Mike.VA
Well-known member
Glen,
Great build.
Congrats on your progress.
Mike.VA
Great build.
Congrats on your progress.
Mike.VA
30 x 38 Full Circle Garage
- Thread starter glentre
- Start date
Boilermakerfan,
Brian,
I answered your pm but it didn't seem to go through. Thank you for suggesting to use a single pump with two lifts. While a tempting idea, I am not totally sure about the final locations of the lifts. Plus, should I need to sell one or both of them in the future, I would need to have individual functioning units.
It's guys like you helping with ideas and suggestions that make this site so great.
Glen
Brian,
I answered your pm but it didn't seem to go through. Thank you for suggesting to use a single pump with two lifts. While a tempting idea, I am not totally sure about the final locations of the lifts. Plus, should I need to sell one or both of them in the future, I would need to have individual functioning units.
It's guys like you helping with ideas and suggestions that make this site so great.
Glen
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
No problem.
You can always use the one pump unit now and add the other one at a later date.
You could even put the power unit on a small cart and just add quick disconnects to it and both sets of hoses. Then just wheel the unit over to the lift being operated.
That would just give you time to get both lifts operational now, then order the other power unit later.
You can always use the one pump unit now and add the other one at a later date.
You could even put the power unit on a small cart and just add quick disconnects to it and both sets of hoses. Then just wheel the unit over to the lift being operated.
That would just give you time to get both lifts operational now, then order the other power unit later.
One of my priorities before finishing the move-in was to get a flag hung. This one mounted today is special to us. It was the funeral flag for my wife's aunt who served in WWII as a navy nurse. She was assigned to Pearl Harbor immediately after the attack to tend to the casualities. After the war, she had a number of assignments including training medics at the Great Lakes Naval Facility. She retired as a Lt. Commander.
I also started the red stripe on the wall between the two paint colors. Considering that to be decorative, I decided to finish it after getting the garage in operation and both lifts up and running.
Glen
I also started the red stripe on the wall between the two paint colors. Considering that to be decorative, I decided to finish it after getting the garage in operation and both lifts up and running.
Glen
Attachments
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Love your flag, and it's personal story.
Your garage is looking really nice in there!
Your garage is looking really nice in there!
I spent a lot of time on our GJ forum looking at ideas for storing small parts. In keeping with my desire to have everything neatly tucked away out of sight to avoid a cluttered look in the garage, I decided to mount parts bins inside one of the cabinets. Someone posted an idea to use 1x3 boards with an "L" angle mounted on top to hold the plastic bins and that is what I decided to do. I visited my local Northern Tool store to pick up a bunch off small bins and was surprised to find they sell a brand that comes complete with plastic mounting rails which you screw to a wall to hold the bins. Therefore, no need for making my own rails to hang the bins on.
The attached pics show the first 80 bins installed and a detail of the mounting rails. There is space above in the cabinet for another 80 or so bins which I will add if needed in the future.
I also bought plastic vertical rattle can racks which will be mounted on the interior of the doors in the same cabinet. When installed, there will be 72 slots for the cans, more than I should ever need. The racks will be delivered in a week or so and I will post photos of them installed as soon as I get them mounted.
Glen
The attached pics show the first 80 bins installed and a detail of the mounting rails. There is space above in the cabinet for another 80 or so bins which I will add if needed in the future.
I also bought plastic vertical rattle can racks which will be mounted on the interior of the doors in the same cabinet. When installed, there will be 72 slots for the cans, more than I should ever need. The racks will be delivered in a week or so and I will post photos of them installed as soon as I get them mounted.
Glen
Attachments
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Love the blue bins in the red & white cabinets.
Didn't want to sell the factory spoked wheels that came with the Auburn when it was built in case I wanted to use them on the car in the future. They were lined up on the floor along the side wall but were getting in the way. It was obvious they had to go up high and out of the way. Instead of building a wall rack for them, I put them on top of the cabinets for storage as well as for decoration in the garage. I like how they look.
Glen
Glen
Attachments
Waiting for the correct lift to be shipped early next week so I can get it assembled and finally finish the second half of the floor. Meanwhile, I drove the '31 Model A roadster from where it was stored in Richmond to the new garage in Gloucester. It was a trip of about 75 miles and the old girl made it with no problems. My wife followed just in case and we stayed off the interstates. So, three of our four cars are in their new home with one more to go. We have a '88 Pontiac Fiero GT that we bought 28 years ago and it too is in Richmond waiting to join the others.
