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Flooring budget for DIY

J

jbaustx

New member
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
2
Location
Austin, TX
Hi Guys,

Just discovered this place today. I'm tech director for a hangar floor coating company and am working on DIY kit for small hangar owners. Now these guys might have a 2 million dollar plane on their floor so I can relate to their budget, but in "Click and Clack" world, I'm pretty sure the budgets might be a little tighter. We've developed a stain system that holds up to harshest chemicals and abuse, but I need to know if I can "rent" key elements to the application to be returned in postage paid box they were shipped in (a grinding head for floor buffer and a sprayer). What would people be willing to spend for a garage floor a cut above in both performance and appearance to what one might find in a Big Box store? The polishing head and sprayer would be worth around $500 wholesale, and would be shipped with materials and video instructions plus instructions for either returning equipment or purchasing for more work. I'm thinking between $550 and $650 for turnkey package for two car garage including equipment return. The job would take two days with return to service on day 3. Can't be too specific, as I'm still working on the details from my side to fit the market.

BTW ... I realize I might just be crazy, but this is how things get done ... ask stupid questions!
 
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E

Edger

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
623
Location
Melbourne Australia
Everyone will be trying to work out what your system is which sounds like a fine grit polisher pad and colored densifier.
 
4

47ford - 1.5ton

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2010
Messages
60
Only thing that ***** about preparing a 'nationwide' package that can be mailed is pricing differences between regions.

For example it will only cost me $60 here in Wisconsin to rent a dual head EDCO floor grinder and another $200 (Big Box Solvent based) or $450 U-Coat-It packages for a two stall.......

It's going to be hard to compete with guys doing it all by themselves for $300.....take away the need for grinding (new floors/only sealed where u need to etch) and its down to $250ish for a floor to be epoxy'd and clear coated....

This is just my region... now in texas rates and product may be substantially higher.... and there will be your target market. (So you know where to advertise)
 
G

Garage Flooring

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Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
5,288
Location
Grand Junction, CO
We used to do a similar thing with some of our equipment at a different company. Truth is we rarely rented it. BUT we got business because we offered it. If you are up front with people about what they need, they can usually find a better local option.

Not to mention the risk of freight damage, customer damage and the abuse the equipment will take.
 
OP
J

jbaustx

New member
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
2
Location
Austin, TX
Actually, the tool is a diamabrush, which I've yet to see on a rental market (I wish it were, would make it a lot easier for me). The customer could then go to Home Depot and rent the buffer. The reason I want to go with the diamabrush is that there is no substitute for mechanical abrasion to remove contaminants. Plus it is practically foolproof if the video is followed. Acid is usually sufficient, but is tricky to use properly, especially if there are contaminants on the slab.Going mechanical, there is no risk of improperly rinsing the residual acid from slab and it offers the option of an acid stain base coat (Though I'd probably go with an acetone dye).

75% of any good coating application is the prep (Two thirds of our jobs are renovations). I have hangar floors I installed 25 years ago still in service, but I've always emphasized top quality prep and products. We install floors for a national automotive repair chain, and some of them are going on ten years now.

But the real key to the system is the sprayable topcoat. Normal polyaspartics and the like require skillful roller application. Originally developed in the UK as an anti-graffiti coating, this product is more like a liquid crystal (no ... not sodium silicate or lithium silicate or potassium silicate, more like zirconium) that is spray applied like a Behr sealer, except with no backrolling. The difference is that ours is extremely chemical and abrasive resistant. We've been prototyping in Canada and the feedback is very positive.

Before we go nationwide, I'd like to find someone in the Central Texas area to serve as a "beta" tester. If they like it, game on. If not, well aviation is our real market anyhow. I guess I didn't mention that these floors can look either like acid stained floors or opaque solid colors or even like polished concrete. We've installed them in high traffic restaurants, and they look great!
 
E

Edger

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
623
Location
Melbourne Australia
Diamabrush is quite interesting as a prep tool because it always has fresh diamonds to cut with so it does not suffer the same problem as metal bond segments which are the standard diamond segments on grinding wheels. Metal bonds on hard concrete can polish and stop cutting so when a DIY guy rents a grinder it is only luck if the segments suit his floor.
Diamabrush is slower for traditional grinding if you need to remove the top layer of concrete, but for prep work I would imagine it would be ideal.
Good choice.
 
