Minimal Cost Garage Flooring

[srmn8r]

I'm overbudget and underfunded on my 24x24 garage. I'm tempted to leave the concrete "naked" but don't want to be penny-wise-pound-foolish. What is the minimum recommended concrete finish?

I will be tearing down my 55 Chevy pick up to redo it, and have some atv's and motorcycles I'll be be working on in there too.

 

[Sharps]

Spend the money to have dye in the concrete mix and just seal it with a nice clear sealer. The cost of the concrete dye depends on the color.

FWIW, I usually add an extra 25% to the recommended amount for a cubic yard to get a darker color, as it will lighten up as it cures. Red is expensive, the buff Yellow and Grey colors are less expensive.

You can dress up the appearance by finishing with a smooth finish which creates a nice faux Venetian plaster appearance for the floor.

Remember to put in expansion joints or saw cut the floor to prevent cracks and nothing less than 4" (really 4", not 3-1/2")

HTH

 

[JamieK]

If you've already poured the it, you could just leave the floor "as-is", and wait till you save up money and then epoxy or Racedeck it. There will just be more prep work, i.e., cleaning off any oil. Worst part will be having to move everything outside to prep/finish the floor.

 

[srmn8r]

The slab has been poured already. I'm having some moisture issues that will require french drains and waterproofing the foundation. (I acquiesced to the builder's insistence that waterproofing the foundation was not necessary and didn't do it before backfilling.)

Ultimately, I'd like to RaceDeck it, but I can't afford it right now. Should I clear coat the floor with RD in the future?

 

[sadwayguall]

I think you are right
How much access to the soil adjacent to the house do you have?
Paving and concrete?

 

[redtail]

What about regular concrete paint?

 

[Snap50]

What about regular concrete paint?

You'll regret that on a floor. Hot tires will lift it off.

 

[Snap50]

We have a liquid concrete hardener/sealer. Makes for a nice dense, shiny floor that resists many chemicals and spills.
It can be applied anytime after the fact provided the concrete is clean.
And it can be reapplied later on.

 

[BioHazard]

Silly me, all these years I thought plain ol' concrete was good enough...

 

[BTI]

Could you just use the regular sealer that most concrete finishers put on?
It would just be for protecting the floor from oil and such.
My floor is natural concrete, it is stained but nothing carb cleaner won't take most off.

BTI

 

[Plump]

Depends on where you are in my opinion as well. Here in the Upper Midwest, you ARE going to have cracks, expansion joints or not. More important to seal those cracks and keep water from getting under the foundation than anything else. I'm a regular concrete guy myself. Cost effective, looks fine in my eyes, and you can clean it up as you see fit. No worries about wicking, peeling, etc.

 

[BirdRacer]

I just put a regular, clear sealer on mine, and it works fine. Only thing is, it doesn't like gas to be spilled on it. Melts it right away...

 

[AlphaGarage]

We do have a less costly solution, which would be AcryliSeal 3501. We believe AcryliSeal 3501 is the best water based acrylic sealer available. Wolverine Coatings was the first company in the world to commercialize this new type of Acrylic technology. To date we are still not aware of any other company that offers this type of novel technology. It’s slightly more expensive than the standard water based products, but it has a HUGE performance increase. AcryliSeal 3501 will give better darkening than the standard water based acrylic sealers but not quite as much darkening as solvent based sealers. But unlike solvent based products AcryliSeal 3501 is environmentally “green,” with no volatile organic compounds. The chemical resistance is awesome, not the same level resistance level of our epoxy based systems, but far superior than either other water based or solvent based acrylic currently available. It’s even resistant to chemicals including organic solvents like MEK, Xylene, Toluene, etc. This product is less than 3 years old and we have not heard of a failure to date. So, the durability is much better than either of the typical solvent based or water based acrylics.

After waste is factored in a 5 gallon pail will cover about 1,350 ft2 with one coat, for your situation we'd recommend at least 2 coats.

