Hey there!  I’m so excited to share this post with you today!  Not only because I found a super easy cure for my horrid garage floor but also because we are giving away such an awesome product!

Before_Garage_Floor_Epoxy4 years of DIY has lent itself to a hideous garage floor!  I never cared to protect it when I would paint or stain because really – It’s a slab of concrete, outside and it’s supposed to be dirty right?  That’s what I told myself until I couldn’t handle it anymore!  I wanted a beautiful garage with pretty shelves and storage, and a beautiful shop to create in!  I didn’t know how I was going to accomplish this with a paint and stain covered garage floor until I found this!

Rust-Oleum_Garage_Floor_EpoxyRust-Oleum Garage Floor Epoxy Shield! It was just what my sad floor needed and it was SOOOOOO EASY!  It comes with a very easy to understand instruction manual along with an instructional DVD.  There is even a graph to tell you how long to let it set depending on the temperature outside.  The epoxy comes in two color options, Gray Gloss and Tan Gloss.  I went with Gray Gloss;)  *I have a standard two-car garage and needed to cases of this epoxy.

suppliesThe first thing to do is to make sure you don’t have any oil spots or paint that chips off.  I lucked out on oil spots but I did have to use a putty knife to lift up some of the loose paint.  Next is the etching (sounds intimidating but it’s not).  You just fill a watering can with water and the etching salt.  Sprinkle the mixture onto the garage floor and scrub with a wire bristle brush.  I bought a brush that could attach to my extension pole and that made it so easy.  You work your way from the back of the garage to the front and you will hear the salt fizz:)  It is cleaning your garage floor and prepping it to allow the epoxy to really stick!  After you scrub with the etch, you just squeegee it out the door;)

garage_floorYou can see the right side of my garage has been etched.  It is damp and needs to dry before applying the Epoxy.  Notice that I only did one side at a time….That was another way that I made this easier.  Our garage had a ton of stuff in it that we didn’t want to find a place for over the weekend so, we pushed everything to one side and worked on the other side.

Garage_Floor_EpoxyNow for the fun!  The epoxy comes in two cans.  You have can “A” and can “B”.  Just pour can “A” into can “B”, mix and let it set for the suggested time in the instruction manual (this varies depending on the temperature outside).

Supplies_for_ApplicationOnce it is set, it’s time to get busy!  Pour your Epoxy mixture into your paint pan.  You will need a nap roller, an extension pole, an angled paint brush, a paint pan and small cups.  I chose to use small cups to separate the confetti so that they were dispersed evenly on the floor.

Edge_FirstStart with the angled brush and paint the epoxy along the entire perimeter of the garage.  I did let mine run up the side of the wall a bit to make sure that I covered the edges good.  You will have about 15 minutes, or so, to get the edging done so you want to move pretty quick.  I did this entire floor by myself – no help – so don’t let the time constraints intimidate you!  It is most definitely a 1-person job!

First_HalfYou then use your nap roller and extension pole to just roll the epoxy out onto the floor.  It’s just like painting a wall;)  Start at the back of the garage, working your way to the front.  You will roll out a 4’x4′ area then sprinkle it with the confetti chips.  I found it best to just grab a little at a time and toss them up about 3 feet over the area.  It allows them to rain down and spread out exactly where I wanted them.  *Notice that I am still working on one side of the garage floor.  I let it dry over-night (see your instruction manual for the suggested time per the temperature outside), then I moved everything to the other side of the garage and began the process on that side.

Edge

Rust_Oleum_Garage_Floor_EpoxyHere she is all finished and pretty!  What’s so cool is that our garage has become sort of a playroom for the kids!  They spend so much time in here on bad weather days!

EpoxyI love it because I don’t feel like I’m going outside when I am building.  And, for about $150, I covered up my hideously stained garage floor!  I can’t wait to deck-out the rest of the garage now!

So, who wants to win some Rust-Oleum Garage Floor Epoxy???

There are so many ways to enter!  The more you follow, the better your chances;)  Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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57 Comments

  1. A good part of our business is grinding off these type of coatings when they fail. Even if you follow all the instructions, they rarely hold up well. Currently there is a lawsuit against Rustoleum. Acid etching doesn’t profile most concrete well enough to allow an epoxy to bond. Also, adding water to a slab to neutralize the acid or degrease requires a waiting period for the moisture to escape the concrete before coating. This can take several days depending on temperature and humidity. These are just a few of the problems with this system. If you don’t care about longevity and don’t want to spend more than the $150 great. If the expectation is that this is going to hold up over time or be equivalent to a professionally installed floor then be warned.

  2. My garage floor has a couple of crumbling spots. Would I need to repair these spots with concrete before using the epoxy method?

  3. I saw you had cracks in your floor before this… did it go on smoothly over the cracks and cover them? Or do they still show? I’m wondering if I need to fill them in before doing this.

  4. I have done this to two houses before this one. I suggest you add one more step for maximum durability. After the floor dries spend the money on the Rustoleum 2 part clear coat and put it down. It needs to sit for 24 hours before foot traffic and another 72 hours before you put a car on it. I have one that is now eight years old and one side was used for my wife’s car and the other for my shop. I seep and mop once per month and it looks like new. Follow the directions exactly and it is virtually indestructible! If you use the BEHR product they can mix it to any color you desire, as that product is a water based epoxy and definitely needs the clear coat. Stay away from the Valspar product as have had poor coverage results with it.

  5. It looks even better with the Rustoleum epoxy clear coat on top. It costs more, about $100 per kit, but it’s worth the money and time.

  6. Hi, we have a basement floor in our church that needs redoing. Based on the need to get get rid of the etching and the fumes – is this a possible product??

  7. since you mixed part a and b together then did the other side…how did you store the mix in the mean time? Any issues with that?

  8. Ashley, I love the way this turned out. It looks so fresh and clean! If you don’t mind, I’d love to pin this to The Home Depot’s Storage & Organization pinboard.

    Cheers,
    Caroline
    Senior Editor, homedepot.com

  9. We just did this to our basement floor and it was horrible! It was like spreading tar with a paint roller. Not sure why ours was so thick, but it was very labor intensive. Looks good afterward, but I would never take it on myself again!

    1. That’s odd? I know the temperature of the floor directly affects the thickness. Maybe it was too cold. Mine went on just like latex paint. Very easy. My aunt, who is in her 50’s, did it easily in a day! So sorry!

  10. Can you tell where you stopped and let it dry overnight then started on the other side?

  11. This looks gorgeous! We want to sell our house, and this would be a good solution to make the garage look a little more appealing to buyers.

  12. That is seriously so amazing! It would look good on a patio too! Thanks for the chance to win!

  13. I love how this turned out. We were just taking about what to do with our concrete floor of our little cabin- the bare concrete is so dusty. This epoxy paint looks amazing- now I have a solution.

  14. this would be amazing for my poor garage floor would make this mama happy parking her car in there each day!!!!!!!!!