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  • GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

    Pictures! http://www.vorshlag.smugmug.com/gallery/2164276/1

    Before you can coat a concrete floor with epoxy, there's the the clean-up and etch step. This took... TWO. LONG. DAYS. The main work was removing paint and crap from the floor, the etching was to remove the highly polished surface of the concrete. Epoxy flooring needs a bit of coarseness to "bite" into. The acid eats away a very small layer of fine aggregate, and essentially "De-polishes" the surface.

    First things first, we moved about 250 bricks out of the garage. Go Amy, its yer birthday...



    Followed by about an hour of blowing dirt out of the garage and driveway with a leaf blower. Probably 100 pounds of sand was in the garage and 300 on the driveway (which was blowing right into the garage - so it all had to go).

    Fookin builder's crappy sub-contractors left 80% of the floor COVERED IN PAINT and spackle and texture. Not just from drywalling, painting and texturing the walls and ceiling in the garage, but from cleaning their brushes and tools RIGHT ONTO THE GARAGE FLOOR, as well as spray painting some interior doors while laid on the floor (overspray).


    note the white crap? That's after blowing out all the dirt. White = paint!

    It was an utter mess in there that only came off with direct application of muriatic acid (6 gallons were used!) + scrubbing with wire brushes and steel scrubbing pads (grill cleaners). Contrary to popular myth, latex (water based) paint does NOT "clean up easily with water" after it has dried. It cleans up with metal, and muscle, and copious amounts of strong acid. And more muscle.


    "Acid fumes are bad, m'kay?" This stuff is strong and would "clear the room" each time I poured. It burned the lining right out of my lungs. It can knock you DOWN, and is not to be toyed with. We kept all the doors and windows open and still had to dodge the fumes pretty regularly. Bad stuff.



    Thanks to Amy, Duck and especially AMY for the massive amount of paint scraping from the floor. That girl scrubbed and scraped the floors on her hands and knees for two days, while I just huffed acid fumes and scrubbed with a wire brush tipped broom. McCall and Duck also helped with the wash out/squeegee work, and McCall helped scrub acid too.



    Dig the crappy 3 bulb lighting, above left. Its hard to describe how much work this cleaning step took (16+ hours over two days, with 2-4 people working the entire time). In that last picture, above right, you can see the white line of solid paint against the walls and big patches of splotchy white everywhere else. Paint. This is what Amy scraped up and what was along the entire perimeter, and much of the interior, of the garage floor.

    When building a home ALWAYS specify that the garage floor be COVERED COMPLETELY immediately after pouring the slab. Otherwise it becomes the clean-up slop room.

    Tools used:
    • Mop & mop bucket (until I figured out that 4:1 water:acid mix was crap; and just started pouting it directly on the floor!)
    • "deck cleaning brush" + handle. Very stiff bristle, 10" wide broom. Used this to spread and work around the acid.
    • 10" metal bristle brush + handle. Used this to attack the paint after pounding it with acid. Wet the floor, muscle the wire brush over the paint, it'll come up. Remove broom handle and use it up close for tough spots.
    • Hose and nozzle and craploads of water (what drought?!). Dilute and rinse out the acid after it quits bubbling.
    • Lots of putty knives (2", 4", 6" stiff and flexible putty knives make great scrapers)
    • "Grill cleaning brush" (very hardcore steel wool attached to a plastic backing plate and handle) Attacks the thick paint and spackle.
    • 6 gallons of muriatic acid (1 gallon per ~200 sq feet) Etches the floor for a good bite on the epoxy.
    • 24" squeegee and two 14" squeegees (the big $25 squeegee was 10X better than the two $8 jobbers)
    • Electric leaf blower + extension cord
    Last edited by Fair!; 11-29-2006, 12:22 AM.
    Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
    2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
    EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

  • #2
    Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

    Day 3 and we are almost ready to paint. The floor was nice and dry when we showed up today, and the concrete had a very uniform "tan" look to it, as well as a nice, even aggregate texture just begging to be coated. Uh oh, first we need to cut an opening for a door to the unused area under the stairs. This is where the cats' litter boxes will go, and why not coat that concrete as well? Amy Logic. (I damn sure ain't gonna tile it!) They will have a small "kitty door" inside the laundry room to access this area, the big door is for us to clean-out the boxes. By "us" I mean Amy.