 

[dulmer]

Cost?
[email protected]

 

[ScaldedDog]

Cost?
[email protected]

x2
PM me.

Mark

 

[Snap50]

Cost?
[email protected]

Same here, PM.

Where is it available?

 

[dulmer]

Nevermind, I found it.....its $225.00 for a 5 gallon bucket...enough to cover 1350 ft. Oh yeah, they recommend you put down two coats.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Lost track of this thread - but yes, $225 per 5 gallon kit, which is enough to coat approx 1,350 ft2 with one coat. Compared to resin coatings AcryliSeal has very thin viscosity, coverage will vary depending on the condition of the concrete. Concrete that's porous will adsorb more, so in order to make sure that there's some AcryliSeal on the surface after it dries it will probably require that additional layer.

Fortunately the application is very easy and additional coats can go on quickly and without a lot of fuss, being a one component coating there's no critical measuring or mixing of multiple ingredients involved.

There is an exception though, if you want the final finish to have a "wetter" look you just add water to the first coat. Simply combine equal parts warm water and AcryliSeal 3501 and mix thoroughly before applying it. Then apply subsequent layers at undiluted full strength.

If you want to see AcryliSeal 3501 in action, stop by the Trader Joe's in Manhattan, they recently removed their previous floor treatment and put down AcryliSeal. I understand they're in the process of going to pretty much every TJ in the country and applying 3501, the busiest store they have is the Union Square one in NYC.

 

[Jazz]

It only seems available in white. I assume it also cannot be tinted? Does it dry clear?

 

[AlphaGarage]

When you peek in the pail it appears milkish in color, but it dries clear. We do offer it in tints, but that's usually custom colors for commercial orders. There's been talk of tinting it for DIY clients, but we're not quite there yet.

If you're adventurous, I know some folks have tinted AcryliSeal 3501 on their own by bringing it to local paint store and having them add the same tints used for store paints. But that's going off our maps so we can't endorse or warranty that trip.

 

[dulmer]

any pictures? Its a long way from here to Manhattan.

 

[Gambitt]

My biggest concern with the Wolverine products is shipping cost. I was going to purchase some of the 3501...but the shipping was a deal breaker for me.

 

[twostory]

Fred (Alpha Garage)

Can I use AcryliSeal 3501 to seal an exterior concrete drive way?

I had my driveway redone last fall, and would like to protect the new concrete from staining (oil, dirt, berries, bird ****, etc.)

 

[AlphaGarage]

any pictures? Its a long way from here to Manhattan.

I don't have any, but might be able to track one down, check back.

My biggest concern with the Wolverine products is shipping cost. I was going to purchase some of the 3501...but the shipping was a deal breaker for me.

Don't know exactly where you are, but shipping to Lexington would be about $28. Clearly we don't have much control over those costs, but we work to keep them down. Beside hounding our broker and FedEx we consider packaging, container sizes, etc. to minimize s&h charges. On larger orders (>150 lbs.) we usually try quote freight also, which can sometimes be considerably less.

One issue we have with some of our products is that due to the raw materials they are just very heavy. For example, 3 gallons of water weighs about 25 pounds, but a 3 gallon kit of LiquaTile 1184 runs about 40 pounds. Part of that is the weight of the containers, but most of it is due to the ceramic content. LT1184 is about 12 lbs per gallon, we have another LiquaTile epoxy with even more ceramic material that's almost 16 lbs per gallon, twice the weight of water. That costs in shipping, but the upside is that a LiquaTile coated floor is extremely durable and impact resistant.

Fred (Alpha Garage)

Can I use AcryliSeal 3501 to seal an exterior concrete drive way?

I had my driveway redone last fall, and would like to protect the new concrete from staining (oil, dirt, berries, bird ****, etc.)

