Printable View
So, considering I spent the last 12 hours prepping my new shop floor, and POS and Sammm were there 6 hours each, and the floor is still not ready for paint, epoxy, mark-a-lots, or anything else to cover it, I got to thinking...
How big of a deal is it to have the floor painted, epoxied, sealed, etc.? Sure - its purdy - but beyond that, how much better is it for cleaning, safety, or any reason?
If you have it epoxied it will make cleanup of spills much easier.
RJ
Epoxy is the ONLY way to go. No stains, easy cleanup and durable.
Paint doesn't last. Ask Gary Shuhart (TrackDog). His is chipping and he wants to redo it.
As for bare, we all know how crappy that is.
I had painted floors a few houses ago. It looked great, until I used some no touch foam tire cleaner. I pulled the car out the next day, and the paint was bubbled and peeled under each wheel. It also seemed to get brittle over time. If got any wheel spin on the way out (easy on paint) it often would tear ckunks of paint. It very well coud have been a poor prep job or the wrong type of paint for the job, but it has soured me on trying it on my current house.
Considering you've already done 12 hours of prep work, why stop now. I vote epoxy that sucker and make it look good!!
Yea no ship! :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
How do you spend 12 hours on prep for 400 sqf of concrete? :shock: Was Monk supervising?Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
Shhhh!!! I think it was the help he had.. :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by Titus
24 man hours? :shock: :shock: :shock: :drink: :?:Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
BINGO on :arrow: :drink: :!: :wink:
I guess that has to be expected when you invite the Soul Plane!Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
http://www.dfwmiata.com/images/stori...hDays/full.jpg
OH - A NEW :nutkick: I'm just glad he has aligator hide :roll:Quote:
Originally Posted by Titus
The floor has about a dozen years of abuse from antique finishers and sloppy painters. It also has something about 1/8 inch thick right in the middle that is impervious to muratic acid. This was capped off by my attempt (with friend) to spray the walls with friend's now defunct sprayer.
To be fair, much of the time spent by POS and SAMMM was aimed at other parts of the house and sidewalk. SAMMM says I have more sidewalks than most neighborhoods! Sammm had a new power washer, and he even used it to clean my rock chimney on top of the house :shock: I don't think the washer qualifies as new anymore :oops:
I planned to do epoxy, but the guy I hired to paint the interior of the house said he would not recommend it. He says moisture in the concrete will cause the epoxy to pop loose just like the paint. He recommended I plan to paint every 4 or 5 years and let it go at that. He knew he wasn't getting the job, so there was no motive there.
I also have a huge lumber storage rack that will have to be slid across the newly painted/epoxied/bare floor in less than a month. If I go to all the trouble of doing the floor and the movers rip long gashes in it during the unloading, I will be very upset.
How about some sort of tile overlay... there are tons of garage specific tiles out there on the market.
I'll second that. I have seen some nice looking garages with garage tiles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
REJECTREJECTREJECTThat option was not part of the pole. REJECTREJECTREJECTQuote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
Actually, that is not something I've considered, but I think I might have to.
Maybe I'm just weird, but I kind of like having a bare concrete floor. I don't have to worry about paint or epoxy peeling up, it didn't cost me anything, and when stuff stains or etches it, I look at it, shrug my shoulders, and go on with what I was doing. I sweep it out once a month or so, use a shop vac around the edges and crevices once or twice a year, and that's about it as far as maintenance goes.
If you can't use epoxy bacuse of moisture creep, I'd probably skip it altogether. I can only imagine the mess hot Azenis would make of a painted floor in mid-August. Personally I find a peeling painted floor less attractive than a bare concrete one.
I have a bare concrete floor and have often thought about covering it... but, like, altiain, I usually just end up sweeping it out and vacuuming the corners and leave it at that...
My garage floor is painted with "hot tire" brand floor paint. It works quite well with spills of your normal oils and liquids, however it don't like it when you let gas evaporate on it.....it will scratch if you gouge it. When it comes time to repaint my floor I will probably go to Tractor Supply and buy some 4 x 8 1in. thick high density rubber mats for my new flooring. I think it would work quite well........maybe........
How about wall to wall shag?
http://www.rannysrugs.com/images/sha..._throw_rug.JPG
NAH - saving all the shag remnants for the van.Quote:
Originally Posted by droptop
Tile seemed interesting until I thought of oil spills and overspray.