    I cut out the panel on the right, Hanchey took over and got the one on the left, plus the upright 2x4 McCall had placed in with 2 nails during framing. As always, Paul supervised for 15 minutes, then bailed. His work was done.



    This was pre-planned - during framing McCall and David replaced one header and vertical stud so that we could easily remove this section for a door later. It worked like a charm. This area will keep the cat box aroma in an unpopulated area, and out of my garage, but with easy access from the garage to clean out those boxes of poo. The drywall and insulation mess we just made was swept up, blown out with the leaf blower, then mopped up enough to remove the drywall dust.

    Now the McCalls show up and we got started on the mixing and painting.
    Last edited by Fair!; 11-29-2006, 12:23 AM.
    Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
    2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
    EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

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    • #3
      Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

      First Amy caulked the baseboards along about 50% of the perimeter walls and inside the cat-out-house. (Next time: do this one day earlier, so that the caulk is dry when you are hand brushing up to the edges) Then she started with the blue tape on the thresholds and driveway edge, and then McCall and/or Hanchey finished up around the bricked walls and overhead door tracks.

      I used Rustoleum Industrial Floor Epoxy; this is avilable special order from Lowe's, Fastenall, and other distributors. It comes in the base color of your choice (3 colors) and along with one of dozens of different types and colors of optional "sprinkles". This Industrial stuff is oil based, not water based like their home kits. Guess which one is stronger?? Mixing goes as follows: pour/shovel the contents of both gallons from a single "kit" into an empty 5 gallon bucket that you are not too fond of. Using a paint mixer attachment on a power drill, mix it vigorously for 2-5 minutes. Now let it sit for 30 minutes, or more, depending on temperature. Wait... wait...

      Painting the floor was simpler than I thought, but still took about 4 hours to do the 1100 sq feet of flooring. I had estimated that we would need 3 "kits", 2 gallons each, to cover this floor. Only ended up needing 2 and we were laying it on thick the whole time. It was uber-helpful having Hanchey and McCall working with us all day, as they have each done this epoxy flooring before. Whenever possible, recuit one or more epoxy veterens.



      McCall got it started off on the roller, then I took over this job. "Use a W pattern" McCall says, and Hanchey agrees. Back and forth, but with an irregular pattern so as not to get visible lines. Painted in 4'x4' squares with a pyramid grid pattern - to keep the edges of the painted squares wet as we painted along. Started in the far corner then fanned out. Amy had "cut in" some of the wall edges with a 4" brush (gets thrown away when you're done!) then Hanchey soon took over on the cutting.



      Above right you can see the pattern emerge, as I have gotten to the 2nd layer of the pyramid grid pattern. See McCall one row above, had started in the corner. Hanchey is cutting in the walls with the 4" brush. Below is Jason "Mr. Sprinkles!" McCall with the mad sprinkle tossing skillz. He kept at this job the entire day from here on out, as well as pointing out pattern problems, small holes to overfill with epoxy, and lines in the rolling work to smooth out. Amy and Melinda went out front and put a coat of urethane on the front door trim, as we'll install the 3rd and final front door tomorrow.



      McCall was the sprinkle master - tossing like a girl but with perfect coverage. He had bank shots off of walls, behind the back, hook shots - it was quite a show. Below you can see the cat-out-house getting cut in, then rolled, and finally sprinkled. Now its cat puke proofed!



      After about halfway Hanchey and I switched painting positions, and I went to cutting (and mixing the 2nd batch) while he rolled. Amy and Mel had finished up the front door frame and began watering the trees out back, then helped the final bit.



      Hanchey demonstrates the non-manly sprinkle technique. Hater! Mel admires the handiwork.



