Garagelopnik

"LastFirstMI is my name" (donstone13)
08/14/2018 at 12:22 • Filed to: I’m too old for this

It looks better in photos than in real life, but hopefully my day job will keep me from having to make it as a dry wall installer. Next I need a workbench and some better lighting. I’m still undecided on whether I want to do something with the floor- maybe one of those acrylic or polyamide coatings, and would appreciate any garage maestros chiming in. Any products to avoid, anything that’s cheap, fast, and easy?

DISCUSSION (19)

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 12:35

A floor coating is totally worth it. Alas, I cannot afford my own garage, but my dad put a liner on his floor and loves it.

crowmolly > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 12:36

Biggest floor questions:

1.) Has the concrete been sealed already (looks like it)?

2.) Any bad oil stains?

3.) How “hard core” do you plan on getting with the work done in the garage ? General maintenance or cutting, welding, etc.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 12:39

I’m lazy and my garage floor is shit, so I’m looking at those rubber click-together floors to cover what I got. Expoxying the floor is very hard to get right, from what I’ve heard, especially if you get anything by way of dirt blown in.

crowmolly > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
08/14/2018 at 12:46

Best for newish concrete or concrete that’s not all shitted up.

Racedeck or the equivalent is nice and is replaceable but is also more expensive.

Oats > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 12:56

I have had good luck with Rustoleum Epoxy Shield. It is just the standard stuff you can get at Home Depot. I helped my brother in law put it in their garage (Gray color) . We then put it in mother’s garage as well (Tan color) . Both garages were only a few years old and had no sealants on them. We did buy extra etch and did that step twice.

We did learn in my brother in laws garage that they don’t give you many color chips and that the chips themselves will stain. So when I did my mom’s garage we bought a ton of extra chips and the clearcoat. The extra chips made it look much better and the clear keeps the chips from staining.

It has been 4-5 years and both still look great. The gray did discolor where it is outside the garage door. The tan didn’t, not sure if the clear helped or if it was just because of the color.

Textured Soy Protein > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 13:05

SO MUCH ROOM FOR ACTIVITIES

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 13:25

I use the swistrak Costco knockoff floor system. Works great. Nice to walk on in the winter too. All the drips go to the nearest seam and under the floor, so no walking in puddles. I’ll be installing it in our next house as well.

facw > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 13:29

The white ep ox y type floor covering stuff looks so good. I’m mean of course it shows dirt super easily (though should also be easy to clean), but it just seems to increase the ambient light in the room so much, and especially the amount of light under cars.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 13:46

The only floor coatings that I’ve seen hold up in are two-part epoxy paints, and I’ve helped do one shop floor that was 30+ year old slab being painted for the first time. The success, or not, of the coating will depend on prep. De- grease the crap out of the floor, etch with HCl and coat with a two-part epoxy. A good respirator is needed for this job.

LastFirstMI is my name > crowmolly
08/14/2018 at 14:08

I don’t think it has been sealed, it’s just new.

I’ll do a little grinding (metal fab kind, no twerking) and might get a welder, but mostly it will be for parking and routine wrench-turning.

LastFirstMI is my name > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
08/14/2018 at 14:11

Thanks, I’ll look into that. We just moved from Sam’s-anistan to The People’s Re public of Costco, and I love everything except their beer. Their “craft” beer is like Natty Light without the irony of drinking crappy beer.

crowmolly > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 14:14

You can probably do an epoxy then. Just get it VERY clean, do the acid etch, and make sure you take your time. For what it’s worth I’d see about getting industrial grade epoxy. Hardware stuff is not as good.

LastFirstMI is my name > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
08/14/2018 at 14:26

That’s what I had heard, and why I’m a little hesitant to jump in unless I can make it look decent.

LastFirstMI is my name > crowmolly
08/14/2018 at 14:28

But I wanted fast, cheap, and good ! Oh yeah, you can only get 2 of the 3 when it comes to construction.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 14:30

Our local Costco carries variety packs of Lakefront Brewery, I’ve never touched the Kirkland branded stuff though

LastFirstMI is my name > Oats
08/14/2018 at 15:05

Good ideas, thanks!

Nom De Plume > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 16:28

My thought is mentally construct every use it will see from the ceiling down and draft your plans in the same manner. Everything is going to find its way down or weigh down something in a certain area. If you are going to welding and grinding it is best to put something down on top of your hardwearing concrete treatment in only that spot and only when needed.

Basically worry about the floor last and it will last.

LastFirstMI is my name > Nom De Plume
08/14/2018 at 20:13

This makes sense

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > LastFirstMI is my name
08/14/2018 at 20:28

Yeah Costco is a good place. Those floor tiles are manufactured by the race deck manufacture or something like that, they aren’t as thick though. But you can still interchange some of their other floor tiles into the system from Costco. They are quite a bit less expensive than the race Deck product. Only thing I’ve had an issue with is bolt cutoffs. They will melt into the floor. But that’s only happened one time.