My mind is a blazing torrent.....

[Zogman]

I've been a member here for a few years and there's a ton of good info, almost too much. I researched all the info on Epoxy floors a couple years ago when I did my floor in my home garage. I bought a high end epoxy system and did the DIY project. Turned out beautiful but 2 years later I am not very happy with it. I ruined half of the acrylic top coat in the process of layng down the floor so half of my floor has acrylic clear and the other half has a clear epoxy which I rushed down to buy from home depot as my floor was curing. The end result... the clear epoxy is yellowing badly and the acrylic clear has been removed in places where I've cleaned it with lacquer thinner where I had paint and oil spill. Sections of it now looks like ****.

So here is the dealio... I am in the permit process to build a 2800 sqaure foot garage. I'm a car guy so part of the shop will be storage and the rest will be for working on cars. I really want a really good looking floor but I would prefer function most importantly. I've scoured this forum on Porcelain tiles, VCT, stained and polished concretes and looked at Polyaspardics and my mind is toast.

Many years ago I worked in gas stations as a kid. Every night when the mechanics went home, I mopped the floors and they came out beautiful every time. That's what I want, a beautiful smooth concrete that cleans up if you mop it, clean paint off with lacquer thinner or what not. I figure if I plan now before the concrete is layed down, I can build it the way I want it. I would loved a stained & polished concrete that was bullet proof but not sure if that is possible. I don't have a unlimited funds for this but I do want to do it the right way the first time. I live in So. Cal so weather and salt is not an issue. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated
Thanks
Zoli

 

[BRIANBB]

Polished concrete? Or how about the way they do floors in major office buildings? I want to say travertine but that is not it. Terrazzo?

 

[Garage Flooring]

The bottom line is as far as the technology has come you can have whatever look you want, for a price. I understand that you have an epoxy floor now that does not look so hot a couple of years later.... They make PVC flooring with the look of granite and an amazing clear top coat. I also really like some of the high end PVC tiles with a top coat.

There is also a new urethane out for VCT tile that is simply amazing... but I am not a fan of VCT.

Forgetting the product for a second, what is the look you want to go for?

 

[bullnerd]

"Many years ago I worked in gas stations as a kid. Every night when the mechanics went home, I mopped the floors and they came out beautiful every time. That's what I want, a beautiful smooth concrete that cleans up if you mop it, clean paint off with lacquer thinner or what not."-OP

 

[Zogman]

Ed Zachery bullnerd. I want a nice smooth concrete floor that does not absorb anything. Color would be a plus but beggars can't ne choosers.

 

[kylek350]

I just had my floors polished. It may not look as pretty as a coating, but it should be pretty impervious. Only downside is that it is dangerous as hell when it's wet!

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Tough shipping anything tough to SoCal or Cal at all.

 

[Zogman]

Kyle, did you have it sealed with anyting special after you had it polished?? I am anticipating it being slick when wet but I live in a pretty dry area. Thanks for your input.

 

[rburke65]

You can have anything as long as you have the money......beggars?......not so much! 2800 sq. ft. will need a lot of product.

 

[thegarageguy]

Contact a local contractor and try to Barre with them...maybe there is something you can offer someone in return

 

[Angelfire]

Porcelain and don't look back!

 

[Zogman]

I had my mind on porcelain earlier but doing 2800 square feet DIY is kinda scaring me off.

Funny how rburke65 kinda bags on me for the beggars comment. Truth is I've saved my pennies for many years and I'm doing my best to build the garage of my dreams. So yeah it's a big garage but that doesn't mean I have money to burn.

I was at a trade show last week and there was a flooring company there and they were charging over $4 sqft for a nice polish. I cant see me spending another $10k for a floor finish. Is there a DIY to polish the floors myself? I did do the grinding on my epoxy floor but do the rental stores rent the various grit pads to polish a floor or do only the pro's have that type of equipment???

 

[Toolfool]

I hired union concrete finishers to "finish" my slab at the time of the pour (same guys did local HD floors). We had the concrete supplier add extra portland to the concrete mix to "richen" it. After the mud was down, these two guys go over and over the slab with power trowels until almost all the moisture has been pulled from the surface of the slab. The slab began to darken as they went along, actually "polishing" or "burning in" the top layer of cream, sealing the slab. With a light penetrating sealer I think it would be just what you're looking for.

 

[Zogman]

Thank you VERY much for your response ToolFool. That is exactly the type of option that I was looking for. How smooth is your floor??? Thanks again.

 

[Toolfool]

Find some union concrete finishers. I can wipe my slab with a paper towel and not shred it. I've been told it's too smooth for any kind of surface cover. It works for me.

 

[Zogman]

So I have to ask, why union finishers??? Do finishers work seperately from the guys who set the forms and pour?? I have not requested quotes yet for concrete work so I'd like to know how to approach a concrete contractor. Thanks again.

 

[Toolfool]

I set my own rebar and had a few friends with concrete experience help with the pour (40' x 90' slab) but hired two union guys to do the finish. My buddies have power trowel experience, but not the hours on big slabs like these guys. At first they weren't too happy being displaced by outsiders, but after handling the pour, bullfloating, hand trowelling, they were happy to turn the power trowelling over to the pros. We sat back with some cold ones and watched. I found these guys through my cousin who is a union laborer.

 

[rburke65]

I don't get the 'bag' meaning. I didnt mean my remark to insinuate anything. You inferred that you were the beggar and all I said was that "product" for a floor of that size was going the cost you some money. Sorry!