Garage Floor

[oldthrower50]

As I sit looking out the window at the snow, I am dreaming up things to do once the weather breaks.  One pet project is my garage floor.  It's an old, one car garage...and the floor is pitted, dusty and just a mess (although no oil stains)

Anyone ever paint/epoxy theirs?  I am sure many of you have.  Any thoughts, product suggestions, horror stories....pictures?

Thanks...and Happy Valk Year!

[Hooter]

Yup I have. The big thing is to make sure its clean before you do the epoxy thing. I rented a concrete grinder from the area rental and did the whole floor. Then I sprayed it out, squeeged the floor and let it dry for a couple three days. then I went after it with the epoxy.

No different than a paint job, its all in the prep. The only thing I've seen happen (not with mine) : is that hot tires can remove the paint. I park outside for a half hour before I park  anything on it. Never had a problem.  

[Titan]

I put an epoxy coating on mine when I built it and it's still holding up today. I've never had a problem with hot tires causing any peeling or discoloration of any kind. It was a kit that I bought at Lowe's and I don't remember the name of it. The concrete was a couple of months old and completely clean. I cleaned it again before starting the job with an acid mix that was included in the kit and then hosed it down. Let it dry for three days and made sure it was completely dry by taping a small sheet of plastic onto the floor to see if any moisture developed under it. Then it was pretty much like painting anything else. Mix up the epoxy and put it down with a roller. Mine took two coats which I didn't expect. That made it twice as expensive than I figured on but I haven't regretted it.

[bassman]

Three things....preparation, preparation and preparation !   

Grinding or acid as a prep...I had mine done and they used the grinding method.

The floor can be slippery when wet or if you have snow in your area (not sure where you live) so sometimes adding those sandy granules gives a little texture to the floor to reduce slipping but it won't eliminate it - don't ask me how I know !  Also, the granules can be a pain if you're crawling around on the floor working on your Valk or anything else - not real bad but just enough to let you know they are there and can be a challenge if you are on your knees while wearing shorts.

Home Depot used to sell a garage floor epoxy product by Rust O'leum which is suppose to be fairly decent as long as the floor prep is done correctly.

Haven't had the hot tire issue with my floor but after about 10 years the color has begun to fade and have noticed some "water spots" in certain areas of the floor that I can't seem to clean up.  Be cautious  of dropping things on the floor as it will chip down to the bare concrete and if not treated or repaired the chip could spread / flake further.

Bottom line is we are very happy with our floor.  Easy to sweep up, hose down, mop up etc.

[FLAVALK]

How the hell do you people keep such neat garages?  Mine always looks like a junkyard. 

[Hooter]

   I do believe one could eat in there!

[WamegoRob]

What you call a garage, I now refer to as "inspiration".
Here's hoping that some time before spring mine looks half that good.

[Jeff K]

I always talk about doing something with my shop floor. But My coating guy says nothing will escape damage from Plasma and welding sparks. So Rather than fight that issue I just deal with my ugly floor.

[PharmBoy]

I put down Sherwin Williams epoxy on my shop floor and added the enclosed package of abrasive to each gallon when mixing.  Being new concrete, the prep was nothing more than sweeping and then running a wet squeege over it a couple of times.  The surface is great, not slippery even when wet, and anything that is spilled (even lacquer thinner) wipes right up without harming the finnish.  My aircraft mechanic used the same epoxy on his shop 8-10 years ago, works on it every day, and it still looks fine.  He did say that the preperation took some time.  First removing all the oil spots and then treating it with acid and washing down with soap & water before a rinse and squeege treatment.  Anything that you do to a floor is a lot of work, but the results are well worth the effort if done properly....Jim



Later Photo

[Spirited-6]

What you call a garage, I now refer to as "inspiration".
Here's hoping that some time before spring mine looks half that good.

I agree. Titan, you don`t have near enought "STUFF" in your garage. 

[R J]

I always talk about doing something with my shop floor. But My coating guy says nothing will escape damage from Plasma and welding sparks. So Rather than fight that issue I just deal with my ugly floor.

