Home Depot Kit vs. a Professional Tile-Clad System

I've been asked about The Home Depot DIY epoxy kits. They run you around $200 and it's sitting right there in the paint aisle. Seems pretty straight forward, right? And, for a quick and simple DIYer, absolutely, go for it! I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's not a decent product. What I will tell you is that I've replaced Home Depot epoxy kits that were either not installed right, or were showing serious signs of wear and peeling after only a couple years of light use.

Those kits are typically a one-part epoxy paint. This is a thin and water-based, and designed to be applied by a homeowner in an afternoon. They bond to the surface rather than into it, which means they're only as good as whatever they're sticking to. On concrete that hasn't been properly prepped they start peeling within a year or two. Sometimes sooner. Again, in a temperate climate with minimal rainfall, you might be able to get away with this for a few years (maybe).

Tile-Clad is a two-part industrial epoxy system made by Sherwin-Williams. It's what gets used on factory floors, aircraft hangars, and commercial spaces that see real punishment. When it goes down on properly prepped concrete it's not just sitting on top of the surface. It's actually penetrating below the surface and grabbing on like teeth, making the bond MUCH more secure and durable. Add two coats of Armorseal Rexthane clear coat on top and you're looking at a floor system that's chemically resistant, impact resistant, and built to last decades. This particular clear coat is perfect for the Treasure Valley because it doesn't yellow or stain with our changes in weather throughout the year.

The other difference is prep. A Home Depot or Lowe's kit comes with a light acid wash packet and instructions that take about twenty minutes. A professional prep job depends on the space. We're looking for a garage floor surface that feels like 120 grit sand paper. This gives the epoxy something to bond INto, not just ONto. If a garage floor has the chemical additive that creates a polished look, we'll need to grind that polish off before applying. Sometimes all we need to do is pressure washing, degreasing, and full acid etching with 48-72 hours of dehumidifier drying before laying down our epoxy coat. That prep work as part of the process is what ultimately determines how long the floor lasts. The coating is almost secondary.

If you want to do something to your garage floor this weekend and you're okay redoing it in a few years, the kit is fine. If you want to do it once and not think about it again, that's the difference. Shoot us a message for a free quote.