Glen
Glen
Attachments
My second lift arrived yesterday. Actually, it was the first and only lift ordered but Eagle shipped an incorrect smaller one which I ended up keeping because it was too expensive for them to send a crew to repackage it and take it back. We made a deal on it which is turning out to be not such a great agreement because it ended up costing me more money than expected. Plus, there are some problems with the first lift that I am working with Eagle to resolve.
Anyway, the correct XLT lift is in a crate on my garage floor but I can't start assembly right away since we have a house full of company until after the 4th. Once the lift is up and running, I will finally get back to finishing the second half of the floor and have a mostly completed garage to work in. It's been a long process and I just want to get it done.
Glen
Anyway, the correct XLT lift is in a crate on my garage floor but I can't start assembly right away since we have a house full of company until after the 4th. Once the lift is up and running, I will finally get back to finishing the second half of the floor and have a mostly completed garage to work in. It's been a long process and I just want to get it done.
Glen
With all our visitors including grand children, I havn't had time to get in the new garage to install the second lift. Everybody left yesterday but with another group coming this weekend, I was able to squeeze enough time in today to get the lift assembled. It's an Eagle XLT and much wider, taller and stable than the first one.
I had planned to locate the larger lift in the center bay next to the first one but realized its size will place the two lifts quite close together and working in that area will be a little cramped. So, tomorrow I hope to get the time to relocate the ceiling fan to the center bay so the larger lift can stay in the left bay. Soon as the next group of friends leave, I'll put the casters on the larger lift and move it over the finished floor area so I can finally paint the unfinished floor. Sure glad I waited on the floor because assembling a lift, no matter how careful you are can result in some heavy scratching on a concrete floor.
Glen
I had planned to locate the larger lift in the center bay next to the first one but realized its size will place the two lifts quite close together and working in that area will be a little cramped. So, tomorrow I hope to get the time to relocate the ceiling fan to the center bay so the larger lift can stay in the left bay. Soon as the next group of friends leave, I'll put the casters on the larger lift and move it over the finished floor area so I can finally paint the unfinished floor. Sure glad I waited on the floor because assembling a lift, no matter how careful you are can result in some heavy scratching on a concrete floor.
Glen
Attachments
Well, I was finally able to move the ceiling fan to the center bay and roll the second larger lift over next to the smaller one and onto the finished floor. This leaves the unfinished section completely free to paint which I will be doing tomorrow.
I also got time to finish mounting the rattle can racks on the backs of the parts cabinet doors. At this point they are only partially full but are expected to be more complete as I move on to working on the cars and adding cans. The racks will hold 72 cans which will be plenty for my needs. It's nice to be able to identify all the cans with just a quick look rather than having to move cans all around a standard shelf to see what I'm looking for. In the next week or so, I will also be adding more rows of the small blue bins to fill out the cabinet.
Glen
I also got time to finish mounting the rattle can racks on the backs of the parts cabinet doors. At this point they are only partially full but are expected to be more complete as I move on to working on the cars and adding cans. The racks will hold 72 cans which will be plenty for my needs. It's nice to be able to identify all the cans with just a quick look rather than having to move cans all around a standard shelf to see what I'm looking for. In the next week or so, I will also be adding more rows of the small blue bins to fill out the cabinet.
Glen
Attachments
Because of the screwup with the lifts, two months passed before I could paint the second half of the floor and that is why I have not posted recently. As instructed, when finishing the first half of the garage, I tightly sealed the opened 5 gal cans of gray base and clear topcoat and sprayed some Bloxygen into the cans to prevent air from contacting the paint. Two months later, I opened the gray base and found a skim layer on top which was removed with a stick and the paint was just like new underneath. So, I proceeded to paint the floor. When I opened the clear topcoat can after finishing with the gray, however, the liquid clear had turned to a stiff jelly all the way to the bottom and was unusable. That required ordering more clear from Rust Bullet and that took another week to arrive.
With this product, there is a 12 hour window during which all coats must be applied. If you go beyond that window, you must then sand the floor before applying any other coats. Using a vibratory sander, it wasn't too difficult but took two hours or so and a lot of paper.
At this point, my floor is now finished and I have moved the larger lift over to that side of the garage. I have also done a lot of other small work that is needed to finish up the build and will post photos of those things soon.