This current garage is like what JeffK does.    Clean up best I can and go.
 
My garage in California when we built it, my closest neighbor, 1/2 mile away was a concrete guy.

I went over and talked to him, he said when ya get ready to start, let me know so I can lay the floor before ya go any further.     He mixed a paint or something similar when he mixed the concrete.   It had a little tint of Blue to it.

Once a year, move stuff outside, wash it down with the pressure washer, squeegee it dry, and haul the stuff back in.

Had it over 20 years and not an ounce of a problem with it.

When I sold the place, it looked almost as good as the day it was poured.

[F6TRVLR]

  In my experience the RustOleum brand from Home Depot is pure junk. Did exactly as the directions said and the paint does not stick. You must use a 2 part true epoxy for it to stay on the concrete. My floor will blister with just water on it. I have scraped most of the 1400 square feet of paint I have put down.

[Rams]

Having worked in quite a few factories, I've seen floor coatings from A to Z.  While I think they look good, I'm not sure I'd put one down.  Extra work to prep the floor, extra dollars to purchase and apply it and when you get done, what you have is a pretty floor.  I didn't build my shop to make the floor pretty.  Yeah, I know about slip coatings also.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking floor coatings but, I just don't see the need.  Depends on what your goal is.   Yes, there is always a reason and if it's a good enough reason for the person paying for it then that works for me also.  Me, I have poured more concrete that I ever care to remember.  My concrete shop floor is exactly what I wanted, flat, smooth, 4K lb, 4 to 6 inches thick depending on where where talking about, steel rebar, no fiberglass strands and perfectly oil stained. 

[alph]

it's amazing how people judge you by the garage you keep.  to me, this is a person that hires out everthing, not that he's too lazy to do it them selves, but because he's got the money to do it.
now, i've got a brother (i refer to him as the a$$hole) and his garage is the same, but that's because he's too stupid to know how to change his own oil.  he'd probably empty his differencial oil instead of his engine oil, then proudly brag about how smart he is!!

i've got a messy as hell garage, i'll clean it once a year, and that's only to make room for two vehicles to fit in during the winter (hate scraping frost off).   

by the way, i wish i could keep my garage that tighty.  looks good. 

[Jess from VA]

My shed floor is double marine grade plywood.  I keep it carpeted with remnants, and run the vacuum every year or so.   

[oldthrower50]

yeah...my garage is full of stuff...sports stuff, bike stuff....the typical OTHER

Paint isnt for looks, it's an attempt to make it a little more maintainable.  It's old and a little pitted.  It sheds dust and holds dirt. 

Maybe I'll just keep my bike in one of your empty, spotless, organized man caves??

[steve 3054]

I have tried the all and they are all good...;when doing stain also put down shark skin from Sherwin Williams....if nothing else it keeps down the concrete dust and the appearence to much nicer...I also have carpeted my garage so that when I am liying on the floor waxing my bikes, I stay clean...

[Michvalk]

Ther is a large difference between a garage floor, and a shop floor to me. A garage attached to the house should be neat and orderly, not necessarily where you would do heavy maintaince. A shop is where the welders and grinders and oil changes ect. happen. In my mind the garage gets some kind of coating to help appearance and ease of cleaning. The shop gets a liberal coating of rust preventor, and scraped down once a year. My shop makes a junkyard look neat and orderly. Now that i'm retired, we will change that

[MNBill]

Mine did good until I did brakes once,,,, brake fluid ate through it. I got the little sprinkles (chips I guess) and spread them around. Whoever did the cement in my garage made it too smooth and it was always slippery if wet or if you had a little snow on your feet. Paint and chips solved that problem.

[Bigdog]

I too am pondering the right kind of sealer for my "NEW" concrete floor just poured a month ago.
it's in a 40x64 pole barn.  I know its alot of SQ. Ft.  
I'm not wanting a color , or flakes, etc...
just sealed against gas, oil, etc....
There are so many different sealers out there  it's confusing...

[fudgie]

The fire station I'm based at had it done. It sucks. Shows dirt and water spots very well esp that dirty snow. It is very slippery even after the grit. Thats why I have not done mine.

