Question:
Does anyone know the differences between the (far more expensive) 2
part epoxy garage floor paints vs. the less expensive 1 parts(no
mixing)? I recently bought a Quikrete 2 part epoxy floor paint kit for
my garage. The kits are around $60, but you can't buy the paint alone!
I needed 3 more gallons and would have had to buy 3 more kits. SO, I
saw right NEXT to the Quikrete kit, a product also made by Quikrete
called "seal-krete" for garage floors and other concrete surfaces. It
claims to be "one part epoxy" and makes very similar claims about
durability, heat resistance, etc. This paint sells for $25/gallon. So,
I bought the closest color match and have almost finished the floor. I
painted over the remaining "good" epoxy paint after it had cured for
about 12 hours (hope the new stuff sticks OK).
Admittedly, it seems the two part was thicker, glossier, etc.
Interestingly enough it also didn't cover nearly as much space per
gallon as the cheaper paint did. I just wonder how the MFG can make
nearly the same claims about these two different types of paint. How
does the epoxy even work in a 1 part kit? I always thought epoxy
required "activation" as in the 2 part kits. Any ideas/experience on
this would be appreciated.
Answer:
You would have been happier with the 2 part epoxy paint. Too bad you were
too cheap to use it. In short, it can't be epoxy if you don't have an
activator to mix in to it. Epoxy paints harden via chemical reaction, they
don't "dry".
That said, I painted my garage floor with regular oil-base "porch and floor"
paint years ago before this epoxy paint became all the rage. It held up
well to foot traffic and some types of damage. Snowblower chains and
hot-tire pickup have been a problem though. It will make you a nice floor,
it just won't be as durable as epoxy.
