Freshening up the garage

[clmeue37]

I bought a house earlier this year with a 22'x16' attached garage. The walls were already drywalled and it has a natural gas heater hanging in the back corner. I've never parked my vehicles inside and don't plan to in this one. This is my workshop, toy storage, and man cave all in one. The "wainscoting" is pallet boards I got for free from work. The brown paint in the one pic is the color I am painting the rest of the walls. I know it's dark but I'm adding a couple more fluorescent light fixtures. Besides I like the poop brown lol. Future additions will be some shelving, the mini beer fridge, and tv. I also keep an old laptop in the garage which has my music and PDF manuals on it for convenience.

I have a question for you guys about coating the floor. What have you guys used and had success with? I won't be parking a heavy vehicle on it but will pull my truck in there from time to time. Any suggestions or comments are welcome! Just doing the best I can with what I have :)

[Flyingw]

I had coated my floor four times with the Rustoleum garage floor coating system. It didn't last more than a couple of years. I had tire lift too since my wife insists on parking in the garage. Finally I had had enough and had it professionally done by Garage Experts. I LOVE MY FLOOR!!!!!! They came in and ground all the old coatings off and applied their coating. The coating Garage Experts use allows the concrete to breathe. The DIY type coatings from Lowes and Home Depot are crap in my opinion. If you want a nice looking durable floor, have it professionally done. I hate bare concrete. Coating your floor will make cleaning the floor easier, the light is instantly better by about 30%, and it feels good under your feet.

[bkm]

I see you have one of those damn wife's also who insist on parking in the garage. I was talking to yeagerb the other day and told him I'm going to copy off of you and line my garage walls with cabinets like your garage. I love looking at your setup.

[sledcrazyinCT]

I agree about the $40 a can at lowes or depot is not gonna last. The rustoleum floor coating will lift over time.

Spend some money and buy a two part floor epoxy from Sherwin Williams or Pratt & Lambert this stuff will hold up to abuse. Also prep the concrete with muriatic acid after you degrease and pressure wash the floors...prep is key to long lasting paint adhesion

[El Camexican]

I had coated my floor four times with the Rustoleum garage floor coating system. It didn't last more than a couple of years. I had tire lift too since my wife insists on parking in the garage. Finally I had had enough and had it professionally done by Garage Experts. I LOVE MY FLOOR!!!!!! They came in and ground all the old coatings off and applied their coating. The coating Garage Experts use allows the concrete to breathe. The DIY type coatings from Lowes and Home Depot are crap in my opinion. If you want a nice looking durable floor, have it professionally done. I hate bare concrete. Coating your floor will make cleaning the floor easier, the light is instantly better by about 30%, and it feels good under your feet.

Wow! That looks GREAT! I assume welding on that is out of the question?

[Flyingw]

I do light welding if you can call it that but I try to protect the floor.

[atc007]

Awesome thread! Love your pallets 37! Poly them,and they'll be there looking great longer than us. Great tip on the floors Jim. I too would have been posing this question building my Sons. I'm going in all barrels loaded trying to give him a real nice space to work. Like yours Jim lol.. Bryan,,I bet she's not a damn Wife when you roll over and feel that hot soft body :)

[bkm]

Awesome thread! Love your pallets 37! Poly them,and they'll be there looking great longer than us. Great tip on the floors Jim. I too would have been posing this question building my Sons. I'm going in all barrels loaded trying to give him a real nice space to work. Like yours Jim lol.. Bryan,,I bet she's not a damn Wife when you roll over and feel that hot soft body :)
She calls herself the damn wife.lol Whenever I have a moment and she brings me back to reality she always says "oh I know, that damn wife is right again" I just agree and move along.

[atc007]

Ahhhhh yes :)

[Caminofeld]

I had had enough and had it professionally done by Garage Experts. I feels good yo.

How much did they charge you? I'm planning on doing a rubberized floor coating and re-drylocking the basement this fall. Do you think the Lowes stuff would last longer if it's just occasional foot traffic or is it just complete junk? What prep did you do to the concrete before applying it? Thanks.

