ArdWrknTrk Posted March 8, 2021 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Jim, Understood. You can see the cracks in the floor also...they've been there for 30 years and the concrete guys say that they all crack at some point. My wife wants me to do an epoxy coating or one of those, but in my own experience, its best done when the floor is brand new, not after 30 years of oil and brake fluid spills, cracks, etc. I totally get the coatings IF the garage is for parking only. My garage(s) have always been for working, so they see trolley jacks and axle stands, and dragging transmissions, etc across the floor. I'm thinking of building a detached garage...nothing huge (24x24). I have room for it on the property, but currently no access. A friend of mine in the area that has a few excavators is going to put a driveway in for me this year and get an area ready for a floor pad (which in all likelihood won't get poured until at least 2022). My current attached garage is small and a bit frustrating to work in sometimes (better than no garage, I know). When the house was built in 1990, they put the laundry room/bathroom stall IN the garage...so it is sort of an L-shape. It's fine, but the one side of my truck is almost always hard up against the wall. Of course there's always 500 other things piled out there (Bit of an ongoing issue between me and the Mrs...lol. The garage is the one room in the house I have even a tiny bit of control over, and it still ends up being filled with junk all the time). I'm losing the use of the big shop/warehouse where I work....which is fine, but myself and my coworkers have always had use of the space. We all keep our winter/summer tires stored at work (and some of us, things like truck parts, etc...lol). I'll soon be dragging all of this stuff home....and I think I have no room now. Bummer about losing the workshop. It's been a great perk while it lasted. Yes, all concrete slabs are going to crack (over a certain size) That's why you cut control joints every* 10'/3M Trying to seal old dusty, greasy concrete is a losing battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted March 8, 2021 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Bummer about losing the workshop. It's been a great perk while it lasted. Yes, all concrete slabs are going to crack (over a certain size) That's why you cut control joints every* 10'/3M Trying to seal old dusty, greasy concrete is a losing battle. That is a bummer on loosing the shop but when you said it had new owners I could see that coming, it always does. Do we see a work slow down coming because you guys lost the space At least you got most of the big parts done on the truck. On the pockets I hear you. Mine don't have lips so you cant hook hooks in them to hold stuff in the bed with out them things that go into the pockets first. I do have a set but I don't like the look of them installed so they sit in storage behind the seat just in case I need them. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted March 8, 2021 Share Posted March 8, 2021 That is a bummer on loosing the shop but when you said it had new owners I could see that coming, it always does. Do we see a work slow down coming because you guys lost the space At least you got most of the big parts done on the truck. On the pockets I hear you. Mine don't have lips so you cant hook hooks in them to hold stuff in the bed with out them things that go into the pockets first. I do have a set but I don't like the look of them installed so they sit in storage behind the seat just in case I need them. Dave ---- I built my shop ~10 years ago and used U-Coat It epoxy on the floor. It was a huge effort and a fairly large expense, and it is wearing off. The tires haven't lifted it, but 10 years of use have pretty much worn it out in the high-use areas. If I had it to do over again I'd consider having the floor sanded and sealed like they do in Sams or other similar buildings. I don't know how that stuff stands up to brake fluid, gasoline, and brake cleaner, but they leave significant stains on the epoxy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 8, 2021 Share Posted March 8, 2021 I built my shop ~10 years ago and used U-Coat It epoxy on the floor. It was a huge effort and a fairly large expense, and it is wearing off. The tires haven't lifted it, but 10 years of use have pretty much worn it out in the high-use areas. If I had it to do over again I'd consider having the floor sanded and sealed like they do in Sams or other similar buildings. I don't know how that stuff stands up to brake fluid, gasoline, and brake cleaner, but they leave significant stains on the epoxy. Just be glad none of you have the pyrrhotite (iron sulfide) problems Ron does. It's a nightmare 40 years in the making, where the actual aggregate decomposes once it is mined out of the ground. There are many ways to get a dense and hard concrete surface. Plasticizer to minimize water, and a power trowel are a good start. Conditioning with sodium silicate and a cure sealant are pretty inexpensive too. Concrete 'is what it is' and trying to make it something that it isn't is just stupidity I see all the time. Nothing is going to keep all stains away. And no coating is going to last forever. There are plenty of acid stains that become part of the slab. This (IMHE) is the best option. It's a damn garage floor after all. If you don't like grey, just add color to the slab. Yes, it will vary some. It's not opaque. But (obviously) concrete itself is a composite with many variables. If you can't accept that use something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpin Posted March 8, 2021 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Just be glad none of you have the pyrrhotite (iron sulfide) problems Ron does. It's a nightmare 40 years in the making, where the actual aggregate decomposes once it is mined out of the ground. There are many ways to get a dense and hard concrete surface. Plasticizer to minimize water, and a power trowel are a good start. Conditioning with sodium silicate and a cure sealant are pretty inexpensive too. Concrete 'is what it is' and trying to make it something that it isn't is just stupidity I see all the time. Nothing is going to keep all stains away. And no coating is going to last forever. There are plenty of acid stains that become part of