      The edge of the driveway was just outside the overhead door openings, so I went ahead and covered this area right up until the pavement change. Lots of hand edge painting here, as the corner of the concrete had a lot of tiny voids that gobbled up epoxy. We ended up having enough left over "in the pot" for McCall to take home the bucket and use to fix a few dinks in his (identically tinted and sprinkled) garage floor. The garage door locks had a lock position about 1.5" up off the deck, which allowed us to lock the overhead doors without them touching the wet epoxy. Amy cleans up, at right.



      Another hard working day, about 6 hours total, but we got a lot done. Thanks again to Hanchey and the McCalls for donating an entire day to the cause!
      Last edited by Fair!; 11-29-2006, 12:30 AM.
      Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
      2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
      EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

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      • #4
        Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

        While this has little to do with LS1s and BMWs, it has everything to do with preparing a workspace to complete such projects. Work should continue shortly.
        Brian Hanchey
        AST Suspension - USA

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        • #5
          Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

          Originally posted by Fair!
          I cut out the panel on the right, Hanchey took over and got the one on the left, plus the upright 2x4 McCall had placed in with 2 nails. As always, Paul supervised for 15 minutes, then bailed. His work was done.
          I drove there staight from the airport (after getting up at 4am) and stood around for an hour. You were not even close to ready to do the floors so I left.
          '11 Mustang GT / '95 Frankenpreza

          "A turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster."
          - Dr. Clarkson

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          • #6
            Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

            Sweet! Just in time before the arctic front hits too! High of 44 on Thursday, low of 22 with a "light wintry mix" of precipitation. Brr!!
            -Sean Martin
            2009 Pontiac G8 GT

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            • #7
              Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

              Man, I'm SO sore today. Sucks doing all the rolling by yourself. McCall is a great spotter looking for missed spots. You can't do a floor like that by yourself.
              Brian Hanchey
              AST Suspension - USA

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              • #8
                Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                I hate to monday morning quarterback, especially since I didn't help (wasn't invited). You could have saved some time on cleaning by renting one of the big gas powered powerwashers. It usually took me about two hours to completely clean a floor. To get it clean enough for epoxy? Prolly six.

                Ask a brotha home builder next time.

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                • #9
                  Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                  More 3rd string quarterbacking here:

                  Be prepaired for this strip outside the face of the garage door to fade and/or turn yellowish, due to sun exposure, rather quickly. I bet Jason warned about that too, right?
                  '05 STi
                  Obfuscation usually requires a lot more words than if you simply focus on fundamental principles, so I’m not at all surprised by the loquaciousness of liberals.

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                  • #10
                    Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                    Yep, I wish my gas powered pressure washer hadn't taken a dump a couple of months ago. Dunno if it would have gotten all of this stuff out. We had to acid etch anyway, but it was way too much work. And yes, I am aware of yellowing of the clearcoat in the sun. The instructions warn as much, and I noticed this at Jason's. Oh well.

                    http://vorshlag.smugmug.com/gallery/2164276/7/113611107 - Start of the final pictures, showing the clear coat addition. Thanks to Jason and Hanchey (and Amy) for doing practically all of this work while I jacked with the front door installation and/or stood around being useless.



                    Mixing the 2 part clearcoat epoxy at right (part A + part B). Pour the contents of the "activator" can (about 20% full) into the "base" can (80% full), then add sand for traction per your own preference - but DO NOT skip this step. Wet epoxy floors are very slippery. Now "mix for one minute with the supplied paint mixing stick". I took the added step of reinstalling the lid (with a hammer) and shaking the crap out of the can for this minute, like I do with a gallon of any paint before I use it.

                    The 2 one gallon cans in each "kit" really only make 1 gallon of clearcoat total; This makes for lots less coverage per kit (stated as "500 sq. feet") than the 2 full one gallon kits of the base epoxy (stated as 400 sq. feet). We used 3 "kits" for the clearcoat (about 2.5 gallons total) but only 2 kits of the base epoxy (about 3.5 gallons total). So, gallon for gallon, they are quite similar in coverage - buyer beware. Maybe we put the clearcoat on too thick, but it sure looks "right".



