There are almost as many floor coatings as there are floors. It can be quite bewildering and confusing.
Narrowing the products to liquid coatings suitable for residential and small shop floors that can be installed by the homeowner cuts down that number, which simplifies things a bit.
The primary choice and probably the best option is a two part epoxy coating, can't get much easier than that, right?
They are simple enough for the average home owner to apply, they can last a long time, they can be very attractive, and they're relatively inexpensive.
But, just when you thought it would be simple, things get complicated again because there are dozens, if not hundreds, of different floor epoxies to choose from.
I represent a company, Wolverine Coatings Corporation, that formulates and manufactures their own coatings. They alone have in excess of 1,000 different coating available. From Boeing planes to nuclear facilities they coat all sorts of materials in all types of extreme environments.
They've developed a few epoxies specifically for garage and shop floors - one that applies easily and has excellent durability. The epoxies are primarily 100% solids, and that one of the most important factors to look for. There are two reasons for this.
First is that there generally isn't any reason not to make a 100% solids epoxy formula - other than padding the profits. There are a few products that require a non-solids agent, but even in those cases there should be as little as possible. A lot of the DIY coatings out there are only 40% solids. This means that if you buy $10 worth of product, $6 of it will evaporate and only $4 out of your tenner will stay on your floor. But it gets worse.
Note that with a less than 100% solids coating even if you put down enough material so that it drys to a depth equal to a 100% solids coating it wont offer the same performance. A coating diluted with a water or solvents would probably be a bit performance challenged because it would be riddled with microscopic tunnels created as the extenders percolated to the surface during curing in order to evaporate. In essence you end up with a swiss cheese coating riddled with holes and tunnels. Microscopic voids that not only compromise strength, but can also trap spills and dirt, making it more difficult to clean and easier to stain.
Coating your own floor can save you a ton of money, and your floor can be equal to one a pro would install, but remember that whether you go with a cheap coating or a premium coating your biggest expense will probably be your time. So don't spend that time and energy doing a good job prepping the floor only to coat it with an inferior coating that will exhibit early lifting and failure.