Glen
With this product, there is a 12 hour window during which all coats must be applied. If you go beyond that window, you must then sand the floor before applying any other coats. Using a vibratory sander, it wasn't too difficult but took two hours or so and a lot of paper.
At this point, my floor is now finished and I have moved the larger lift over to that side of the garage. I have also done a lot of other small work that is needed to finish up the build and will post photos of those things soon.
Glen
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Bummer about the extra work you had to put in on your floor, but I'm sure you're really glad it's finally finished! I like your rattle can racks, those are a great idea.
Finally got to address the red stripe between the two wall colors. I had originally intended to paint the stripe but read some threads on this site about using vinyl instead. What a great idea! The whole process took me less than two hours from start to finish and it looks great.
Some of the guys who did vinyl advised the use of a laser level to lay the stripe. Always looking for a cheaper way to do things, I just used a 4 ft level to pencil a line around the whole garage and laid the peel and stick tape slightly above the line to hide it. The hardest thing with vinyl is separating the backer from the sticky side of the tape because both layers are very thin. I used a razor blade to start the separation and after that it was easy to peel back the remainder. One guy suggested using a heat gun to remove the thicker outside peel off layer but I had no trouble just pulling it off at about a 45 degree angle. If you are too aggressive or don't have the right angle, the finished tape may detach from the wall. I highly recommend using vinyl instead of trying to get good crisp lines with paint. No fuss and no mess and it goes on very quickly.
I also had time to finish trim the windows, man door and base at the drywall partition and get them all painted. I come from an architectural woodworking background and want to do both wood and car mechanics in the garage. However, I will need to get dust collection under control because, even for this little trim work, there was dust all over. The two don't mix well unless proper measures are taken.
Glen
Some of the guys who did vinyl advised the use of a laser level to lay the stripe. Always looking for a cheaper way to do things, I just used a 4 ft level to pencil a line around the whole garage and laid the peel and stick tape slightly above the line to hide it. The hardest thing with vinyl is separating the backer from the sticky side of the tape because both layers are very thin. I used a razor blade to start the separation and after that it was easy to peel back the remainder. One guy suggested using a heat gun to remove the thicker outside peel off layer but I had no trouble just pulling it off at about a 45 degree angle. If you are too aggressive or don't have the right angle, the finished tape may detach from the wall. I highly recommend using vinyl instead of trying to get good crisp lines with paint. No fuss and no mess and it goes on very quickly.
I also had time to finish trim the windows, man door and base at the drywall partition and get them all painted. I come from an architectural woodworking background and want to do both wood and car mechanics in the garage. However, I will need to get dust collection under control because, even for this little trim work, there was dust all over. The two don't mix well unless proper measures are taken.
Glen
Attachments
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Turned out great.
Love it.
Mike
Love it.
Mike
Some photos of the garage from the outside looking in. It's almost finished but with a few more details to be addressed. My wall mounted vacuum should arrive today and that will help to keep the place clean. Dragging around a shop vac has been a pain.
Also, as soon as I get my welder, I will be fabricating a motorized lift to get things from the garage up to the attic storage above. That looks like it will turn into a fall/winter project and I will be posting that build as it progresses.
My wife wants me to finish the second floor into an apartment for our frequent visitors but doing that requires installing a separate septic system in addition to the cost of finishing the apartment. Just not in the budget. Besides, I would lose all that storage for stuff not needed every day which would result in clutter all over the new garage.
Glen
Also, as soon as I get my welder, I will be fabricating a motorized lift to get things from the garage up to the attic storage above. That looks like it will turn into a fall/winter project and I will be posting that build as it progresses.
My wife wants me to finish the second floor into an apartment for our frequent visitors but doing that requires installing a separate septic system in addition to the cost of finishing the apartment. Just not in the budget. Besides, I would lose all that storage for stuff not needed every day which would result in clutter all over the new garage.
Glen
Attachments
Strange thing happeded with this thread today There was a post about a week ago from a member named Steve from Michigan who is building a house and detached garage ( I reviewed his build thread). He asked me for the paint color of the walls in my garage but I did not answer right away because I have been out of town and could not get to my garage to read the info on the can.
Now that I'm back, I loaded this thread, read it and went to the garage to get the info. When I got back, I looked at his post again and decided to read his own build before answering about the paint. When I returned to my thread, his post about the paint question was gone........very strange!
So, Steve, if you are following this thread, please accept my apology for not getting back to you earlier and please post again so I can give you the info you requested. BTW, nice thread about your build.