the slab. This (IMHE) is the best option. It's a damn garage floor after all. If you don't like grey, just add color to the slab. Yes, it will vary some. It's not opaque. But (obviously) concrete itself is a composite with many variables. If you can't accept that use something else. I understand about the garage with stuff being piled in there because of the Mrs.! I’ve worked on a few white hangar floors. With grit in it for non slip. Very expensive and done with machines. Saw one for the USAF Reserve done wrong and they had to do it over. When the last company I worked for built a 30,000 square foot hangar, it was built by the founder’s son’s construction company. I saw them painting the floor white with a special paint from Sherwin Williams. They did do their homework and prepped it. But when I saw them painting it by hand I told my boss that I didn’t think it would last. To my surprise 15 years later it was still good! One small area was a little messed up where some sealant came up. The non slip was nice if you got oil, hydraulic fluid or jet fuel on the floor where you were working. We had a maintenance bay that would look pretty bad after a long inspection. But our building maintenance man knew how to clean it, we had a Tennant walk behind floor scrubber, we’d come in the next day and it would be glistening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 8, 2021 Share Posted March 8, 2021 I understand about the garage with stuff being piled in there because of the Mrs.! I’ve worked on a few white hangar floors. With grit in it for non slip. Very expensive and done with machines. Saw one for the USAF Reserve done wrong and they had to do it over. When the last company I worked for built a 30,000 square foot hangar, it was built by the founder’s son’s construction company. I saw them painting the floor white with a special paint from Sherwin Williams. They did do their homework and prepped it. But when I saw them painting it by hand I told my boss that I didn’t think it would last. To my surprise 15 years later it was still good! One small area was a little messed up where some sealant came up. The non slip was nice if you got oil, hydraulic fluid or jet fuel on the floor where you were working. We had a maintenance bay that would look pretty bad after a long inspection. But our building maintenance man knew how to clean it, we had a Tennant walk behind floor scrubber, we’d come in the next day and it would be glistening! Most residential garages don't have the budget of Area 51, and most home contractors wouldn't have a clue. Specialist Trades and aerospace/chip forge specs aren't for the fainthearted. I've used/maintained a three wheel golf cart sized brush & scrub Tennant. With grit on the floor your cleanup guy must have been VERY familiar with the underside of that machine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 Most residential garages don't have the budget of Area 51, and most home contractors wouldn't have a clue. Specialist Trades and aerospace/chip forge specs aren't for the fainthearted. I've used/maintained a three wheel golf cart sized brush & scrub Tennant. With grit on the floor your cleanup guy must have been VERY familiar with the underside of that machine! Well, for good or for bad, I decided to weld the top "faux curl" tubes 100% of the length (80.75"?). While I'm not having any warping issues...the tube and flat sheet can take the heat no problem, grinding the welds down smooth is a problem. It's so hard to get it smooth...I'm getting some dips and valleys. Anyway, it's too late to change course now, and I really wanted there to be no gaps for water/moisture to get in behind the body fill. The only way to eliminate that was to weld it all the way. I'm hoping it can be skim coated with body fill and block sanded out to a fairly smooth finish. Thoughts, good or bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Well, for good or for bad, I decided to weld the top "faux curl" tubes 100% of the length (80.75"?). While I'm not having any warping issues...the tube and flat sheet can take the heat no problem, grinding the welds down smooth is a problem. It's so hard to get it smooth...I'm getting some dips and valleys. Anyway, it's too late to change course now, and I really wanted there to be no gaps for water/moisture to get in behind the body fill. The only way to eliminate that was to weld it all the way. I'm hoping it can be skim coated with body fill and block sanded out to a fairly smooth finish. Thoughts, good or bad? You're making it too smooth if you intend to use polyester (Bondo) 36-40 grit until you get past filler. 60-80 use on filler, with a guidecoat. 100-220 for surfacer and spot putty 360 or 400 for final blocking. The welds look nice. Use a big flat file to level them and you will only knock off the peaks and not create valleys.. Something like that, that's right up in your face, with no pockets, really, REALLY needs to be straight. But maybe that's just the trim carpenter in me cringing at wavy crown and baseboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 You're making it too smooth if you intend to use polyester (Bondo) 36-40 grit until you get past filler. 60-80 use on filler, with a guidecoat. 100-220 for surfacer and spot putty 360 or 400 for final blocking. The welds look nice. Use a big flat file to level them and you will only knock off the peaks and not create valleys.. Something like that, that's right up in your face, with no pockets, really, REALLY needs to be straight. But maybe that's just the trim carpenter in me cringing at wavy crown and baseboard. Thanks Jim. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a shop do the body fill and paint so hopefully they can pretty it up for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Thanks Jim. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a shop do the body fill and paint so hopefully they can pretty it up for me. Don't get me wrong, Cory. I think you're doing a great job! But if you're taking it to a shop for fill and paint you might as well just run a 36 grit belt sander up and down those bed lips. At least they will be straight, flat and scuffed to where the plastic has a tooth, or key. I'm excited to see how the floor of the bed comes out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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