Garage floor covering experience and suggestions wanted

[Curley]

I have a garage floor covering question and looking for advice from anyone that has either paid a contractor or installed themselves. My situation is a little strange. My house was built in the 30's with a single car detached garage. The original owner of the home in the late 70's decided to make the one car into a two car with the original one car converted into a wood working shop. The problem he was quite frugal and instead of pouring a whole new slab he left the original one car slab and poured around it. As you can imagine the old slap is no where close to being level with the new. At the lowest point there is a 1/4 difference and at the worst it is a 1/2 an inch. Two years ago I turned it into a three car and finally got my new cabinets and workbench finished yesterday. Now the floor looks like crap and is bugging me. Any suggestions on a floor covering? I was wondering if anyone here stained their garage floor or used an epoxy. How did either hold up? Thanks.


Idea of what it looked like prior
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/02/Camaro042-1.jpg


Now
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/02/IMG_0595-1.jpg


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/02/IMG_0598-1.jpg


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/02/IMG_0596-1.jpg


The problem area
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/02/IMG_0597-1.jpg

[kochevy67]

First off you are going to have to get that red paint off the floor and clean the whole florr really well. That advice goes for whatever coating you are going to choose. I put epoxy on my floor here in the midwest and I can tell you I like the way it looks but I am disappointed with how it holds up. Keep in mind I live in a changing climate and the snow and road salt definitley have something to do with that. Me personally though if I was you I would stain it, I think it looks a lot nicer and it gives it a varied pattern of color as opposed to one color with flecks in it. Just my .02

[BuddyP]

I would think a concrete guy could shave the high corners off the old slab. Next thing would be to have it sandblasted. When professionals come in to do epoxy on old floors this is what they do to clean things up. That would even it out for stain, but not sure how well stain would hold up over a few years, haven't stained concrete before. I used the "do it yourself" epoxy kit on my newer garage floor at home but with prior spills of oil/grease/coolant/etc. it didn't hold up very long and started coming up within a 6 months. And that was with a LOT of scrubbing and cleaning. It was after that that I heard about having a concrete surface sandblasted prior to epoxy install.

In my outside shop, on the shop half I put down CVT tile ($0.60 per foot!). It's held up well and is cheap. Of couse you need a fairly smooth surface to put it on though.

Ignore the sled but here's a pick of the floor
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Here's right after I installed the floor in early 2006 (before being packed with clutter!)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[MonzaRacer]

Actually if you can call local concrete place and see if they offer the self leveling concrete and have a top pad poured over all of it. Also one other option is an epoxy cap system that works similar to self leveling concrete.
A friend of mine had a similar issue in his garage as the old owner used to do concrete so he poured his floor in multiple small pads,,,and the old guy wasnt real fast so it looks like ASS (and unlevel). We went in, put up a small border around the garage and even made a sealed ramp so it wouldnt run out. The company came in and rented him tools to screw these little reinforcing/locking pins into the concrete and we also put some sort of mesh on those pins. The company cam in and put down 3 ish inches of self leveling concrete. The sealed ramp looks awesome and makes it easier to get into garage(had a hump anyway) and according to the concrete company the strength is good enough for him to put in his lifts,, he found a mid rise lift and a twin post used so in those go as soon as he gets back from Afghanistan (he works for contractor building houses and schools).
Do some research and ask lots of questions.

[bobcat68]

There are a number of overlay products. I like the super-Krete products. From what you have said about the condition of your floor this product would make you a very nice job. But no mater what you do be sure to Prep the floor correctly, this will make or break the job. You will need to grind the surface down or shot blast it and make repairs to any cracks. You can rent the tools to do this at you local rental shop. This stuff is pretty straight forward to use it's self leveling and will work 1/4 to 1/2. You can stain it stamp it make logo's what ever you want the finished job to look like. Emecole has a really good crack repair product also. I have used both products over the years and you wont be sorry, Just be sure to do the prep work,
DO NOT GET IN A HURRY WITH THIS STEP!! I would also sugguest you do a moisture check of the floor. The test kits are cheap and to much water coming up will also make the finish fail.Your shop is looking good. If I can help let me know.
Good luck Robert

[Happyfunballs]

I 2nd an overlay. Have a friend of mine that owns a concrete company. Here's (http://www.customcretestl.com/gallery_thincrete.html) what a stamped overlay looks like.

[Curley]

Thanks guys this gives me a lot to think about.

[69stang]

I would also sugguest you do a moisture check of the floor. The test kits are cheap and to much water coming up will also make the finish fail.Your shop is looking good.

I've read that old uninsulated slabs seep too much moisture and will cause most floor coatings to fail.

[MyFriendScott]

I wonder how many of us have a Camaro and a BMW sharing the same garage. :)

[mikes70]

Testing the floor for moisture is simple, take duct tape and clear poly sheeting and do a 2 to 4 square foot area, tape it off so that no air can get to it and if the plastic is dry after 24 hours your good to coat.

I did a two part Rustoleum epoxy paint from Home Depot for about 200 bucks. Seven years later and has held up very well (And I use it as a shop floor).
I didnot use the "speckles" as when I work with small parts they are difficult to find when dropped. I did not add sand and it does get slippery when wet, I would definatly add sand next time for grip but then the floor may erode faster.....

[Project92rs]

I had professionals come in and do a polyurea coating on the floor. After all the fluids that had been spilled on the concrete over the years it seemed like the best choice to have someone grind off the surface and do it professionally. The other advantage was they were done in 1 day, 24 hours later I could walk on it and 48 hours later I could park on it. It has picked up some tire marks from a few of the projects that sat in one place for an extended period but other than that it's holding up well to a lot of work being done on it.

[Slow Ride]

how do the tiles and coatings hold up to welding spatter and grinding sparks? I have not done my floor yet because I'm worried about burning holes in whatever I put on the floor.

[CarlC]

Bobcat hit the nail on the head about prep. It's just like painting a car. The coating is easy, but it's the prep that makes it.

I did all that Bobcat mentioned and used a top-grade coating with speckles and anti-slip. I won't do it again. For the money, time, effort, and resulting damge from hot metals and heavy abrasion, I'll just grind and stain next time. Grinding makes the surfaces level and smooth so sweeping up is super easy, and it makes walking on it much nicer.

If you want to make it nicer from a warmth and sound standpoint, make friends with the carpet guy at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Find out when they do inventory, and go there beforehand and see what they have in stock. They will sell it CHEAP so they don't have to count it. I did well over 1/2 of my garage with an industrial office type carpet for $50, and I don't care if it gets hammered over time.

[Curley]

Bobcat hit the nail on the head about prep. It's just like painting a car. The coating is easy, but it's the prep that makes it.

I did all that Bobcat mentioned and used a top-grade coating with speckles and anti-slip. I won't do it again. For the money, time, effort, and resulting damge from hot metals and heavy abrasion, I'll just grind and stain next time. Grinding makes the surfaces level and smooth so sweeping up is super easy, and it makes walking on it much nicer.

If you want to make it nicer from a warmth and sound standpoint, make friends with the carpet guy at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Find out when they do inventory, and go there beforehand and see what they have in stock. They will sell it CHEAP so they don't have to count it. I did well over 1/2 of my garage with an industrial office type carpet for $50, and I don't care if it gets hammered over time.

Yeah I'm afraid that the old slab is not going to take well to epoxy and I already have the front half covered in carpet. Every time my parents re-carpet one of their rooms I get a new festive color for the garage. Does make working under the cars nice during the winter.

[FMG CAMARO]

Here is an option without too much prep.

http://www.autoanything.com/garage-accessories/65A4231A0A0.aspx?kc=ffproduct&gclid=CNTfwsH2vK4CFYXe4Aod0TW5Ow#community

[RSX302]

Suprising enough, my ceramic tile is holding up pretty well. You can float up to 1/2" no problem.

Things to watch out for with ceramic tile:

Jacks and Engine stands roll nice over it. Just make sure all corners/edges are flush and grout is full.

Ceramic tile doesn't like 1/2" ratchets..oops..all other smaller tools have no problem with occational drops.

Welding or grinding will leave marks, but it usually will with most coverings.

I like the black tiles because Sharpies color little chips in nicely..lol..do they have a white Sharpie? DOH

[BuddyP]

Here is an option without too much prep.

http://www.autoanything.com/garage-accessories/65A4231A0A0.aspx?kc=ffproduct&gclid=CNTfwsH2vK4CFYXe4Aod0TW5Ow#community

I had looked at those back when I was getting ready to do my floor, but found the CVT tile that I posted above only cost $12 for the same area as those. But your right, very little prep!

[Curley]

I wonder how many of us have a Camaro and a BMW sharing the same garage. :)

Yeah I'm bad. I have three BMWs right now. X5 for the wife, my old 330ci that I have to sell and my new toy the M5.