Glen
Now that I'm back, I loaded this thread, read it and went to the garage to get the info. When I got back, I looked at his post again and decided to read his own build before answering about the paint. When I returned to my thread, his post about the paint question was gone........very strange!
So, Steve, if you are following this thread, please accept my apology for not getting back to you earlier and please post again so I can give you the info you requested. BTW, nice thread about your build.
Glen
Rockcam
Well-known member
So that was me - but in your floor thread. Thanks for your comment on my thread - garage is a work in progress, but always a fun place to be and think through.
I hope to put down Rust Bullet this fall. I like your idea of installing it in two sections, which would eliminate me needing to move everything out of the entire garage.
Your place has shaped up nicely - well done!
I hope to put down Rust Bullet this fall. I like your idea of installing it in two sections, which would eliminate me needing to move everything out of the entire garage.
Your place has shaped up nicely - well done!
Steve,
To answer your original question, the wall paint is Behr Premium Plus exterior satin enamel, water based N530 Power Gray from Home Depot. The photos taken in my garage don't seem to show the true colors, probably because of the considerable amount of light from the ceiling fixtures. Actually, the wall color is much darker than the floor which is more of a silver gray with some shine from the clear topcoat.
Now that my floor is finished and I am working in the garage, I am not entirely pleased with the results. Of prime concern is the grit Rust Bullet uses in their clear coat. On both sections, I did two coats of clear but only stirred the grit in one of the two coats but still feel there is too much grit in the final finish. If I had stirred in the grit for both coats, there would have been much too much grit on the floor. The problem with the grit is that it is a dark color. When you drag something over the floor, even something not really heavy, the object being moved tends to shave off the clear coat over the sharp edges of the grit and exposes the black grit in that area, leaving a black smudge like finish there. Yesterday, I was lying on the floor changing blades on my lawn mower and the grit was very uncomfortable on my bare arms to the point I had to be careful not to rub some skin off on the floor.
Also, if you apply a thick coat or the paint starts to set up on your roller and you don't change it, your will get blisters in the finish when it cures. I guess I should put these comments on the flooring section as a heads up to others considering using this product.
Glen
To answer your original question, the wall paint is Behr Premium Plus exterior satin enamel, water based N530 Power Gray from Home Depot. The photos taken in my garage don't seem to show the true colors, probably because of the considerable amount of light from the ceiling fixtures. Actually, the wall color is much darker than the floor which is more of a silver gray with some shine from the clear topcoat.
Now that my floor is finished and I am working in the garage, I am not entirely pleased with the results. Of prime concern is the grit Rust Bullet uses in their clear coat. On both sections, I did two coats of clear but only stirred the grit in one of the two coats but still feel there is too much grit in the final finish. If I had stirred in the grit for both coats, there would have been much too much grit on the floor. The problem with the grit is that it is a dark color. When you drag something over the floor, even something not really heavy, the object being moved tends to shave off the clear coat over the sharp edges of the grit and exposes the black grit in that area, leaving a black smudge like finish there. Yesterday, I was lying on the floor changing blades on my lawn mower and the grit was very uncomfortable on my bare arms to the point I had to be careful not to rub some skin off on the floor.
Also, if you apply a thick coat or the paint starts to set up on your roller and you don't change it, your will get blisters in the finish when it cures. I guess I should put these comments on the flooring section as a heads up to others considering using this product.
Glen
56rpm
Well-known member
Outstanding build Glen! I just found and read your thread. You sir,
are an inspiration to all.
I've got a 57' shop wall with no windows or doors which is also 5' from my property line and faces the neighbors. I'm going to steal your fake windows idea. Keep up the splendid work.
are an inspiration to all.
I've got a 57' shop wall with no windows or doors which is also 5' from my property line and faces the neighbors. I'm going to steal your fake windows idea. Keep up the splendid work.
Attached photo of my latest addition. It's a wall mounted Vacu Maid garage vacuum with a 50 ft hose which will extend to everywhere in the garage. Reviews on this model were reasonably good with several comments that it was loud and that is didn't have enough suction. After using it for the last two weeks, I find it to be much quieter than my old wheel-around shop vac and the suction is good. It certainly beats draging around the wheeled model.
I have been working on several smaller projects on my cars but am now planning on fabricating a lift for moving things from the garage to the attice storage space. Ordered my welder today from Northern and will be able to attack the lift soon as it arrives. The same machine will do MIG/Flux core, stick and TIG with an optional attachment which I don't intend to get right away. It's been years since I've done any welding and I'm anxious to get back into it.