[Caminofeld]

Also have to give clmeue37 and FlyingW compliments on some very nice trikes:)

[Flyingw]

My garage floor was $1800.00. They came in a ground the concrete removing all previous coatings. Normally the prep is to wash the floor with a mild acid solution. Grinding is recommended. The air temp when applying the HD or Lowes type of coatings should not be more than 75deg. You can go to Rustoleum's web site or even YouTube and research the process. For a non-workshop type of floor that will only get foot traffic, the Rustoleum type of coating should hold up just fine. For me, my floor was worth every penny. I spend allot of time working in my garage especially during the Winter and I'm usually padding around out there in my socks. The finish on my floor makes the garage feel like a room and not a garage with a slab of concrete. The overlayment type of floors like Race Deck are fine until you spill some oil and have to clean under it. Ceramic tile is an option but it does have to be installed right to hold the weight of a vehicle. There are many type of industrial grade coatings you can put down yourself but the quality of the finish is only as good as the prep and they typically have a real pungent stink while the coating is curing. For a basemant, there is a moisture test you need to do on the concrete first to determine if moisture leeching up through the concrete is going to be a problem.

[yaegerb]

I bought a house earlier this year with a 22'x16' attached garage. The walls were already drywalled and it has a natural gas heater hanging in the back corner. I've never parked my vehicles inside and don't plan to in this one. This is my workshop, toy storage, and man cave all in one. The "wainscoting" is pallet boards I got for free from work. The brown paint in the one pic is the color I am painting the rest of the walls. I know it's dark but I'm adding a couple more fluorescent light fixtures. Besides I like the poop brown lol. Future additions will be some shelving, the mini beer fridge, and tv. I also keep an old laptop in the garage which has my music and PDF manuals on it for convenience.

I have a question for you guys about coating the floor. What have you guys used and had success with? I won't be parking a heavy vehicle on it but will pull my truck in there from time to time. Any suggestions or comments are welcome! Just doing the best I can with what I have :)

I have done 3 floors for guys who needed help and I can tell you the do-it-yourself stuff is the way to go when the house is brand new, NOT when its had oil/gas/you name it impregnated in the floor. 2/3 times the floors peeled, chipped because of our preparation (which we thought was adequate). The 2 that didn't work, the floors were well used (like a garage should be) and we used approx 20 coats of muratic acid wash with a power washer in-between and they looked great to the untrained eye. IMO the only way to properly prep OLD floors is to diamond grind then acid wash, but that isn't cheap by any means. I am with Jim on this one, if you really want to go that route, spend the extra $$$ and get it professionally done.

[Flyingw]

Amen Brother.... Nothing worse than spending all the time, effort, and money on a floor that fails in no time. I did it four times and that was enough for me. Now I just enjoy my floor. The Garage Expert guys will come out and repair two chips at no cost and if I really screw it up, They are there to fix it. Their selection of colors was I believe 11 colors and about as many choices in flake color and size. After they put down the color coat, they came back and put down two coats of clear. Like I said, I LOVE MY FLOOR!!!!

[yaegerb]

Amen Brother.... Nothing worse than spending all the time, effort, and money on a floor that fails in no time. I did it four times and that was enough for me. Now I just enjoy my floor. The Garage Expert guys will come out and repair two chips at no cost and if I really screw it up, They are there to fix it. Their selection of colors was I believe 11 colors and about as many choices in flake color and size. After they put down the color coat, they came back and put down two coats of clear. Like I said, I LOVE MY FLOOR!!!!

I had my garage quoted earlier this year and they will have to diamond grind/wash/patch/etc. Let's just say I am saving my money up for that endeavor...LOL...totally worth it in my opinion. Love the way yours turned out!

[clmeue37]

Thanks for all the input on the floor options! If money weren't an object I'd definitely have it professionally coated...but...it's not in my budget at this point. I'm getting the pressure washer out next week and going to give it a good cleaning. I'm with flyingw on the fact that I hate the bare concrete look and feel. As of right now my plan is to clean it up as best as I can and save up the $$$ to have it professionally done next year. I haven't ruled out the diy kit but based on the feedback I've gotten here I may not be able to get it clean enough to hold up over time.

Flyingw, I love your floor too!

Caminofeld, thanks for the comment! My trikes are nothing special compared to those of flyingw's! I work on them as time permits and other than the front brake on the 200s everything is safe and mechanically sound. I'm almost to the point where I can start making em look all pretty :)

atc007, thank you! I really like the way that project turned out as well. The plan is just to poly them as you suggested. I like the "rustic" look.

