I had an acid stain treatment done to a cement floor with an epoxy coating over it. I have to say I would not do it again. I can't believe how easily it scratches and chips. There are also a couple small areas where there must have been very tiny bumps or bubbles because now that the area is worn, the underlying color is gone. The floor is less than a year old. Is this common with epoxy coatings? Why would anybody do an epoxy coating in the garage if doesn't hold up?
I did a Rust-Oleum epoxy coating in a couple industrial buildings and it held up well. One was in a small room under a messy printing press. It stained but did not scratch. I saw it later and it was not very attractive, but considering all, it held up well. the Rust-Oleum product is colored, like a paint.
These coatings were not very thick and probably penetrated into the concrete; the concrete had to be etched first. Putting epoxy over a stain may keep the epoxy from penetrating the concrete surface.
The other factor is the quality of the epoxy. If it was just a craft-type epoxy, there was little hope for it.
Added: The Rust-Oleum product is intended for a garage floor and I would expect them to work well there.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bob Fleming,
Posts: 12114 | Location: Eagle, CO USA | Registered: Sep 18, 2002
Everyone I know here that has experience with the epoxy garage floor coating, it fails after about 3 years or less. The pro companies that do it only warranty it for 2-3 years too. At least in non heated garages in our freeze/heat climate in NE.
Am looking into acid stained concrete when we enclose a garage space in the future. What I have read about the clear coats that go over acid stained concrete is that several light coats are better than one heavy, and that one still needs to keep a coat of wax on the flooring, refreshing every 6 months to a year, for protection of the surface.
Added: The Rust-Oleum product is intended for a garage floor and I would expect them to work well there.
A neighbor did his garage with Rust-Oleum and it failed after a couple of years as well. From the looks of it he followed the directions and started with a clean floor. The product just doesn't stand up to hot tires.
General Disclaimer
Any advice given here is general in nature and is not necessarily valid for your given area. If in doubt check with your local codes enforcement department for what is required when doing electrical, plumbing or structural work on your house. Permits may or may not be required in your area and home owners may not be able to DIY some tasks. I have no way of knowing if you have the skills needed to complete the tasks you are asking about, when in doubt seek professional assistance.
My advice may be worth exactly what you pay me for it. :-) For the record I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
nousername, It sort of sounds as if whomever did your stain, might have failed to properly prep/clean it (most important part), or some other steps were not done correctly. As I doubt the underlying color would be gone, and with all the failure of the coating (bumps and bubbles), this is not normal.
Actually, the acid staining is in the basement not garage.
I saw someone else's basement where they had done the epoxy treatment. She said it was like the epoxy they use in garages.
I figured if it stands up to all that goes on in the garage and someone had used it in their basement that it would work for me. I chose the acid staining because I didn't want my finished basement to look like it had a garage floor with a painted finish and those color chips.