Glen
I have been working on several smaller projects on my cars but am now planning on fabricating a lift for moving things from the garage to the attice storage space. Ordered my welder today from Northern and will be able to attack the lift soon as it arrives. The same machine will do MIG/Flux core, stick and TIG with an optional attachment which I don't intend to get right away. It's been years since I've done any welding and I'm anxious to get back into it.
Glen
Attachments
trashmanssd
Well-known member
Glad to hear you like that vacuum, I was planning on getting the same brand.
trashmanssd,
As a suggestion, if you need more than the 30 ft hose that comes with this unit, try to buy the 50 ft hose at the same time you buy the vac. I added another 20 ft to mine but it was a slightly larger size and I had difficulty finding the right size connectors to join the hoses and to be able to use the accessories that came with the vac.
Glen
As a suggestion, if you need more than the 30 ft hose that comes with this unit, try to buy the 50 ft hose at the same time you buy the vac. I added another 20 ft to mine but it was a slightly larger size and I had difficulty finding the right size connectors to join the hoses and to be able to use the accessories that came with the vac.
Glen
Mark E
New member
Hi Glen,
As a recent member on here (this is my first post) I've just sat and read all your posts and must say I love your garage and the work, effort and planning that's gone into it.
To say I'm jealous is an understatement to say the least.
Thanks for posting and keeping us upto date with the progress as it was extremely informative and interesting to see how things are done over the pond where you definately have more choice and things seem to be set up for all you guys with garages, hobbies, cars or wood working workshops etc
I hope you have many years of fun and enjoy your brilliant garage but don't forget to keep us posted
Mark
As a recent member on here (this is my first post) I've just sat and read all your posts and must say I love your garage and the work, effort and planning that's gone into it.
To say I'm jealous is an understatement to say the least.
Thanks for posting and keeping us upto date with the progress as it was extremely informative and interesting to see how things are done over the pond where you definately have more choice and things seem to be set up for all you guys with garages, hobbies, cars or wood working workshops etc
I hope you have many years of fun and enjoy your brilliant garage but don't forget to keep us posted
Mark
Mark,
Thanks for the kind words. The garage construction is basically finished except for the second floor. My wife wants to make it into an apartment with a small kitchen and one bath but that would require a separate septic system so it would not be an easy or inexpensive project. As mentioned before, my next project is to install a lift to get things from the garage up to the attic storage area. I am trying to locate the lift in an area where it would not interfere with a future apartment so as to not limit our options.
While I am looking short term to work on my cars, she is looking more toward the future. We are both in good health but at 78 and 76 years old, we realistically don't have a lot of time left. She would like to have the garage apartment as a way to be able to stay in our home longer by having someone live there free in exchange for taking care of the house and grounds and maybe us as well. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it but it is something to think about.
Glen
Thanks for the kind words. The garage construction is basically finished except for the second floor. My wife wants to make it into an apartment with a small kitchen and one bath but that would require a separate septic system so it would not be an easy or inexpensive project. As mentioned before, my next project is to install a lift to get things from the garage up to the attic storage area. I am trying to locate the lift in an area where it would not interfere with a future apartment so as to not limit our options.
While I am looking short term to work on my cars, she is looking more toward the future. We are both in good health but at 78 and 76 years old, we realistically don't have a lot of time left. She would like to have the garage apartment as a way to be able to stay in our home longer by having someone live there free in exchange for taking care of the house and grounds and maybe us as well. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it but it is something to think about.
Glen
fireball05
Active member
Hi Glen, great build and thanks for sharing!
Quick question - what's the first floor height and are you happy with the lighting setup?
Quick question - what's the first floor height and are you happy with the lighting setup?
trashmanssd
Well-known member
Sorry just got back to your thread, I am going to get the pro model with 50 foot hose. You can buy the 50 foot hose or measure the inlet on the vac and look at universal hoses that may be cheaper. I put in a additional outlet for my central vac for my attached garage and bought a aftermarket Garage hose kit made to work with electrolux central vacs. I have been cheap so far as I have the vac in the attached garage and not ponied up the cash for the pro50 model for the detached garage yet, have to get it before next spring.
Fireball,
The garage has a 13 ft ceiling at the rear, a little higher at the front with the floor slope. I am very happy with the lighting. There is more light than normal but I am old and need more than most guys. They are on three circuits so I don't need to have them all on at once.
