The Garage

[dboat]

I dont know how everyone else is here but I like having a really nice garage.

I currently have a 3 car garage that is oversized and is almost 1000 sq ft.

I have a heater, tv, frig, phone, stereo and the usual shelving, rolling tool chest, rolling workstation, 8 foot flourescents, etc in the garage.

I am writing this post because I want to do something with the floor. I have thought about painting, Line-X and RaceDeck. Painting it is easily the cheapest way to go, hands down. I dont know too much about having a Line-X floor regarding the positives and the negatives. I have really considered the tile floor because it has a lot of colors and with mixing an matching the solid with the free flow tiles, I can put tiles under the cars that we drive in the snow in the winter and have it melt and flow to the drain in the winter. This will also keep the floor (the tile side) relatively clean until Spring when I can pop up the tile, sweep and then hose down the floor and then re-pop the tile back together.. prob is, this stuff is expensive. But I can take it with me if and when I move.

I am looking for some honest opinions, even harsh comments if need be, not sure why..

My concerns are as follows, If I paint and dont do it right, then I have a mess, if it is really bad, then I have to do that much extra work to get it back to right. I would also be concerned as to its appearance should I go to sell the house. There are several systems out there for the DIY person. If I go to a pro, then the cost is as high as the RaceDeck and then I would just as soon go that way..

If I go Line-X, I dont know much about it, but if I didnt like it, I would bet that getting rid of it would be a bear. Also, not sure how a future homeowner would like it. I am not sure how much it would cost either.

If I go RaceDeck, I can put it in pretty quickly, (no drying or prep time for the most part) and I can take it with me.

The cost of painting with a garage floor paint system is going to be in the $800 - $1000 range, depending on the system, the painting tools and floor prep that is necessary.

The RaceDeck I last priced at over $3000 and I am sure it is higher now with the price of oil being what it is..

Thanks for your help on this one...
Dana

Helpful Links

www.ucoatit.com
www.racedeck.com

[Tex Arcana]

Ther'es a product out that's in essence a carpet, that's oil- and water-resistant, and just rolls right out. You might wanna try that.

[BC Lightning]

We will be using the rubber sealent the repels oil and etc, on all three garages :D

[Mark #2]

I am a believer of not coating.

Racedeck is nice but car dollies and jacks don't roll to well on it and if you leave dollies in one place it will dent.

Paints and coatings are just slippery with a little fluid or humidity on them.

This is just IMHO. I have spent years on this topic. No coatings at my house.

Go to the Acura dealer on Plano Pky, they have ceramic tile, it is slick as snot. I can't believe that they haven't replaced it yet.

[dboat]

I am a believer of not coating.

Racedeck is nice but car dollies and jacks don't roll to well on it and if you leave dollies in one place it will dent.

Paints and coatings are just slippery with a little fluid or humidity on them.

This is just IMHO. I have spent years on this topic. No coatings at my house.

Go to the Acura dealer on Plano Pky, they have ceramic tile, it is slick as snot. I can't believe that they haven't replaced it yet.

So you are a believer of the stock garage floor? no mods?

So far, the racedeck is ahead because I dont use car dollies or jacks that much.. but your point is well taken. I would need to remember to throw a piece of plywood under most items to spread out the load.
Dana

[dboat]

We will be using the rubber sealent the repels oil and etc, on all three garages :D


Line-X or something like that? let me know how it goes and post up some pics.
Dana

[dboat]

Ther'es a product out that's in essence a carpet, that's oil- and water-resistant, and just rolls right out. You might wanna try that.

What it that? now I am curious about it... but I need it to be able to handle the ice and snow that will melt and fall off.. and I have three drains, so I guess I would have to cut out holes for them.. give us a link..
Dana

[99WhiteBeast]

Dana,

I also have done a lot of research on this. I've done the low-end (Lowes or Depot garage floor paint) and the mid to high end paint from Griots. Both look good for awhile but just won't stand up to repeated abuse from oils, jack stands, and hot tires.

The race deck stuff looks to be a good solution except for the reasons Mark stated and the high cost.

I've talked with a lot of gear heads and show car owners who have sworn by this product www.gloss-it.com (http://www.gloss-it.com)

I'm not sure if they are in your area or not but with the warranties they offer and the cost I think this may be the best solution.

[tliss]

I am looking into redoing the garage floor as well, and since the wife just spilled a gallon of oil-based paint on the floor, now's really a good time to start thinking about this. That gloss-it.com stuff looks nice, but $3.75 a sq. ft.? :eek: :eek: Better be good stuff. I'll just sit here and watch and see what the consensus is...:D

Tom

[Tex Arcana]

What it that? now I am curious about it... but I need it to be able to handle the ice and snow that will melt and fall off.. and I have three drains, so I guess I would have to cut out holes for them.. give us a link..
Dana

I saw it in the Herrington catalog a couple-three weeks ago, and supposedly (given Herrington's decidedly North Eastern-centricity) it'll let water drain off. I don't have a link, and the friggin' dialup is so slow (24k tonite), that searches will take forever, and I'm gonna head for bed soon. :(

[PoorSvtman]

at my dealership we have tile on the main service drive.. when it rains or gets wet i almost bust my arse and ive worked there for over 5 years.

In the r.v. shop in the back that im in. It has some bunk arse coating thats wearing away fast and its slick as crap too. It dosesnt even hold up well to fluids. With motor homes they may not move for weeks and what fluids dose leak tends to leave a mark or eats a little bit of the coating away.