I'll be sure and post pictures as I progress with this project. It takes my mind off things when I get thinking about stuff too much. Being in the garage tinkering is my therapy.

[Flyingw]

Its my therapy too. Its my happy place!!!!! You could go ahead and do the Rustoleum floor until you are ready to have it done by a professional. Once the floor is ready for paint, it only take a couple of hours to do as long as the concrete temp is below 75deg if I recall. The only bummer is you have to wait about 7 days before you can park a car on it. 24 hours for foot traffic and trikes. The kits are only about 125.00 roughly.

The web site The Garage Journal is a great site for everything garage, tools, shops, etc. There are dozens of posts about garage floors. I say do it now with the cheap stuff and in a year or two get it done professionally. In the mean time, do some reading on the Garage Journal and educate yourself on the different topcoats available and the pro's and con's of each. Tons of good info there. Signup is free.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

Good luck Brother.

[clmeue37]

Thanks for the link Jim. I did some reading there this morning. Where do I get muriatic acid at? This weekend I'll start the cleaning process and make a decision from there. I'll also have to fill in some cracks as well.

This morning I pulled everything off the remaining walls after I put a second and final coat of brown on the first section. Tonight I'll get everything in primer.

[Flyingw]

Muriatic acid is available at any pool supply store, Walmart during the Summer, Home Depot, Lowes. It has many uses so its pretty widely stocked at allot of places. If you've never used it, be very careful. Always always always add acid to water, not water to acid. Don't breathe the fumes, and keep a box or two of baking soda handy. Baking soda will neutralize the acid if you get any on you. Wear safety glasses too. That stuff is nasty so respect it. Safety First!!!!!

[Dirtcrasher]

Your floor looks awesome!!

I used Rustoleum epoxy in my basement and my shop. 10 years later and no lifting at all. Prep is key........

250$ to do them with M-acid etc etc. Got to be very thorough!!

[clmeue37]

Got all the walls in primer when I got home on Tuesday night and just got done putting on the first coat of brown. Should be done with paint on Friday morning before work.

[sledcrazyinCT]

Your floor looks awesome!!

I used Rustoleum epoxy in my basement and my shop. 10 years later and no lifting at all. Prep is key........

You found a two part system from rustoleum?

[tecaterob]

I have race deck flooring. I have to say its the best. I can clean it with anything, it won't crack, I can remove them and take to new house... I highly recommend it.
200591

[clmeue37]

I priced out the racedeck flooring awhile back. It's an option as well. Yours looks great!

[clmeue37]

Finished up the paint on thursday night after work. Turned out pretty good. I didnt tape and mud all the joints because the walls will eventually have shelves covering most of it. Started pressure washing the floor today. I should be able to finish it tomorrow afternoon and since I'm not going to have time to do the proper prep I'll move everything back in and deal with the bare concrete for awhile. At least the floor will look a heck of a lot cleaner now.

[sledcrazyinCT]

All good things take time! What you got done so far looks great...don't rush the floor...wait until have the time to do it right. Nothing is worse then having to redo a floor after applying fresh product a week earlier.

The last floor we did for our showroom at work didn't flash off between coats and had to be redone. The paint manufacturer reimbursed partial labor and full product to do it again, but a lot goes into pulling off long lasting adhesion. Any concrete that has had oil contamination needs the full treatment of degreasing, pressure washing and muriatic acid - repeat as necessary.

[Dirtweed]

My garage floor was $1800.00.


That's it? I'm going to look into getting mine done.



I have race deck flooring. I have to say its the best. I can clean it with anything, it won't crack, I can remove them and take to new house... I highly recommend it.



Another great idea. Hmmmm I have some thinking to do as I have trashed my garage floor.



D

[Flyingw]

Racedeck is a real good option if your garage floor is badly contaminated. Even diamond grinding won't get the oil out of concrete if its been soaked with oil over the years.

[Flyingw]

You guys with CLEAN AND ORGANIZED garages either have dirty little minds......or you`re OCD......either way i`m jealous ! Blame it on my ADD baby !:drool::crazy::drool:

Dirty mind......GUILTY
OCD...... My therapist say no, everyone else says yes

[clmeue37]

Alright so my brother pointed out another option the other day. A roll of polyvinyl flooring. I have never seen it used first hand but it looks like it would hold up for my use. Anyone ever used it? They say it's suitable for garages and is resistant to gas and oil.

