Garage Floor Coverings or Coatings?
09-20-2011, 06:09 PM
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Garage Floor Coverings or Coatings? The concrete slab of my garage is really pitted & cracked, so I've hired a crew to come in and replace it (jackhammer out the old slab, put down new wire mesh and concrete).
I'm dithering a bit as to whether to put anything on top -- shop paint or an epoxy coating or whatever. The concrete guy says it will take a few weeks for the concrete to really completely dry, now that the weather has cooled down here in Toronto. If I want to put stuff on top, I have a while to think about it. Does anybody have any suggestions? I want to be able to work on my cars without worrying about damaging the floor if I spill things, and I want it to be easy to clean when I do.
I've got a two-car garage. I park the Camaro on one side and store tools and other stuff (garbage bins etc.) on the other. Unfortunately the garage isn't long enough to work in the engine bay of a car without having the rear end sticking out the garage door, but that's OK because I only drive the Camaro in the warm months anyways. Anyways it beats my dad's house because the garage there was too small to put anything bigger than a SmartCar in; changing oil on an ashphalt driveway in the shadow of an enormous maple that dumps leaves and maple keys everywhere isn't nearly as nice as doing it in a well-lit garage on a concrete floor, even if the garage door is wide open.
Any suggestions on what I should cover the concrete with? The only solutions I'm really aware of is heavy duty shop paint (what my dealership has in their shop) or the various epoxy mixes that give that speckled look. Should I even bother coverin/coatingg the slab?
I'm dithering a bit as to whether to put anything on top -- shop paint or an epoxy coating or whatever. The concrete guy says it will take a few weeks for the concrete to really completely dry, now that the weather has cooled down here in Toronto. If I want to put stuff on top, I have a while to think about it. Does anybody have any suggestions? I want to be able to work on my cars without worrying about damaging the floor if I spill things, and I want it to be easy to clean when I do.
I've got a two-car garage. I park the Camaro on one side and store tools and other stuff (garbage bins etc.) on the other. Unfortunately the garage isn't long enough to work in the engine bay of a car without having the rear end sticking out the garage door, but that's OK because I only drive the Camaro in the warm months anyways. Anyways it beats my dad's house because the garage there was too small to put anything bigger than a SmartCar in; changing oil on an ashphalt driveway in the shadow of an enormous maple that dumps leaves and maple keys everywhere isn't nearly as nice as doing it in a well-lit garage on a concrete floor, even if the garage door is wide open.
Any suggestions on what I should cover the concrete with? The only solutions I'm really aware of is heavy duty shop paint (what my dealership has in their shop) or the various epoxy mixes that give that speckled look. Should I even bother coverin/coatingg the slab?
09-21-2011, 09:32 AM
#2
www.garagejournal.com
Tons of answers over there.
Research, research, & research again, ...
I'd suggest NOT using 'paint'.
We do this thru the wife's business & we've used everything form the 'economical' stuff from the big box stores, to the costly hi-$ product.
The hi-$ stuff is tough to work with but turns out great.
Prep is a key, but at least you'll have a new surface to work with.
Cost may be a factor in your final decision also.
Go read all the threads on the Garage Journal site.
Tons of answers over there.
Research, research, & research again, ...
I'd suggest NOT using 'paint'.
We do this thru the wife's business & we've used everything form the 'economical' stuff from the big box stores, to the costly hi-$ product.
The hi-$ stuff is tough to work with but turns out great.
Prep is a key, but at least you'll have a new surface to work with.
Cost may be a factor in your final decision also.
Go read all the threads on the Garage Journal site.
09-21-2011, 09:35 AM
#3
11 Second Club
I used some inexpensive adhesive tiles to give that "checkerboard" floor look in the walkway areas around the perimeter of my cars, then I put marine-grade black carpet underneath the cars so that when I'm crawling around under them, I don't have to lay on a cold hard floor. Also, if oil or other crap spills on it or ruins the carpet, I just toss it in the garbage and go to Home Depot to buy another piece.
09-22-2011, 01:45 PM
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I would use the tiles. My brother has spent 4 days (and still going) applying the paint and little flakes to his garage floor. He said it is a pain in the ***. I saw those checkerboard tiles that are hard plastic on a car show. I hear they work well.
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09-22-2011, 01:48 PM
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www.garagejournal.com
tons of answers over there.
Research, research, & research again, ...
I'd suggest not using 'paint'.
We do this thru the wife's business & we've used everything form the 'economical' stuff from the big box stores, to the costly hi-$ product.
The hi-$ stuff is tough to work with but turns out great.
Prep is a key, but at least you'll have a new surface to work with.
Cost may be a factor in your final decision also.
Go read all the threads on the garage journal site.
tons of answers over there.
Research, research, & research again, ...
I'd suggest not using 'paint'.
We do this thru the wife's business & we've used everything form the 'economical' stuff from the big box stores, to the costly hi-$ product.
The hi-$ stuff is tough to work with but turns out great.
Prep is a key, but at least you'll have a new surface to work with.
Cost may be a factor in your final decision also.
Go read all the threads on the garage journal site.
^^^ x2 ^^^
09-22-2011, 01:54 PM
#9
Teching In
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I took a poke around GarageJournal. My concrete is poured and being finished today/tomorrow. The concrete guy said he will get me a quote for a kind of rubber topping that is apparently popular in large parking garages as a substitute for asphalt (and is available in a grey colour).
At the moment, after reading on GarageJournal a bit, I am leaning a bit more towards RaceDeck or a similar plastic tile product; it looks like it is pretty much risk-free in terms of screwing up the installation, and it's plenty durable. I like the idea of getting it in a nice solid colour that makes it easy to see when I've dropped a bolt or nut on the ground.
At the moment, after reading on GarageJournal a bit, I am leaning a bit more towards RaceDeck or a similar plastic tile product; it looks like it is pretty much risk-free in terms of screwing up the installation, and it's plenty durable. I like the idea of getting it in a nice solid colour that makes it easy to see when I've dropped a bolt or nut on the ground.
09-22-2011, 02:19 PM
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Funny thing about RaceDeck though, looking at the photos people posted on GarageJournal as well as the promo pics on their Facebook & website -- plenty of photos of cars parked on the tiles, looking really nice, but zero photos of cars on jack+stands with oil pan underneath and tools everywhere.
Kinda makes me wonder if the tiles are purchased by people who want to store their cars in a nice place as opposed to work on them in a nice place.
Kinda makes me wonder if the tiles are purchased by people who want to store their cars in a nice place as opposed to work on them in a nice place.
09-22-2011, 06:26 PM
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I have been wondering what a set of jack stands or a jack holding the front end up would do to Race Deck? I think it looks nice, but I dont see it being very durable for a shop that is used to work in.
