I'm just a working stiff without a lot of extra cash floating around (I'm CHEAP). So as I did my garage(s), I put in more sweat equity than $s and I have summarized my findings in email to friends...which I will share below (excuse some change in syntax or verb tenses...I'm really cutting and pasting from a # of emails).
Pictures of most details can be requested from me at [email protected]
FLOORING:I get two-part epoxy at "Lowes". (Valspar brand).
This stuff is slick (both good and slippery)...especially when wet (from
water...washing the car, rain, a/c condensation, etc...) (not while curing/drying) so as you will see in pictures, I only paint the car "pad" with epoxy and I cement stain the rest of the floor. And I've evolved to light grey for light reflectionand diagnosing drips. I thought white would be best but (even though it doesn't get "stained" and it just takes a wipe or a mop to clean up ANYTHING) you see every bit of dirt, leaves, bugs, etc...
It turns out that there are a couple of two-part paints (some acrylic based,
etc...) and there are some cheaper cement paints (that need additional ($)
primer coats before they will (supposedly) resist hot tire pickup. Watch for
one part epoxy too...lot's of posers!!! I ONLY USE two-part VALSPAR. I
also don't personally like the (expensive) "kits" with color flakes added...especially if you drop a small washer/part...I want a solid color
that I can easily see drips and small parts on.
I etch the clean (usually new construction) cement (after it cures/dries
for 3-6 months) with full strength muriatic acid (sprayed on in a light coat
from one of those pump up garden/plant sprayer). Make sure you empty the
garage of all things that can rust (and move them far away, upwind), etc... I left some tools hanging on
the wall and the fumes put a light coat of rust on everything...nothing was
ruined but a garage stereo, etc... could be. Wear a mask and aerate a lot.
Get your cars (and your expensive triathlon bike) far away!!!
In the past, I used to mix/dilute the acid in a bucket and pour it out and
work it with a broom but the alkaline (base) residue in the cement neutralizes the acid and you end up getting good etching where you pour and
poor etching where you spread the water. Now I spray the whole floor with
a light mist of straight-from-the-bottle (but I still think its a 10%
concentration) muriatic acid.
Wash the acid off with a lot of water and broom/push the water out (at
least 3 times/cycles) (trying to get any residual cement/powder/dust up).
If you can keep the acid from fully drying (very hard (impossible) in the
South due to higher temps and the fact that I lay a super light coat of
acid down) but you may not get as much powder/residue if the acid doesn't fully dry...I don't know, its always dried on me.
Let the cement really dry for a few days (after the last washing) and then
sweep/vac before laying down the paint.
I put two non-skid patches down (wet epoxy, playground sand from Home Depot, partially dry, another sealing coat of epoxy) so that when my tires are wet, my car won't slip on the epoxy as I go up the ramps
LIGHTING:
Due to ceiling height, cost, etc...I used halogen eyeballs to light the garage.
EARLY ON, I TRIED TO LIGHT MY GARAGE LIKE A PAINT BOOTH WITH FLOURESCENTS ALL OVER THE PLACE (INCLUDING VERTICLE ON THE WALLS)...STILL HAD SHADOWS. NOW I USE SMALL HALOGEN EYEBALL SPOTLIGHTS THAT LIGHT THE CARS LIKE ARTWORK AND USE 500 WATT HALOGEN SHOP LIGHTS ON TRIPODS. The eyeball sockets were like $10 but the bulbs are $7 each
CABINETS:
Home Depot white basic cabinets
Pictures of most details can be requested from me at [email protected]
FLOORING:I get two-part epoxy at "Lowes". (Valspar brand).
This stuff is slick (both good and slippery)...especially when wet (from
water...washing the car, rain, a/c condensation, etc...) (not while curing/drying) so as you will see in pictures, I only paint the car "pad" with epoxy and I cement stain the rest of the floor. And I've evolved to light grey for light reflectionand diagnosing drips. I thought white would be best but (even though it doesn't get "stained" and it just takes a wipe or a mop to clean up ANYTHING) you see every bit of dirt, leaves, bugs, etc...
It turns out that there are a couple of two-part paints (some acrylic based,
etc...) and there are some cheaper cement paints (that need additional ($)
primer coats before they will (supposedly) resist hot tire pickup. Watch for
one part epoxy too...lot's of posers!!! I ONLY USE two-part VALSPAR. I
also don't personally like the (expensive) "kits" with color flakes added...especially if you drop a small washer/part...I want a solid color
that I can easily see drips and small parts on.
I etch the clean (usually new construction) cement (after it cures/dries
for 3-6 months) with full strength muriatic acid (sprayed on in a light coat
from one of those pump up garden/plant sprayer). Make sure you empty the
garage of all things that can rust (and move them far away, upwind), etc... I left some tools hanging on
the wall and the fumes put a light coat of rust on everything...nothing was
ruined but a garage stereo, etc... could be. Wear a mask and aerate a lot.
Get your cars (and your expensive triathlon bike) far away!!!
In the past, I used to mix/dilute the acid in a bucket and pour it out and
work it with a broom but the alkaline (base) residue in the cement neutralizes the acid and you end up getting good etching where you pour and
poor etching where you spread the water. Now I spray the whole floor with
a light mist of straight-from-the-bottle (but I still think its a 10%
concentration) muriatic acid.
Wash the acid off with a lot of water and broom/push the water out (at
least 3 times/cycles) (trying to get any residual cement/powder/dust up).
If you can keep the acid from fully drying (very hard (impossible) in the
South due to higher temps and the fact that I lay a super light coat of
acid down) but you may not get as much powder/residue if the acid doesn't fully dry...I don't know, its always dried on me.
Let the cement really dry for a few days (after the last washing) and then
sweep/vac before laying down the paint.
I put two non-skid patches down (wet epoxy, playground sand from Home Depot, partially dry, another sealing coat of epoxy) so that when my tires are wet, my car won't slip on the epoxy as I go up the ramps
LIGHTING:
Due to ceiling height, cost, etc...I used halogen eyeballs to light the garage.
EARLY ON, I TRIED TO LIGHT MY GARAGE LIKE A PAINT BOOTH WITH FLOURESCENTS ALL OVER THE PLACE (INCLUDING VERTICLE ON THE WALLS)...STILL HAD SHADOWS. NOW I USE SMALL HALOGEN EYEBALL SPOTLIGHTS THAT LIGHT THE CARS LIKE ARTWORK AND USE 500 WATT HALOGEN SHOP LIGHTS ON TRIPODS. The eyeball sockets were like $10 but the bulbs are $7 each
CABINETS:
Home Depot white basic cabinets