[Flyingw]

Vinyl flooring is an option although it can be very slippery when wet but a cost effective option none the least.

[clmeue37]

Just got done ordering parts to fix my craftsman garage door opener. Got a bunch of stuff moved back inside tonight. There's a lot of smaller items in the back room of the house that will eventually go on the shelves I'll be putting up within the next month. Still have to get a thermostat for the heater to make sure it works. I was told it did by the previous owner but he was only here for 5 years and without a thermostat I'm not so sure he ever used it. Maybe it got busted off the wall or something, hard to tell. Decided against a mini fridge since the garage is attached to the kitchen anyway. Pretty short walk for a cold beverage.

[clmeue37]

Got the garage door opener fixed this evening. There wasn't much left of the teeth on the plastic gear. Replaced that and lubed and adjusted everything up and got it working smoothly. Then i dragged my free tv out and set it up on my custom stand. :) Shelves and thermostat are next on the list.

[clmeue37]

Well this post isn't entirely garage related but it's pretty close. Got a call from my dad yesterday that my aunt had a small china cabinet that she didn't have room for in her new apartment and that she wanted him to have it. It was my great great grandmother's. She got it as a wedding gift when she got married in 1911 at the age of 17. I was 9 when she passed away in 1995 at the age of 101. I can just remember her and I loved spending time with her. She was a wonderful person. So I met my dad at my aunt's apartment and we get it outside, set it on the sidewalk, and he walks over to my pickup and puts the tailgate down. I suggested to him that we load it in his truck since it's going to his house and he says "no its not, I want you to have it." It means a lot to me to have it in my home and it goes without saying that it will always remain in our family. After getting it wrapped up in blankets and in my truck we got a pizza and headed out to my dad's place. We're sitting there watching tv and eating and we get talking about the family homestead farm and the milk bottling they did. Not very many bottles remain with the family name anymore. We know of two that are in a collection outside the family and there were 12 that had gone missing over the years. Then we got talking about antiques and how my grandma and grandpa's house is just packed full. Both my dad and I inherited a fondness for old interesting items and furniture and he asks me if I know about the secret room in my grandparents house. It's a small room that was just dead space after an addition was put on the house. Grandpa had put a removable panel in a closet that is just big enough for my skinny butt to crawl through. It was meant as a kind of hideout so my dad could get away from his older sisters when he was 8 or 9. I said I remembered hearing of it and I remember him saying that he had a baseball card collection that had gone missing. I suggested that we go check it out. Got to their place, emptied out the closet, grabbed a flashlight and climbed inside. I start pushing box after box of forgotten Christmas decorations and wrapping paper out the tiny opening. I hear grandpa say "there's just a bunch of junk in there" as I shine my flashlight toward the back wall of the room finding forgotten boxes of antique tools from the family farm. I didn't say a word as I started handing stuff out the hole. I couldn't see my grandpa's face when my dad said, "hey dad, look at these!" I heard a muffled "holy sh!t" from my grandpa, "those came from our farm!" The last box in the very back corner was worth the hot dusty 45 minutes I had spent crouching in that cramped space. One by one I started handing each of the 12 milk bottles to my dad and I hear my grandpa start to cry. They had been in there for years, covered in dust, placed there for safe keeping and simply forgotten about. Never did find the baseball cards but found something a heck of a lot more valuable to my family. Needless to say, it was a day I'll remember for a long time. So to tie this whole story to my garage, my grandpa let me pick a few of the tools we had just pulled out to bring home with me. They will proudly be displayed either on a shelf or hanging on the wall in the garage. The picture shows the few items I chose on the floor in front of the china cabinet. See if you can figure out what they all are!

[atc007]

Unless you've lived a Dairy Farmers life. You can't possibly understand the emotion Grandpa was trying to hold back. Great story!! Those bottles are treasure.. Garage looks great too.

[clmeue37]

Unless you've lived a Dairy Farmers life. You can't possibly understand the emotion Grandpa was trying to hold back. Great story!! Those bottles are treasure.. Garage looks great too.

It was a truly awesome day for sure!

So I took today and tomorrow off work and got a lot accomplished around home. One accomplishment being heat in the garage. :) Wired up a new thermostat, lit the pilot, and it works beautifully!