D

dcs Inc

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
803
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
I sell a bunch of these with the onfloor grinders. I personally haven't used them but the installers I service like them a lot. You are not going to level any high areas with these. They come in different grits also. Good prep for basements, garages. gene, Elite Crete of Indiana
 
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S

sr4440

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Messages
26
Location
killeen, Texas
jbaustx said:
Actually, the tool is a diamabrush, which I've yet to see on a rental market (I wish it were, would make it a lot easier for me). The customer could then go to Home Depot and rent the buffer. The reason I want to go with the diamabrush is that there is no substitute for mechanical abrasion to remove contaminants. Plus it is practically foolproof if the video is followed. Acid is usually sufficient, but is tricky to use properly, especially if there are contaminants on the slab.Going mechanical, there is no risk of improperly rinsing the residual acid from slab and it offers the option of an acid stain base coat (Though I'd probably go with an acetone dye).

75% of any good coating application is the prep (Two thirds of our jobs are renovations). I have hangar floors I installed 25 years ago still in service, but I've always emphasized top quality prep and products. We install floors for a national automotive repair chain, and some of them are going on ten years now.

But the real key to the system is the sprayable topcoat. Normal polyaspartics and the like require skillful roller application. Originally developed in the UK as an anti-graffiti coating, this product is more like a liquid crystal (no ... not sodium silicate or lithium silicate or potassium silicate, more like zirconium) that is spray applied like a Behr sealer, except with no backrolling. The difference is that ours is extremely chemical and abrasive resistant. We've been prototyping in Canada and the feedback is very positive.

Before we go nationwide, I'd like to find someone in the Central Texas area to serve as a "beta" tester. If they like it, game on. If not, well aviation is our real market anyhow. I guess I didn't mention that these floors can look either like acid stained floors or opaque solid colors or even like polished concrete. We've installed them in high traffic restaurants, and they look great!
Click to expand...

Well, I live south of Killeen and have a 25 X 25 building that is waiting on the weather to warm up so i can apply some epoxy.


Joe
 
L

LegacyIndustrial

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Jun 7, 2010
Messages
7,994
Location
deerfield, IL
jbaustx said:
Actually, the tool is a diamabrush, which I've yet to see on a rental market (I wish it were, would make it a lot easier for me). The customer could then go to Home Depot and rent the buffer. The reason I want to go with the diamabrush is that there is no substitute for mechanical abrasion to remove contaminants. Plus it is practically foolproof if the video is followed.
Click to expand...

One note on diamabrush...
It needs to be used wet. Use it without water and you'll have an old fashioned dust-out. The easiest method is on a walk-behind scrubber.
 
B

BevoZ06

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 30, 2011
Messages
165
Location
Austin Texas
jbaustx said:
Actually, the tool is a diamabrush, which I've yet to see on a rental market (I wish it were, would make it a lot easier for me). The customer could then go to Home Depot and rent the buffer. The reason I want to go with the diamabrush is that there is no substitute for mechanical abrasion to remove contaminants. Plus it is practically foolproof if the video is followed. Acid is usually sufficient, but is tricky to use properly, especially if there are contaminants on the slab.Going mechanical, there is no risk of improperly rinsing the residual acid from slab and it offers the option of an acid stain base coat (Though I'd probably go with an acetone dye).

75% of any good coating application is the prep (Two thirds of our jobs are renovations). I have hangar floors I installed 25 years ago still in service, but I've always emphasized top quality prep and products. We install floors for a national automotive repair chain, and some of them are going on ten years now.

But the real key to the system is the sprayable topcoat. Normal polyaspartics and the like require skillful roller application. Originally developed in the UK as an anti-graffiti coating, this product is more like a liquid crystal (no ... not sodium silicate or lithium silicate or potassium silicate, more like zirconium) that is spray applied like a Behr sealer, except with no backrolling. The difference is that ours is extremely chemical and abrasive resistant. We've been prototyping in Canada and the feedback is very positive.

Before we go nationwide, I'd like to find someone in the Central Texas area to serve as a "beta" tester. If they like it, game on. If not, well aviation is our real market anyhow. I guess I didn't mention that these floors can look either like acid stained floors or opaque solid colors or even like polished concrete. We've installed them in high traffic restaurants, and they look great!
Click to expand...

JB,

I am in Austin. Can we discuss your beta tester idea? Thanks.
 
L

LegacyIndustrial

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Joined
Jun 7, 2010
Messages
7,994
Location
deerfield, IL
Just a follow up note on Diamabrush(mentioned in this post).
It is being beta tested at 50 or so Big Box stores, in the rental department.

Definitely, easier to use than an Edco and more forgiving (no gouges).
 
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