Marita. Let me tag @maknilsin for you so he is alerted to your question. Other Workshop members like @PJA and @MartyH might also be able to assist. 

 

This previous discussion might also be of interest, although it relates to a timber floor - https://www.workshop.com.au/t5/Whole-of-House/how-to-level-chipboad-subfloor/m-p/4663

 

Let me extend a very warm welcome to the Workshop community. We're pleased you could join us and look forward to reading more about your projects and plans. Feel free to post whenever you need a hand or have something to share.

 

Jason

 

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Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

Hi @Marita - I'm unsure if this product specifically is self-levelling. From my experience with the product it was applied exactly like paint so not much levelling required for my space either. That being said the finish has been a perfectly smooth surface despite the crevices between the concrete floor slab. 

From a quick google search there do seem to be some epoxy products available for this purpose that are explicitly called out as being self levelling so potentially worth looking into those. Hopefully that helps and good luck with your project! 

drew
Just Starting Out

Re: Easter Project - Epoxy Garage Floor

Hi, reading your epoxy project on your garage floor.  Would this product be suitable to use under a patio area, but instead of over concrete, over pavers?  They have been there a long time, have concrete around them that holds them firmly in place and there are no weeds.  I'm looking for a solution to covering the pavers up as they look unsightly.  Thank you for any advice you have.

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