Matt_in_VA

Hi.

My new garage to house my S2000 is nearing completion ( 17' X 30') I wanted 24' X 30 ' but zoning would not allow it. I intended to paint the garage floor white. A friend of mine did this and the reflected light makes it easy to work under one's car and if one drops anything it is very easy to see.

I understand that Home Depot sells a Epoxy garage floor finish that comes in either tan or gray. Does anyone have either an opinion or experience?

paS2K

No experience here, but a caveat: If it's a fairly new concrete slab, you should wait a bit before painting to allow for cure time. I would say at least 6 months.

Another choice: I was at charlie's house last weekend for the Aerocolor gathering. His garage has an interlocking rubber floor....maybe 18" tiles separate edging tiles. His is a medium gray color and looked great....got it at Sams Club, I think

Matt_in_VA

<<< Thanks paS2K

I am open to suggestions at this point.

ralper

Matt

I used the garage floor paint sold by Home Depot. I painted the floor white as I wanted the garage to be as bright as possible. I didn't etch or threat the floors, just two coats of the paint. My house was new when we bought it, and I waited almost a year to paint the garage floor.

In general, I have been satisfied. I will only use white in the future. The garage is brighter and cleaner looking. After about 8 years, the paint is beginning to peal, especially under the tires. Neither my wife or I let the cars sit outside to give the tires time to cool down. Both of us put into the garage immediately. Still 8 years is a pretty good time. An added benefit of paint is that the garage stays cleaner, no more concrete dust, and it is easier to sweep out.

I would definately do it. Even if you get the pads that Jerry recommends, I'd paint or at least seal the floor first.

sailor

[QUOTE]Originally posted by paS2K
No experience here, but a caveat: If it's a fairly new concrete slab, you should wait a bit before painting to allow for cure time. I would say at least 6 months.

Legal Bill

I thought someone made a system that had fleks of a contrasting color in it so that you get a spatter finish. Can't remember who it was. In the pictures, it looked very professional and would easily hide any stains you might get. Of course, trying to find a dropped screw amongst all the flecks might be a little tough for us Vintage folk.

Matt_in_VA

Thanks for all of the hints and tips.

Bill: I believe you are referring to the epoxy kit made by Rustoleum. I looked at that and came to the conclusion that it would be more difficult to find a nut or screw if dropped.

Ralper: I agree with your choice of white which is what I have in mind. A friend of mine did his in white and it reflects light really well especially when working under a vehicle. And if one drops a nut or screw it is very easy to find.

paS2K and Sailor: Thanks for the tips about allowing ample time for the concrete to cure. The contractor that I hired used 6,000 PSI concrete for the slab (the local code calls for 3,000 PSI). But, I figured that it was better to jack the car up, than the floor down

The doors are scheduled to be hung on Tuesday. But the hang up has been getting a date from the electric company to relocate the service point to the east side of the garage from the east side of my house. Between Isabel and the latest wind storm that we had, they are really backed up. The good news is that my contractor has agreed to dig the trench to bury the service line and that will speed things up instead of waiting until the power company can do it.

I can't wait!!!

Rick Hesel

As an alternative, you might try interlocking floor tiles made for garages -- very low maintenance and far more durable than epoxy or other varieties of paints. Here's a link to one variety:

http://www.racedeck.com/

Matt_in_VA

Thanks Rick.

I hope that you recover soon.

For what it is worth, my wife and I are still "amazed" at how well organized FCT2003 was. It was our first event and we were truly impressed. We are of course signed up for next year.

Shreiking S

I work for an industrial coatings company. There are a couple of caveats to watch for. New concrete should be allowed to cure for at least 28 days before a coating is applied. Concrete that has been in service for any length of time should be etched with muratic acid prior to application. Epoxies generally will work very well as long as they were designed for flooring applications, be sure to check. The rubber in the tires will react with some epoxies leaving a stain that cannot be cleaned. Also, epoxies will chalk if exposed to UV so check any source of outside sunlight. There are some high build, self leveling coatings out there that are really dynamite. They will seal any imperfections in the surface and leave a high gloss (but potentially slippery) surface. I have seen several floors that were painted and my personal favorite color is a light gray. Still very light reflective but will hide dust and light dirt. Done right, they really look sharp painted. Good luck.

Pete