[Hoovey]

For anyone looking for more information on garage floor coatings check out this Garage forum lots of discussion here.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=20

[Rams]

I tend to agree with Fudgie.  Yes, I put a clear coating on my new concrete way back when.  It did a fine job for a while but, regardless of what I did, it seemed like stuff was always getting spilled or dropped while cars/trucks were up on the lift.  The effort to maintain it was more than I was willing to expend on it.  That floor needs to be stripped and acid washed again.  Now, that floor is swept after every vehicle leaves the shop and yes it is stained.  I consider it proof that I was actually out there doing something.  

I built a shop to work in, not a show place to work at keeping clean.  Everything has it's place and as long as I don't let my friends, my son's friends and my son work out there alone, it pretty much stays relatively clean and things are put there they belong.  Every has a place and everything is in it's place.  At least that's my goal.  The other unique thing about my shop is it's acoustics.

For some reason, voices in the higher octave levels don't seem to carry in the shop.    It wasn't designed that way but, it does seem to be a physical phenomenon.  I've tried to explain it to my wife and the other women that come into my shop.   If you want to get my attention while I'm out there, higher octive sounds like voices don't travei in the shop, you almost have to get my attention visually by flashing something that I can't ignore.      So far, the wife hasn't gotten the message.  It seems her idea of something visual is a large wrench flying through the air toward  me.  

Just goes to prove, they seem to forget what got our attention back before the Ice Age.  

[mario]

I put an epoxy coating on mine when I built it and it's still holding up today. I've never had a problem with hot tires causing any peeling or discoloration of any kind. It was a kit that I bought at Lowe's and I don't remember the name of it. The concrete was a couple of months old and completely clean. I cleaned it again before starting the job with an acid mix that was included in the kit and then hosed it down. Let it dry for three days and made sure it was completely dry by taping a small sheet of plastic onto the floor to see if any moisture developed under it. Then it was pretty much like painting anything else. Mix up the epoxy and put it down with a roller. Mine took two coats which I didn't expect. That made it twice as expensive than I figured on but I haven't regretted it.

that's not a garage-that's a drivethru doctor's office waiting room.   

[G-Man]

I have a very similar bike stand.  How did you mount it to the wood so that the bolts don't damage the floor.  Are the bolt heads countersunk from underneath?

[cookiedough]

I tend to agree with Alph.  2 car garage attached to the house only thing I have done twice in 20 years since poured concrete is first year put a heavy coat of thompsons waterseal spread all over before it got too dirty, etc.  This really helped a lot I think to make it last so long still pretty good shape, not like new but certainly not looking 20 years old either.  I think all garage floors are somewhat smoother finish and when get wet can easily slip and fall, trust me have done it several times in the winter or when raining out falled on my keester.

I don't see the need to epoxy coat the garage floor.  Heck, I still haven't sheetrocked my garage now in 20 years and still have the insulation wrapped with plastic on the walls.  Might not look the best, but does the job fine for me.  If I had a fancier house, larger garage, and warmer down south climates,  I might consider it though??  I have a tough enough time to fit my cycle, scooter, tool holder,  garden hose reels, etc. in front of both the SUV and truck with mere inches to spare for winter use. 

If I was interested in moving or selling,  then a selling point though would be a nice, tidy garage floor and walls.  Guess I am not moving anytime soon???

[PharmBoy]

G-Man, I used carriage bolts and ground off all but about 1/16" of the round head.  Then they were easy to countersink into the underside of the plywood using a flat blade bit.  Countersink before drilling the bolt holes.  Also, if you use the correct size bit for the bolt hole they hold rather well and no bolt head ever touches the floor...Jim

[G-Man]

G-Man, I used carriage bolts and ground off all but about 1/16" of the round head.  Then they were easy to countersink into the underside of the plywood using a flat blade bit.  Countersink before drilling the bolt holes.  Also, if you use the correct size bit for the bolt hole they hold rather well and no bolt head ever touches the floor...Jim

[czuch]

Hummmmph. Youre supposed to be able to see the garage floor??