Glen
jpcjguy
Well-known member
Hi Glen,
Now that you have had it for a while, how does the 2nd floor feel? Any "bounce" factor?
I still lean toward 16" center for the trusses. Having two 7 year old boys and 4 year old daughter that will more than likely jump around up there (for many years!), I don't want to have stuff falling off counters as my daughter "practices" gymnastics! ha!
Joe
Now that you have had it for a while, how does the 2nd floor feel? Any "bounce" factor?
I still lean toward 16" center for the trusses. Having two 7 year old boys and 4 year old daughter that will more than likely jump around up there (for many years!), I don't want to have stuff falling off counters as my daughter "practices" gymnastics! ha!
Joe
flying_tomatoes
Well-known member
Amazing build Geln! Lots of good stuff in here. I think I might follow your lead on the garage flooring. As I get ready for my build I have been stuck on that one.
Great car collection as well!
Keep the updates coming as you fill and renovate the rest of it.
Great car collection as well!
Keep the updates coming as you fill and renovate the rest of it.
Joe,
We used 3/4" waferboard T&G 4x8 flooring for the attic. With our trusses on 24" centers and the 3/4 floor, there is no flex or bounce at all even when I jump on it. If the center chord of your trusses are engineered properly, I would see no reason to spend the additional money to install trusses on 16" centers.
Glen
We used 3/4" waferboard T&G 4x8 flooring for the attic. With our trusses on 24" centers and the 3/4 floor, there is no flex or bounce at all even when I jump on it. If the center chord of your trusses are engineered properly, I would see no reason to spend the additional money to install trusses on 16" centers.
Glen
jpcjguy
Well-known member
Awesome! Thanks for the info Glen.
Another question - something I was recently made aware of - staircase.
I was talking to a builder and he told me that VA adopted a "code" that has a higher riser rate than the national code. This allows a staircase to be "steeper" in VA. He was informing me on going with the national code because of the risk of carrying big items down the stairs can be "treacherous."
Can you provide me with what you did for rise/run, number of steps? and how comfortable going up and down is? Would you have done anything different?
Thanks!
Joe
Tomato,
Nothing quite like bright red for sports cars......nice twosome you have. When she sees a really nice one on the road, my wife calls them "arrest-me-red" since the police notice them quickly!
Regarding the floor, you might want to go on the flooring section of this forum and search for threads on Rust Bullet. I posted some comments about a month or so ago regarding this product and some of the problems I encountered. Nothing that could not have been avoided had I had some better information before starting.
The main issue I had was the clear top coat that came with anti-slip grit already mixed in the container. Mixed is not really the word for it because the grit settles to the bottom quickly and forms a hard layer which is very difficult to keep in suspension. It is also hard to evenly apply the clear coat with grit stirred in since it settles to the bottom of the roller pan and will not mix easily using the roller to try to get it into suspension. Further, my first clear coat had almost no grit in it because when I stirred the 5 gal can, I did not realize there was a hard grit layer on the bottom that I hardly disturbed. The second coat had the grit stirred up but it was then too concentrated so I let a bit of it settle to the bottom of the can before pouring off into the roller pan. I am reasonably happy with the final result except there is still more grit in the finish than I care to have. A problem with their grit is that it is black in color so when you slide something heavy over the surface of the floor, it shaves off the coating on the tips of the projecting grit and you get a darkish smear like a light tire skid.
I communicated with Justin about that problem and I think he said you could now get the clear coat without the grit and either apply it with no anti-skid or buy the grit separately and broadcast it yourself when the finish is wet like with the colored flake applications. That's the way I would go if doing it again.
I chose the basic grey with clear topcoat because I wanted to be able to repair any major dings in the finish and that is difficult to do if you have flakes in your finish. However, that is possible only for a short time since Rust Bullet hardens in the can in a few weeks and cannot be used after that. The manufacturer says it lasts much longer but with my experience, it does not. And, Justin says not to use any matching oil or water based paint to repair dings but i don't know specifically why. I guess I'll let the dings ( which will happen with anybody's finish ) accumulate for a period of time then order an occasional sample half pint of grey to do the touching up.
If you decide to go with Rust Bullet, read everything you can on application techniques and follow the instructions. Keep me posted if you decide to go with this product as I can suggest some pointers that might help.
