Epoxy...Garage and Lanai Floors
 

Got estimates from 2 contractors highly recommended on this site.

One indicated epoxy with clear coat is not appropriate for a very small lanai concrete floor that gets wet on outside edge when raining (through screen); the other contractor says it is fine.

Also, one says the clear coat never has to be reapplied, while the other says reapply once a year (or less, dependent upon usage). Both use same epoxy product but possibly different clear coat?

Thoughts from those who have had this process done????

Had our garage floor done and note where it get wets at the door edge because the door is up or screen is down when it starts raining the epoxy finish has turned " milky ". That fits with what the one contractor said about the outside lanai edges where they would get wet. As to the clear coat, in a garage I'd not think a recoat is needed. Our contractor said nothing about it.

In any case, you need to have 'shark grip' added to the epoxy (with no clear coat), or to the clear coat, or you will tend to end up with a skating rink when every the floor is wet.
Hope this helps.

Like many people, we had Tim Miller epoxy our garage floor and it turned out great. When our house was being built, we had 'cool deck' put on our lanai floor and on our front walkway and it looks beautiful.

yes tim miller.

Thank you for specifically addressing my questions!!

As VillageTinker stated, I strongly recommend using Shark Grip mixed in the clear coat.

If you use a clear coat on the Lanai make sure it is UV protected...I have only seen ONE job in which it was. The clear coat type commonly found WILL yellow in the sun. I know they make one that does not, I do not know the brand.

My epoxy coat on my garage turned out great...I did do it myself, but I have noticed down toward the end of my garage it has yellowed a bit from sun exposure.

Personally, I would do a good 2 part epoxy coat with clearcoat on my garage and either a cool touch finish or have Go Concrete do my Lanai floor. Garage epoxy is an option on a Lanai once you KNOW the clear coat will not yellow.

Frank

Does tim miller have a phone number ?

Of course ... 352-217-0561

Epoxy vs stencile
 

Is epoxy the same as stenciled? At the Christmas open houses I saw a couple lanais that looked like they had been painted to resemble stone or tile. Someone said they had been stenciled. Is this the same process? I'm thinking of enclosing my lanai and thought this process might be cheaper than having the floor tiled.

Epoxy, is similar to paint, but much tougher, and typically a single color or a single color with speckles applied. The stone/tile finishes are probably a stamped concrete, but there are many variations, so it would probably be best to ask.
My step son does tiling, and he uses a special membrane between the lanai concrete and the new tile to prevent cracks in the concrete from getting to the tile, not sure if they do this with the stamped concrete, also something to ask. The cut lines in the lanais are stress cuts, so that when the concrete cracks (and it will crack) the cracks will occur where the cuts were placed. Your flooring contractor needs to take this into account so that you do not end up with cracks in your new floor.
Hope this helps.

No.....two part epoxy is usually done on garage floors. i have only seen one done in a Lanai. The clear coat can yellow if exposed to copious amounts of Sun...(except in that one case where the owner said his would not, could not verify)

Stenciled is usually just painted on with concrete paint.

A relief finish, that looks like stamped concrete is done by Go Concrete. They have a website, etc. Typically done on driveways, walks, patios and Lanais.

Tile can be considered....if you like to think out of the box, there is also plastic garage tile that hooks together and is grated, etc, for water to go through, and Ikea even sells locking together plastic and Teak wood slatted tiles that lay over the floor. Easy installation, looks great, can be removed and is wall to wall....great look.

Hope that helps....

Frank

racedeck dot com