Yes, I'd guess that the majority of AcryliSeal is for exterior uses. In fact a major retailer (we're talking BIG) is about to use AcryliSeal for all their store entrances. Besides having a nice somewhat glossy wet look it will make the entrances a lot easier to keep clean because of its stain resistant qualities. Currently they need to steam clean the entrances several times a month, AcryliSeal will cut down that requirement quite a bit.

 

[Jazz]

Thanks! Knowing that it dries clear is perfect for be cause I intend dye to concrete before sealing.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Thanks! Knowing that it dries clear is perfect for be cause I intend dye to concrete before sealing.

Make sure the dye is compatible with the sealer.

 

[AlphaGarage]

any pictures? Its a long way from here to Manhattan.

Couldn't locate the Manhattan Project, but did manage to find a few from a Chicago Trader Joe's that was done last September...

Pictures courtesy of our friends at Epoxy System Specialists LLC, SC who were the consultants on this project and managed the various subs who actually go out and do the work. They're also the company that installs all the Wolverine Coatings at the BMW facility in Spartanburg SC.

 

[dulmer]

Thanks for the info and the pictures Fred. Does that concrete have some sort of die in it?

 

[Jazz]

I was planning to actually add the dye to the concrete when its poured and not have an existing slab dyed if that makes any difference. Still checking the cost of the dye, but I'm not planning on having this done until late spring as part of a new garage build. I was thinking either blue or yellow.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Thanks for the info and the pictures Fred. Does that concrete have some sort of die in it?

As I understand it Trader Joes had various types of floor treatments in their stores, and many of them were failing or just getting tired. They asked for proposals to rehab all the floors chain wide with a solution that is durable, good looking, and easy to maintain. After reviewing the submissions they installed a few of the top contenders in test locations, and eventually picked Wolverine's AcryliSeal 3501.

This particular Chicago TJ had a Methyl methacrylate (MMA) system that was having problems with its top layer(s). The problem material was removed, and the AcryliSeal was applied over the existing base and flakes.

Some of the stores are having the floors ground down to bare concrete and completely re-coated, others, like this one, need less rehab.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Fred, does the AcryliSeal make the floor any slicker than the bare concrete?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[AlphaGarage]

Fred, does the AcryliSeal make the floor any slicker than the bare concrete?

Thanks,

Mark

If the concrete is dry there's little difference. If it's wet then it can be more slippery depending on the composition of the concrete. On concrete with a lot of large aggregate, like river rock, then it can be slippery, if it's porous with small or minimal aggregate then it's not too slippery. We did have a client in the northwest who used AcryliSeal on their slopped driveway, which has large rock aggregate, did report back that spots with the large rock were slippery when wet. So, if there's a lot of moisture, and slips and falls are a concern, then you can add SuperGrip or similar grit to increase the texture.

I think TJs, who presumably are concerned about their customers slipping, did not add any grit.

 

[James2]

The AcryliSeal seems like a reasonable low cost alternative as opposed to going with the full epoxy deal. What's the mil thickness of the AcryliSeal per coat?

 

[AlphaGarage]

The AcryliSeal seems like a reasonable low cost alternative as opposed to going with the full epoxy deal. What's the mil thickness of the AcryliSeal per coat?

When a 5 gallon kit is applied in 2 coats over 750 ft2 the wet film thickness is about 5 mils. Unlike a 100% solids resin, the AcryliSeal is very thin, almost like water, so it soaks in, and much of what doesn't soak in dries, so the final dry coat thickness is probably 1 - 3 mils.

 

[James2]

Okay, thanks. So not as thick as the epoxy deal, but less expensive too.

 

[Zzzzz]

If anyone does this, post up some pics! Sounds like the way I'll go with mine..

 

[manansal]

When a 5 gallon kit is applied in 2 coats over 750 ft2 the wet film thickness is about 5 mils. Unlike a 100% solids resin, the AcryliSeal is very thin, almost like water, so it soaks in, and much of what doesn't soak in dries, so the final dry coat thickness is probably 1 - 3 mils.

can you tell us about the application of acryliseal?


what kind of floor prep does it need?


i was leaning towards VCT, but i just got a couple of ATV's and i seem to enjoy riding them in the snow and putting them away wet.

my floor is a new pour, with a little polishing done. what would i have to do? and what do the temps have to be? thanks!

