OT garage floor...

[Don Jordan]

I've always wanted a garage. Now that I'm old and have nothing else to waste my money on I'm getting one. They just finished pouring the foundation.

My question: I see many garage floors that look like they have a linoleum floor. But I've been told that the surface is painted. I want something that will allow me to wipe up oil drips without leaving a stain. Now is the time for me to figure out what it's called and how to do it.

Should I put it on now or after the garage is built.

thanks,

d-

[Plymouthy Adams]

depends on how you erecting the wall..if you intend to bolt you shoe to the concrete..at minimum prep and paint this portion prior to the shoe going down....helps to create a water barrier to the very outer edge....hold off the main painting till after completition..remember where your doors are...expoxy paint is slow to dry...would not want you to miss a meal or two painting yourself into a corner..

[Don Coatney]

Come on Tim. Dont you have some welding to do?

[BobT-47P15]

I think Steveplym used something like epoxy coating on a garage floor he

had a few years ago. Said it held up very well. But, if you want a

black and white 50s checkerboard floor, or something similar, I don't know the process for that. Have you done any internet research on the subject?

[Plymouthy Adams]

Come on Tim. Dont you have some welding to do?

actually I have been welding today...just in for a bowl of hot home made veggie/beef soup and buttered cornbread..

I have not cranked up the new unit though...got to run to town for an outlet..

[greg g]

Soup of the day here is yellow split pea and ham. Also have a pot of Kapusta (Polish style stewed saurkraut) going. Smells like Grandma' house.

If you want to spend lots of money Google Terrazzo. A composit floor that is poured, trowled, polished and sealed. think Lobbies of public building built by the WPA. Impervious to nearly everything, lasts forever, needs little maint.

[Bingster]

I used two part epoxy on garage floors and it works very well. There are a couple of brands available. I think Rustoleum makes one. It can also be tinted to any color.

There is also a one part no mix epoxy but I wouldn't recommend that for car traffic.

Menards, Home Depot, etc. carry this stuff.

[Plymouthy Adams]

as an added note...the concrete will require a very good moisture barrier beween the ground and the concrete to prevent sweat...if this step is ommitted you be wasting time and money on the paint

[Don Jordan]

I watched them set the rebar, put a sheet of plastic down, covered it with sand, and then poured the concrete. I'd send pictures but I'm afraid that would be too far off topic.

It's supposed to be finished February. I am so excited.

[Young Ed]

In no way would garage pictures be too far off topic. Pretty much right on target compared to some of the other stuff we get talking about!

[Plymouthy Adams]

Ed..this is not leading to your red cape and the rubber duckie is it?

[Local2ED]

A proper hard trowel finish on the slab. Oil wipes up pretty easy with minimal if any staining.

[Dan Hiebert]

I'd add that you need to ensure the concrete is properly cured before you coat it. The folks that put it in can tell you when that will be. Different times for different formulas of concrete/climates/etc. I don't think its all that long, probably by the time you get the structure up on the slab, it'll be ready. Then everything will be nice, clean and uncluttered - you just have to resist the urge to "move in" until after you get the floor coated.

[Young Ed]

Ed..this is not leading to your red cape and the rubber duckie is it?

haha the kid has a bib that says some dumbass put my cape on backwards

[Frank Elder]

I watched some epoxy being laid down a time or two in our aircraft hangars and warehouse spaces......there was no careful painting such a large space.....the buggers would tip over a 5 gallon bucket and go at it with squeegees and wearing second hand golf shoes! No getting painted in a corner that way.

[Robert Horne]

When the guys did my concrete work, they did not put in "scores" or what ever you call it, for cracks that may develop later. Later I used a saw to cut in some "scores". So far, no cracks in the floor, but a couple of small cracks in front of the shop.

I painted my floor with a 2 part paint type. Used a paint roller with a broom handle. Several years later, still looks ok, even with the floor jacks being used quiet a bit.