Glen
Nothing quite like bright red for sports cars......nice twosome you have. When she sees a really nice one on the road, my wife calls them "arrest-me-red" since the police notice them quickly!
Regarding the floor, you might want to go on the flooring section of this forum and search for threads on Rust Bullet. I posted some comments about a month or so ago regarding this product and some of the problems I encountered. Nothing that could not have been avoided had I had some better information before starting.
The main issue I had was the clear top coat that came with anti-slip grit already mixed in the container. Mixed is not really the word for it because the grit settles to the bottom quickly and forms a hard layer which is very difficult to keep in suspension. It is also hard to evenly apply the clear coat with grit stirred in since it settles to the bottom of the roller pan and will not mix easily using the roller to try to get it into suspension. Further, my first clear coat had almost no grit in it because when I stirred the 5 gal can, I did not realize there was a hard grit layer on the bottom that I hardly disturbed. The second coat had the grit stirred up but it was then too concentrated so I let a bit of it settle to the bottom of the can before pouring off into the roller pan. I am reasonably happy with the final result except there is still more grit in the finish than I care to have. A problem with their grit is that it is black in color so when you slide something heavy over the surface of the floor, it shaves off the coating on the tips of the projecting grit and you get a darkish smear like a light tire skid.
I communicated with Justin about that problem and I think he said you could now get the clear coat without the grit and either apply it with no anti-skid or buy the grit separately and broadcast it yourself when the finish is wet like with the colored flake applications. That's the way I would go if doing it again.
I chose the basic grey with clear topcoat because I wanted to be able to repair any major dings in the finish and that is difficult to do if you have flakes in your finish. However, that is possible only for a short time since Rust Bullet hardens in the can in a few weeks and cannot be used after that. The manufacturer says it lasts much longer but with my experience, it does not. And, Justin says not to use any matching oil or water based paint to repair dings but i don't know specifically why. I guess I'll let the dings ( which will happen with anybody's finish ) accumulate for a period of time then order an occasional sample half pint of grey to do the touching up.
If you decide to go with Rust Bullet, read everything you can on application techniques and follow the instructions. Keep me posted if you decide to go with this product as I can suggest some pointers that might help.
Glen
Joe,
To my knowledge, Virginia uses the national code with some minor additions or changes primarily having to do with coastal flooding and high wind (hurricane) problems. I don't imagine they would do anything different regarding stairs, though.
With the treads now installed, my stair rise is 8" and the run is 10 1/4". The angle is 42* which is steeper than normal but not too bad. My house stairs are 37*. With 13 ft ceilings, I have 21 steps from the garage floor to the attic. As mentioned in previous posts, I am building a lift to move storage things and me to the attic so I won't have to worry about the stairs anyway. I have the steel platform finished, the tracks mounted on the wall, the opening framed out and the winch installed. After the holidays, I will be working on getting everything assembled and functioning along with a retractable safety device that will stop the platform from falling if anything suddenly breaks. At 78, I'm planning for the future to be able to work in the garage so long as I'm still upright!
Good luck on your build and hope you will be able to start soon.
Glen
To my knowledge, Virginia uses the national code with some minor additions or changes primarily having to do with coastal flooding and high wind (hurricane) problems. I don't imagine they would do anything different regarding stairs, though.
With the treads now installed, my stair rise is 8" and the run is 10 1/4". The angle is 42* which is steeper than normal but not too bad. My house stairs are 37*. With 13 ft ceilings, I have 21 steps from the garage floor to the attic. As mentioned in previous posts, I am building a lift to move storage things and me to the attic so I won't have to worry about the stairs anyway. I have the steel platform finished, the tracks mounted on the wall, the opening framed out and the winch installed. After the holidays, I will be working on getting everything assembled and functioning along with a retractable safety device that will stop the platform from falling if anything suddenly breaks. At 78, I'm planning for the future to be able to work in the garage so long as I'm still upright!
Good luck on your build and hope you will be able to start soon.
Glen
Hi Glen, great build and garage! I'm down here on the peninsula not too far from you.
I've been considering Rust Bullet myself for my garage and wanted to check-in to see how yours has been holding up. I was also curious as to if you'd had any issues with the gravel getting into the garage as I'm considering materials to place in front of mine currently.
I've been considering Rust Bullet myself for my garage and wanted to check-in to see how yours has been holding up. I was also curious as to if you'd had any issues with the gravel getting into the garage as I'm considering materials to place in front of mine currently.