[my2002lightning]

Dana,

Like you, I'm enjoying the 3-car garage thing myself. Bare concrete floors, so far.

Here are some links I ran across:

http://www.americangaragefloor.com/
http://www.bltllc.com/parking-pad.htm

[Silver_2000]

I saw it in the Herrington catalog a couple-three weeks ago, and supposedly (given Herrington's decidedly North Eastern-centricity) it'll let water drain off. I don't have a link, and the friggin' dialup is so slow (24k tonite), that searches will take forever, and I'm gonna head for bed soon. :(

Let me help

http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/ms444.html

Doug

http://store1.yimg.com/I/herrington-catalog_1855_67945874

[FRDRCING]

That looks like it would be well worth the money over anything else you could get for a garage floor.

[Tex Arcana]

Let me help

http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/ms444.html

Doug

http://store1.yimg.com/I/herrington-catalog_1855_67945874
Nope, that's not it.. it was a roll of carpeting, basically, ribbed, with rubber backing, and rolled out wall-to-wall, and cut-to-fit.

[PUMP]

The ucoatit link is for an epoxy paint/finish system. These can be problems if the existing concrete floor has already been sealed or has excessive moisture content because it was not sealed.
Before you consider that you should check out the following link:
http://www.epoxyproducts.com/

It contains a lot of good advice and links.

[Mark #2]

Nope, that's not it.. it was a roll of carpeting, basically, ribbed, with rubber backing, and rolled out wall-to-wall, and cut-to-fit.

My boss has this and he said if he did it over again, he would paint it. This stuff is slippery too.

[Silver_2000]

Nope, that's not it.. it was a roll of carpeting, basically, ribbed, with rubber backing, and rolled out wall-to-wall, and cut-to-fit.

demanding arent you ??

http://store1.yimg.com/I/herrington-catalog_1859_37209750



Parking Parquet: 7.5’W x 17’L
Beautify Your Garage Floor, And Show Off Your Cars — Without Adhesives or Smelly Paint!
I’ve got a small collection of special Ferraris, and they just didn’t look right on a bare concrete floor. I considered and rejected high gloss floor paint — it’s a mess to apply, and still looks too much like a warehouse floor!
Then I discovered Parking Parquet, an attractive, rugged vinyl floor covering you just unroll like carpet. It puts a vapor barrier between cold concrete and my vintage Ferraris, and looks just right.
Ribbed channel design keeps debris from spreading around the garage floor, and contains drips and leaks. Protects against cement stains, and it’s a breeze to hose off. Variable width rolls let you decide whether to cover individual parking spots or the entire floor.
Cuts easily with any utility knife and butts smoothly against itself. Lays flat and is highly slip resistant. Make your garage into an appropriate home, both for highly prized vintage automobiles, and for your everyday driver! Choose (clockwise) green, black, sand, brick, or grey.

Parking Parquet: 7.5’W x 17’L MS103http://us.st1.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/Img/trans_1x1.gif$229.95, 2/$439.90http://us.st1.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/Img/trans_1x1.gif

[dboat]

I really appreciate everyone's ideas and comments on this. I went to all those links and looked at everything that was posted. I have looked at the rollout pads before and the paint and the epoxy and the locking tiles. I guess I want the special solution that doesnt cost much and has no downside. But that solution doesnt exist.
My needs are such that the biggest concern I have is the snow in the winter and the ability to wash the car/truck in the garage. The garage is heated and I have hot water out there, so that is a big plus. This means that whatever I buy needs to be able to drain. If I go with the carpet or pad, then I am going to have to cut it up to get it to drain. The rollout pad has channels built into it that run parallel and wont allow for proper drainage.
The paint/epoxy solution really looks nice, but I am really concerned about the installation and not screwing it up. I just dont want to have to go back and redo it again. Its gonna get wet up here and humidity is an issue. So I am somewhat concerned, but not overly so, in regard to the slippery nature of paint/epoxy. I also dont like the idea of paying the money for paint($800-$1000) or epoxy ($4000) and not being able to take it with me when I go. My type of vocation generally doesnt allow for long term employment most places. So that brings me back to RaceDeck and its ability to have liquids drain through it, but still be able to walk around on it and it comes apart and goes back together so I can take it with me and use is somewhere else. But it isnt cheap either. It will cost me at least $4000 to do the garage, but I can put it in and have everything back in the garage in one day. I can mix and match colors and freeflow and diamondplate or circle pattern tiles.. Heck, If I wanted to really pay the money, I could have a big Lightning bolt made up for me.. But that is a lot of cash to spend on a floor.. I dont use the jack much or jackstands, so I dont think that I will mess up too many tiles, and at least I can replace them if I do...
Hmmmm, I still need to do some thinking about this.
Dana

[BC Lightning]

demanding arent you ??



do you have a link to this site?

[Mark #2]

http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/ms103.html

[99WhiteBeast]

I don't think that mat will hold up to 5000lbs on jack stands. I guess you could roll it back to work on the truck but then it defeats the purpose of keeping the garage floor clean of oil and grease marks.

[Mark #2]

I am not endorsing the link above, just providing a link.

I recommend bare concrete, oil stains and the like are just like scars, reminders of the past.
"That's where I bled when working on Crawford's truck" for instance.

[dboat]

do you have a link to this site?


There are multiple vendors of this product, so buyer beware.
Dana

[Silver_2000]

do you have a link to this site?

http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/

[BC Lightning]

http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/

:tu: :tu: