So I am moving in with my fiancée, and she's letting me take over a good chunk of the basement to create a man cave/mini shop/junk room. It's currently all carpet (blech). I want to do something solid such as linoleum, laminate etc, but want everyone's suggestion. The budget is limited, but I don't want to cheap out too much! It might have some spills etc, but more than likely it would just be some sawdust, dirt etc (thus the carpet being bad).
Man Cave/Shop floor suggestions?
- Thread starter gtivr4
- Start date
AlphaGarage
Well-known member
You could acid tint and clear coat with a polyurethane like EnduraShield 2254, or a good sealer like our nano polymer AcryliSeal 3501.
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HIRISC
Well-known member
Ceramic tile is an option.
For me, it was hard to beat .68/sf.
For me, it was hard to beat .68/sf.
WolverineCoatings
Well-known member
MMA.. but I'm biased
MMA? In the basement of a house? It would hold up... you just wouldn't be able to live in it for a few months.
If using MMA, does it have a long cure time? Toxic fumes? Just asking because I don't know.
I was looking at the floors in our local Home Depot, and it kind of looks like what HIRISC has - just concrete with a clearcoat. Does anyone know what they use in those kinds of stores?
What's the cost of MMA? It seems like I read in another thread that the Acryliseal 3501 is about $0.33/sf (10 gallons @ $450/1350sf)?
I was looking at the floors in our local Home Depot, and it kind of looks like what HIRISC has - just concrete with a clearcoat. Does anyone know what they use in those kinds of stores?
What's the cost of MMA? It seems like I read in another thread that the Acryliseal 3501 is about $0.33/sf (10 gallons @ $450/1350sf)?
Shocker
Well-known member
I thought MMA was very fast drying. Like less than an hour to cure. Plus it goes down very low temps.
HIRISC
Well-known member
MMA? In the basement of a house? It would hold up... you just wouldn't be able to live in it for a few months.
Why do you think that? MMA is dry and ready to go in a couple of hours.
I have it on my garage condo floor and it's ridiculously durable.
MMA is toxic while its wet, not after it dries. It's acrylic, like your wife/GF's nails
Home Depot's here are honed concrete with some type of sealant, but I don't know if it's MMA.
Don't know cost PSF for the MMA alone. I paid about $2.80 per square for full floor prep & hone plus 2 coats of MMA (1600 square foot deal).
Correct/correct.
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WolverineCoatings
Well-known member
It's not a question of dry time but of ventilation. MMA has a STRONG odor and can make people sick! It can be used in garages because there is a garage door that can be opened and let the fumes out. The solvent in an MMA many times... probably most times... is trapped within the film and slowly is released over time. So, odor can linger for a REALLY long time when there is not ventilation. Although most garages are drafty some still have issues even in a garage.
SO... not a question of durability but of the possiblity of making your house uninhabitable if applied in a basement!
Yes... it's has been used in nail polish... and... LOTS of lawsuites... so... here is what happens when you Google "MMA Nail Polish": http://www.google.com/search?q=mma+nail+polish&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a
SO... not a question of durability but of the possiblity of making your house uninhabitable if applied in a basement!
Yes... it's has been used in nail polish... and... LOTS of lawsuites... so... here is what happens when you Google "MMA Nail Polish": http://www.google.com/search?q=mma+nail+polish&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US
fficial&client=firefox-a
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HIRISC
Well-known member
It's not a question of dry time but of ventilation. MMA has a STRONG odor and can make people sick! It can be used in garages because there is a garage door that can be opened and let the fumes out. The solvent in an MMA many times... probably most times... is trapped within the film and slowly is released over time. So, odor can linger for a REALLY long time when there is not ventilation. Although most garages are drafty some still have issues even in a garage.
SO... not a question of durability but of the possiblity of making your house uninhabitable if applied in a basement!
Yes... it's has been used in nail polish... and... LOTS of lawsuites... so... here is what happens when you Google "MMA Nail Polish": http://www.google.com/search?q=mma+nail+polish&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US
Odor 'lingered' for about 1 week - doors shut as it's winter here. My neighbors epoxy floor smell lingered for about 3 weeks.
I indicated MMA is considered toxic when it's wet (as is its odors while curing, duh), after that, there is no evidence that hardened MMA is carcinogenic.
Your statement below is pure (un-scientific) speculation:
The solvent in an MMA many times... probably most times... is trapped within the film and slowly is released over time.
I think you should refrain from making extrapolations to dried MMA flooring (used all over the world in retail/industrial/office/warehouse/hospitals) from wet (odorous or airborne) nail polish, and guesses regarding MMA's offgassing potential, especially since you have a horse in the race.
Good read:
http://www.nicnas.gov.au/Publicatio..._Chemical_Information_Sheets/ECIS_MMA_PDF.pdf
ps.. my comment regarding nail polish was to give a point of reference for curing time, not to be taken out of context re carcinogenic hair splitting.
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Thanks for the input, guys. Seems like the MMA is also a relatively thick (12 - 50 mils) material, sort of like the epoxy that Fred sells. Also seems like the prices are similar?
In any case, I've come to the conclusion that I really can't afford a real slick high-end floor right now, especially given that I'm trying to build as big as I can right off the bat... probably 40x60 or 40x80. So, I'm dumping my $$ into more square footage and may consider some upgrade to the flooring later.
In any case, I've come to the conclusion that I really can't afford a real slick high-end floor right now, especially given that I'm trying to build as big as I can right off the bat... probably 40x60 or 40x80. So, I'm dumping my $$ into more square footage and may consider some upgrade to the flooring later.