                    At the picture above left, we mix in about half of the "traction compound" (ie: quartz sand) into the clear coat kit, for added traction when wet (as mentioned earlier). Tools for clearcoat application are similar to those used in the base epoxy step, without the need for a power mixer (not practical in the 1 gallon can provided). Disposable brush, disposable small container for trim work, disposable 3/8" nap roller with extension handle, and a disposable roller pan liner. Toss everything when you are done, including your clothes, shoes, and any clumps of hair that you get epoxy on. It wears off of your skin in a few days.



                    The set-up or "pot" time is zero minutes (as opposed to 30-60 minutes of waiting after mixing the base epoxy) with only a 90 minute use time for each mixed batch. No time for love, Doctor Jones!... get to work! Having 3 people is key - one is the cutter (hand brushing edges), one is the roller, and one is the mixer/pourer/spotter/re-mixer. The spotter has to look at the freshly rolled clearcoat at extreme angles to "see" any missed spots. This stuff does NOT touch up well after a few minutes. Once its down, leave it alone, so cover any missed spots quickly. Mixing and remixing of the sand into solution for the working container is critical, otherwise the sand will fall to the bottom of your container ("fall out of solution") and you will get inconsistent surface sand coverage.



                    Rolling technique and consistency is crucial. You do not want to spread the clearcoat too thin, as this coat is the key to quality of the finished look. Hanchey would load up a roller and only do a section 3 rollers wide per pass (4' length of roller stroke), with overlapping on each square. Stay on a wet edge or risk a blotched finish. No time for resting...



                    ...Unless you have 4 people doing a 3 man job, of course!



                    Fumes aren't bad with this step or the base epoxy, and you can walk on it within 24 hours, as long as you limit it to "light foot traffic" and temps stay above 60°F. They say 4 days of curing are needed before driving on this coat, but I am going to be extra cautious and wait 7 days.

                    Doing this 2-part epoxy floor coating job is challenging, even on a newly poured concrete floor with nothing stored inside the garage. Now imagine putting EVERYTHING you have stashed in your garage somewhere ELSE for 5-9 days?? That is the fun part and is why I went to extreme lengths to do this work 2 weeks before we thought about "moving in". Getting this stuff down within the tight temperature confines listed in the product specs (60-85°F) is tricky, but luckily late November in Texas is quite forgiving and we've managed to have favorable temps for a few weeks. Also, even luckier, we have lots of willing friends that volunteered several days of their holiday time to help with the back breaking prep and coating. Thanks All!!!!
                    Last edited by Fair!; 11-29-2006, 12:12 AM.
                    Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                    2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                    EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                      Sorry for the simple question, but what are the purpose of the flakes?
                      02 Golf TDI 306,000 miles

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                      • #12
                        Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                        Originally posted by HIDGolf
                        Sorry for the simple question, but what are the purpose of the flakes?
                        Helps conceal the imperfections in the floor as all garage floor have them. Without them it's like painting a car without doing any bodywork. It's just a visual thing but does look good.
                        Last edited by McCall; 02-02-2007, 05:55 PM.
                        McCall

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                        • #13
                          Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                          Originally posted by McCall
                          Helps conceal the imperfections in the floor as all garage floor have. Without them it's like painting a car without doing any bodywork. It's just a visual thing but does look good.
                          So does that mean you're going to flake the Nomad?
                          "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin
                          http://www.duckfest.net

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                          • #14
                            Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                            Originally posted by duck
                            So does that mean you're going to flake the Nomad?
                            B4st4rd!!
                            McCall

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                            • #15
                              Re: GARAGE TECH: Epoxy Flooring

                              i have heard bad things about trying to get the flakes evenly covering the floor. This means Ill have to practice on the 'rents garage before I do my own.
                              02 Golf TDI 306,000 miles

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