Another garage floor thread | FerrariChat

Another garage floor thread

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by BoulderFCar, Nov 18, 2007.

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  1. BoulderFCar

    BoulderFCar F1 World Champ
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    Dec 16, 2004
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    Asheville, NC/Ft Lauderdale
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    Tom
    I want to finish my garage floor. I’ve used epoxies before but was never satisfied. They are very slick when wet unless you put grit in it which I don’t like. Also, I’ve had them professionally done by companies that do aviation hangers with the best materials and they still peeled up. Tile will not work for me as I pull jacks across it and I also would have drainage issues as I wash cars in the garage.

    I’m looking for a stain with a semi-gloss finish that is resistant to gouging but still has some color to it. I’ve also heard of processes that grind/polish color into the floor. I’ve seen it in commercial warehouses but can’t find anybody who does it.

    The garage has an unfinished concrete floor that is clean and 5 years old. It is always heated and 2800sq’. I do wash on it and have a heavy truck I park on it as well.

    Any ideas or experience with a stain type factory floor finish? Thanks.
     
  2. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    Apr 27, 2001
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    The Meister
    You are kind of limited once existing concrete has hardend, unless you go with epoxies/paints/mutli stage/etc...which it sounds like you don't want.

    For me, the floor tells as much a story to the garage as any part of it. The oil spills, the place where the jack fell and made a huge gouge are all part of the patina of a garage.

    Not everyone likes that and I can understad/respect it.

    As per your post, tile is out....

    Perhaps polymer mats, snap tiles or some other high tech floor covering....

    Good luck.
     
  3. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
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    Mar 21, 2005
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    The snap together tiles are actually good for places where you wash the car since they have a dimpled support pattern that allows the water to run off the slab under the tiles. The only concern is about the floor jacks, but I just put a block of thin plywood under it when I use it. Plus they look great! I'm using a stain on a house in Scottsdale, I'll try to find out the name of it.
    :)
    BT
     
  4. cobmw

    cobmw Formula Junior
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    Sep 22, 2006
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    Polishing is an option. I was quoted $5.50 per sq ft (compared to $3.50 for epoxy). They go over the floor with a very large polishing machine (100 amps) using progressively finer abrasives. Takes seven cycles. Finished floor has an extremely hard surface impervious to fluids. The surface is supposedly not as slippery as epoxy. Going to have the work done in Dec/Jan.
     
  5. BoulderFCar

    BoulderFCar F1 World Champ
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    Dec 16, 2004
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    Thanks Bill. Let us know how it works out. The more I read about it I think stain is the way to go for what I want to do. I just need to find someone that has used it as there can be a chasm between what a product says it can do and what it does. I also like the patina of the stains.
     
  6. GrndLkNatv

    GrndLkNatv Formula Junior

    Sep 13, 2006
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    Mark Stephens
  7. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
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    That's the main reason we chose the stain over an epoxy colorant. We will be putting an epoxy clear coat over the top anyway. This is to enhance the sale value and not what I would want in a garage that I am working in. We plan on using an acid etching stain in a similar color to the 'cola stain' on the link:
    http://www.concretenetwork.com/stained-concrete/colorchart.html
    you might also want to try this out:
    http://www.concretesolutions.com/concrete_dye.html
    BT
     
  8. Drew Altemara

    Drew Altemara Formula 3

    Feb 11, 2002
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    As COBMW mentioned above. Polishing is a very good option. It is being used in a lot of convience stores; and slippage is an issue there. We have one close to us that had the floor cut (maybe 1/8" deep) in large diamond sections then polished and it looks very good.

    I've painted/epoxied several times and it always comes up and I am pretty hard on my floor. Next time I am going to have the concrete polishing done with maybe a design cut into it.
     

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