Think I'll do a test for moisture and see what happens. Painter said put a piece of clear shipping tape on the floor for a few days and see if it collects water.
Old school trick I learned from a friend who did balance and blueprint:
wet the concrete
sprinkle TIDE over the surface or spot to be cleaned
scrub it in with a broom
let it set 10-20 min but don't let it dry
hose it off
admire the sparkley white concrete
This technique also improves your balance and agility. Tide is extremely slick when wet :!:
OK, I'll ask a stoopid question (do I ask any other kind? :oops: )...
Why is vinyl flooring a bad idea? It must be, because I never see any garages -- that are used as garages, with cars and everything -- with vinyl flooring. I'm guessing it must have something to do with the heat that builds up on tires. Or maybe it's because if you drop something on it, it will cut too easily?
altiain makes a good point about just leaving it bare, but I'd like my new garage floor to look purdy. :flower: I like the various tile products:But that stuff gets expensive fast! For example, I think the Kiwi Tile would cost me about $2,200 ($2.93 x 750 sq ft).
Is that good for old oil stains as well???Quote:
Originally Posted by onething
IIRC - just let it cook a while, and you may have to redampen it or reapply to get it all. I usually pile alot on the bad parts to insure having enough chemical to handle all the grime.Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
I can't over state this part:
TIDE IS EXTREMELY SLICK WHEN WET :!: :!: :!:
Are you saying you fell and broke a hip? :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by onething
Gotta vote for the epoxy here. I have my floor done in a nice light grey epoxy and love it. It's pretty darn durable. I haven't had any peeling problems at all. It does get a little marred when you weld over it, but I do all of that in one bay, and there's usually a car parked over it. Heck, it still looks better than bare. You do have to be careful with sharp things, though, which is not too difficult.
Here's how I see it...
Advantages:
- LOTS more light, especially when you're under the car
- Very easy to clean up spills and leaks (just mop it up)
- You can get it "eat off it" clean, which is nice for some projects
- It looks awesome
Disadvantages:
- Time consuming to apply
- Must be careful with sharp objects (and fire, though not as careful)
If you can afford it (at the time) and have the time, go for it!
Edit:
Had some other thoughts, too. You always have "bare concrete" in the driveway for things you don't want to do over your epoxy. And you DEFINITELY don't want paint, or even that Rust-o-leum stuff. The stuff on my floor came from Sherwin Williams, if that helps (though I was lazy and paid to have it done when the house was finished and before I moved in). It was a two-part epoxy. The leftover stuff dried to a hard "rubbery" block in the bucket, which explains some of the properties of the epoxy when it's on the floor. :)
Chuck
I have to say, having personally seen ccage's garage floor, it is very nicely done.
We've all seen ccage's garage floor, and I'd have to agree... purdy! :flower:Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
But I'm talking up close and personal... that epoxy has a really nice texture to it. And the finish is awesome... I'd be afraid to mar or nick it
I have had both, the black and white tile and two-part epoxy stuff. The only problem I had with the tile was a bit of yellowing if a car is parked in one place for any length of time. I have done the epoxy on the last three garages I have owned, and have never been sorry. One thing I like about epoxy is you can raise the car and slide under it without need of a creeper, yet it's not so slick you are likely to fall and bust your buns. And, it looks good and it's easy to clean... :D
Can someone give me an idea on cost to do the epoxy? Say for a "standard" 20'x20' garage?
About a hundred bucks, give or take. Somebody on here probably knows of some obscure online retailer where you can get it for $6.95, but budgeting $100 for the job is reasonable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave04
I still have the epoxy but haven't yet applied it. This rollbar project got in the way... :evil:
S.
Sherwin Williams stuff is $99 and will do 600 sq ft.
I was misquoted at the store
Saturday 2/5
Today, I paid $200 for enough epoxy to cover 460 sq ft. This may have been a higher grade but the guy swears this is the good stuff. FDA approved!!!
It went down pretty well considering the condition of the floor - very coarse - think 40 grit sandpaper with creases and pits. It really made the imperfections stand out while it was wet and shiney. Hopefully, it will look better dry, but either way, at that price, it aint gettin another coat.