Check "pool supplies" for the acid if you have trouble finding it. Also, "ceramic tile " cleaning area.

 

If you're not driving on it, it will hold up fine.
A buddy used the rustoleam. Looked nice, but his tires would take it up, redone it a couple times in 3yrs. Hot tires are the worst. And he did a stout muratic acid wash on new (fully cured, 6mo, but never in service).
The cleaner you buy at HD or Lowes is just extra diluted muratic acid. I'd get muratic and mix your own. The deeper the etch, better the bond, but keep it off the driveway and hose the **** out of it, or your driveway will be prepped too!
Don't grout in any joints, or cracks. If you want to seal the cracks use epoxy. There are products that will bond cracks quite well.
If you want to caulk the control jts, do it after paint, not before. NP1 is good stuff. Big stretch is another. If it's going to be a garage/workshop (you're making a man cave though, right?), don't caulk the jts, IMO.
If you want it to really last an be durable, I'd reccomend Sherwin Williams, Macro Poxy 646?? I think. It's a high solids industrial coating. Held up for 2 years in my shop now with only minor chips that actually chip the conc and a couple little spots lifted, but there was paint and stain all over the floor before coating and I didn't take the time to sand that stuff off. 5yrs of service in the loading bays on my last job, so far. Only cost you about $200 to do a 2 car garage.

 

The reason I want to caulk the expansion joints is because I'm tired of dirt and crap getting in them... they're fairly deep. (inch and a half)

 

Epoxy is not a good product to use in the control joints you describe. They were cut to relieve stress and control the location of cracks while the concrete cured. Hopefully the concrete has cured by now. However the concrete is still subject to expansion and contraction with fluctuation of both moisture and temperature. A true expansion joint will be the full depth of the slab, and most likely already have an asphalt impregnated sheathing about 1/2 " thick which allows for expansion and contraction. Again, use an elastomertic caulk. Note I believe SL-1 onlt comes in a concrete gray color. NP-1 comes in a variety of colors. Also be careful if you use SL-1......it runs like crazy.

 

Shortly after I built my garage, my lady friends son was a painter and he used Sherwin Williams epoxy concrete paint on my floor. One thing that I did, and am glad I did was add the grit to the paint before it went on the floor. That epoxy paint is slick stuff. My tires don't stick but my feet have slipped a bit several times.

I get these hump backed cave crickets in my garage and I've seen them trying to jump. They jump until they die from exhaustion but can't get anywhere it's that slick.

 

You can buy ground glass (grit) from a paint store to mix into the paint.

 

Yeah, I was wondering where to get that.


And another thing...

Can I do half one weekend, half another weekend? Should not be a problem, right?

 

Homer / Lowe's has the non slip additive for the coating it should be next to the rusto paint..

The epoxy will have a re-coat time of 24 hrs (don't mix anymore than you need).. anything past that you have to lightly sand for the next layer to stick too. One coat should give you good coverage.. so just do a tape line down the middle and you will be fine..

 

You guys are awesome... I was going to paint all of the first kit, and use the second one the next weekend. Just trying to keep all the stuff inside.

 

I think the kit is rated for 250 sq ft do your math and mix accordingly I believe it is a 1/4? ratio on the water-base.. if you have leftovers just extend the tape area. After your done painting pull the tape before the paint cures all the way or it might not pull..

 

Here's some pics of a mudroom / pantry I did with the rusto:









Now get to work!

 

I've also used "playground" or "sandbox" sand for grit. You can get that at Lowe's. I cut in the edges one day and do the rest of the floor over the next few days, but we are painting 1000's of square feet

 

You spray or roll the big sections?

 

Roll..............easier for clean up and less vapors to worry about........goes on fast.

 

Just pour it in a regular roller tray, right?