Epoxy paint or snap together tiles for the garage??

[Wayne Maybury]

Ross

I sure hope that there isn't a Cobra in the garage when the 13 year old is practicing his slap shots.

Wayne

[Turk]

Does epoxy painted foors hold up to brake cleaner?

TURK

[Robert Evans]

Ross and Allen,
I rebuilt my car over a period of a year on the RaceDeck and everything cleaned up with laquer thinner. Mig welding is no problem, and we also make athletic flooring that is extensively used for roller hockey which is nearly identical to RaceDeck.

RaceDeck works very well on uneven surfaces such as asphalt...it will conform to the shape of the surface. No floor prep other than sweeping is needed.

Turk,
Some do, but most don't. Only solvent-based epoxy blends will withstand solvents such as brake or carb cleaners.

[Turk]

Thanks Bob.

Here is my predicament. My boss decided to freshen up the service department of our dealership. The floor has been in constant use since 1965. Typical service department of a car dealership with almost 40 years of use. I would say the concrete is pretty well cured by now. However the floor is soaked with all sorts of fluids, oils and chemicals during those years.

Is there ANY way to clean that floor so that ANYONE can successfuly apply ANY type of Epoxy paint that will be servicable?

TURK

[Robert Evans]

Turk,
Do NOT attempt to just re-coat that old floor....I can guarantee it wont stick if it that old, and with the amount of work needed to clean the old floor for a decent re-coat, it would be easier to just remove it and start over. The best way to re-do that floor is to have it shot-blasted by a contractor who does surface prep. It should cost somewhere around $1.00 S/F +/-, depending upon how much footage there is and how much grinding needs to be done around the edges. It will leave a sand-blasted type of texture and will most likely clean the stained areas, however, very heavily stained areas may need special attention. I can help you find a shot blast contractor in your area if you need help.

[Turk]

Bob,
The floor has NEVER been painted. It wouldn't be recoating it. It would be the first go around. My concern is can a 40 year old concrete with enough oil on it right now to provide relief for the oil shortage be cleaned enough for the new paint to stick to it?

I am thinking NOT, but others may have other ideas. This is a big job and I hate to see us go through the expense of painting 3000 sq ft, only to have it peel off.

TURK

[GeorgiaSnake]

Turk, I don't know much but I do know it won't work. Just clean it up and leave the concrete nekked.

Randy

[Robert Evans]

That's going to be a tough call...many contractors will tell you that it can be done just so they can get a large job, but when it comes time to warranty the peeling floor, they will avoid you like a plague.

You will have to find the oldest and most reputable (read: expensive) contractor in town and get their opinion first.

If I were forced to do that type of floor, I would have approached it this way:
1.)Do a complete concrete overlay on top of the existing floor, then coat epoxy. (The overlay is less suseptable to oil or grease delamination) or;
2.)Do an aggregate/quartz filled epoxy floor. They are usually 1/4 to 1/2" thick and also resist oils and moisture very well. This would be my first choice over a simple coating.

Both methods are expensive, but are the only way I'd approach this if you want a new floor.

Or, you could have the concrete replaced completely, but that would be very messy and time consuming.

[Turk]

Thanks guys.

TURK

[Ron61]

Bob,

This is a question and not an answer. Way back when I worked for the telephone companies they had a big floor did with some kind of an aggegate/overlay I think it was and it had all kinds of sparkley stuff mixed in and turned out really beautiful. But I keep thinking that stuff was hot when they put it in. I do remember that they used something and took the top 1/8th inch off the floor to make sure there were no contaminants and then vacuumed it to get rid of any dust or loose stuff. This was in a big building where we had some of the computers and I could never understand why they did that in an area where the only traffic was people walking. But one of the contractors said they used that stuff in commercial garages and it would stand up to almost anything. Is this really so? As I said, it was many years ago and I just happened to be in that building at the time and watched some of it because I had never seen a floor did like that before. I haven't seen another floor like that one since either.

Ron

[Karver]

Wayne,

Don't have a Cobra yet , I'm in the research / planning phase. Being Canadian, I have the complexity of looking for local builders & dealers that can deal with import & titling issues.

I do however have a stock, numbers matching '67 RS SS Rag Top Camaro. Came home from work one day to find a nice crescent shaped "ding" in the drivers door whose source was only too obvious.

The reason I'm interested in the Race Deck is that I'm considering extending one of the garage bays and turning it into a dedicated shop to build the Cobra (and provide a safer home for the Camaro).

Cheers,
-Ross-

[Robert Evans]

Ron,
Terrazzo sounds like the most likely floor that you saw in that building....almost any type of decorative aggregate can be added to the cement-based overlay. After the floor is poured and is hard, it is ground smooth to expose the decorative rock that was added, then sealed. It is very durable but quite expensive. Not very practical (cost wise) for a garage.

[Alex Donghi]

Turk
My floor was poured in 1955. It had oil grease and brake fluid dog p... stains, deer gut blood ...... you get the picyure. I bought some stuff a one part from a guy in Long Isl NY he had pre instructions wash and etch. I used a comercial detergent on the oil areas 2 or 3 times. Then I etched & etched & etched until there was no more fizzing then etched again. No problems been down 9 months. YThe only thing i would do over was to not park my cars as soon as I did as the black from the tirre leaked into the paint. I didn't do it after it cured for a few more days. This only happened were the cars sat for awhile I didn't do it were I drove on the floor. Maybe I should have sat them on some card board. If you want Ill look up the name of this stuff

[Tony Radford]

Black and white VCT vinyl tiles laid in a diamond pattern. Can't beat it. I doubt that surface contaminants would effect the adhesive bond. That stuff is really nasty! But is lays easily, and dammaged tiles (never had any) can be removed with a heat gun.

[edwhite7]

Can you roll a creeper on diamond plate?

[Ron61]

Bob,

Thanks for the answer and that does sound like what I remember of the name. I know it cost a fortune and I never did understand why the company spent so much for a floor that only a few had access to walk on. It was really pretty though.

Ron

[Robert Evans]

Ed,
Yes.