 

[AlphaGarage]

1 - Clean the area to be sealed. Use high quality concrete or masonry cleaning agent like Wolverine Coatings OrganiClean 935, an industrial strength general purpose cleaner and degreaser. OrganiClean 935 is highly concentrated and can be diluted with water up to 100 to 1. It’s a great cleaner to have on hand for many general shop, garage, and household cleaning needs.

After washing with the cleaning agent thoroughly rinse the area with a high pressure washer.

2 - For the most durable coating we recommend the surface be etched with Wolverine Coatings OrganiPrep 921, a non-toxic, low odor concrete etcher. Alternately muriatic acid can also be used for etching. Muriatic acid is toxic and extremely caustic, carefully read and follow all product directions. After the etcher has been allowed to work per package instructions, thoroughly neutralize and rinse the surface. Check local regulations about the use and disposal of chemicals and coatings.

Allow the concrete to dry and check for liquid penetration by pouring a small amount of water on the surface to be coated, if the water is evenly absorbed then you’re set to apply the sealer. If the water beads up you should take additional steps to profile the surface before applying AcryliSeal 3501.

When the surface is clean and dry, and you’ve confirmed that liquids can penetrate the surface, you’re all set to apply the AcryliSeal 3501!

After applying AcryliSeal 3501 the finished surface will have a “wet look” which will also enhance the color and shades of the underlying material.

To enhance that wet look even more, apply separate coats of AcryliSeal 3501. When applying the first coat, and for the first coat only, mix in clean warm water with the AcryliSeal 3501 - add two quarts of warm water for every gallon of AcryliSeal 3501 and mix thoroughly before applying.

For the second coat use AcryliSeal 3501 at its normal undiluted strength.


3 - Open the pail and thoroughly stir contents for 60 seconds. Apply to dry surface at about one gallon for every 300 square feet.

You can use a high quality 3/8” nap, no lint, no shed, paint roller cover, brush, airless sprayer, or a garden sprayer. The important thing is to apply the AcryliSeal 3501 evenly and be sure it penetrates the surface!

Allow the AcryliSeal 3501 to dry before applying any additional coats. Drying will take about 3 hours depending on weather conditions. AcryliSeal 3501 is typically applied in at least 2 coats.

AcryliSeal 3501 can be slippery; to reduce the chance of falls and slips you can add Wolverine Coatings SuperGrip 850 grip additive to the final coat of AcryliSeal 3501. Use ½ pound of SuperGrip 850 for every 250 square feet.

Be careful not to spill AcryliSeal 3501 on any surface or item you don’t want to coat!
Clean up immediately with clean, soapy, water.

 

[manansal]

hmm....thats already a lot more prep than i was expecting.

and how about the temps?

 

[AlphaGarage]

Any temps above 36f should be fine - although the drying time will be stretched out some.

For our epoxies you want to really get the prep right, if not it can fail fast. This product is far more forgiving. Without ouit ideal prep it will still adhere and perform well, but probably not as long. Then again it's pretty easy to put down more when needed.

Around November of 2008 DHL delivered a bucket of AcryliSeal 3501 to our front step. Well, "delivered" is a bit generous - they dropped it on our step. The hit was hard enough that it caused a small leak in the bucket, that results in a small stream of AcryliSeal to run down the step and onto a deck. The deck was painted (not the ideal surface for AcryliSeal) hadn't been cleaned whatsoever, in fact was dirty. Keep in mind it wasn't rolled down, in fact I tried to clean it off within a few hours - no luck. Over a year later the AcryliSeal is still there, and adhering very well thank you.

So our company line is that for max performance prep per instructions, unofficially, well let's just say that I know one of our commercial contractors just scrubs clean and pressure washes.