I read an article on heating a garage floor using tubing under or in the concrete. Run warm or hot antifreeze through the tubing would keep the garage floor very warm. I wish now I had run some tubing in with the new concrete. My shop is not difficult to get warm, but the concrete is very cold most of the time.

[Plymouthy Adams]

the big 'thing' here when I built my shop was the use of concrete with stranded fiberglass..no way.. never... nope and get that junk out of here..have seen this stuff in the past and have seen its failure just a few short years later..I ensured that garbage did not come to my property..I have my pour with 4 expansion joints..28x24, 28 x 28, 20x20, and 24x20 so far the 100 foot length of concrete has done real well...does it expand..oh yeah...has it stayed in big chunks..yes again.. the super deep footers are the real answer here I am thinking..the expansion joints are the metal ones..again..real pleased with the floor in my building..

[Don Coatney]

I've always wanted a garage. Now that I'm old and have nothing else to waste my money on I'm getting one.

d-

Did you draw up the plans and tell them how large to build it? Did you order a tall ceiling so you can install a lift? What did you tell them about door placement and windows? Any special features such as floor drains, running water, urinal, lighting, heat, air conditioning, etc?

[Don Jordan]

Wow! Lots of questions. Here we go:

1) I had plans done for me. The garage will be 24'x24'

2) Yes. The interior will be 15' high to accommodate a lift.

3) Door is right in the middle. I think it's 16' wide. No windows.

4) No running water. It was pure hell getting the permits for just the plain building. As it stands I've got to remove several trees per the fire dept.

A note in passing: I do not recommend Tuff Shed. The ones in my area could not find their butt with a map.

This whole thing is a dream come true.

[Dodgeb4ya]

A two post lift? The concrete should be six inches thick at post mounting areas. I too am for that smooth hard trowel finish-in my shop cleans/sweeps up fast. My slab was done with zip strips so there are no seam or cut lines. Clean and neat.

Bob

[MacTexas]

A two post lift? The concrete should be six inches thick at post mounting areas. I too am for that smooth hard trowel finish-in my shop cleans/sweeps up fast. My slab was done with zip strips so there are no seam or cut lines. Clean and neat.

Bob

What is a zip strip?

[wayfarer]

The quality of the concrete mix (water/cement ratio among other variables) will determine the finished product quality. If the mix has too much water in it then NO amount of reinforcement will control the cracks; the steel will only keep the chunks from moving too far. For control joints, it will be easier to run a saw cut up the middle in each direction, as soon as you can walk on it. If they wait too long or don't cut deep enough (minimun ¼ of the slab depth) then the effort is wasted.

For a small area like yours, you really need to look into this sealer:

http://www.lmcc.com/products/aquapel_and_aquapel_plus.asp

And as mentioned, a hard trowel finish will make housekeeping alot easier.

Edited December 13, 2012 by wayfarer

[Dodgeb4ya]

A zip strip is a 2 piece plastic T strip that is pushed down into the concrete at desired control joint areas before troweling and finish work. Once pushed down the top piece is pulled off the lower vertical strip.

Pics of my 20 year old slab-wire mesh and fiber and hard troweled with sealer. No cracks except at the stips and they are flush and very clean cracks so sweeping over them is smooth-no debris hangs at the cracks like a saw cut.

Bob

Edited December 14, 2012 by Dodgeb4ya

[cole18cars]

My building company has done several epoxy floor coatings. There are a few things to consider. The concrete must be "fully" cured, about 4-6 months. Concrete does not fully cure for many years. Any saw cuts or should be filled, its hard to get the epoxy to stick to the edges and if water gets into the saw cut the epoxy will lift. Most imporant there are different grades of floor epoxy and finally, prep work will determine the sucess of the project.

[Kudzuking]

"Come on Tim. Dont you have some welding to do? "

Don Coatney

LMAO

Edited December 15, 2012 by Kudzuking