I finally finished the garage project, actually a couple weekends ago it was completed.

Ok, a little background...my garage was technically designed and built large enough for 2 cars, but the original house was used as a model home, and the garage purposed as a construction office at that time. As such, the builders had this outdoor carpeting over the floor and it had a bathroom tucked into one corner. You can see where it was in the lower right of this pic after I demolished all of the walls for the bathroom and pulled the carpet off the floor. That black stuff is old, mastic-type glue.They put it on pretty thick. I cut off and capped all of the water lines thru the floor of the slab and filled in the sewer pipe with concrete. Sorry, nothing to show you there.







You can see the green floor grinder in the 1st pic. I rented it for the weekend and removed all of the glue from the floor. Prior to beginning the grueling task of grinding off glue, I had already repainted the walls a light grey on the sides, and a dark 'mocha' on the ends.



After a good acid cleaning, I filled in all of the little cracks in the floor before I applied the expensive epoxy floor coating, the color flakes, and the clear-epoxy cover. Did I get high on the fumes...you bet I did. Temps in the 40s, no way I was opening the doors.



The very edges weren't finished below the trim, but this is the floor with a 'custom' color flake that I selected myself.





Its a black, white and maroon flake combo (to match the XJ) you can see (lower right corner) where I also recoated the little 'ledge' that is under the water heater just outside of my garage door. I used a dark brown concrete resurfacer. I like the contrast.



I added a couple wall outlets, added a track lighting system on the ceiling, installed that drop work light, and wired another light above my newly built workbench. It took me two full days to assemble all of the cabinetry and that stupid bench. Here are the final pics all cleaned up, waiting for the cars to be driven onto it. I had to wait 7 days before I could park on it to let it fully cure.







And its already getting use, I've got the convertible on the operating table getting new intake manifold gaskets. I'm glad I have 2 cars to make my life a little easier and not rush a repair job to avoid begging a ride to work.

 

Nice Matt!

So is the floor matched to Red Raiders colors ... :P ... ?

 

I think that was just coincidental, I was trying to match the superV8.

 

Very nice. How difficult was the epoxy to put down and how long did it take you?

 

Hi Mike, the epoxy only took about 45 minutes once the floor was prepped and ready. I used a roller on a stick. lol Then, 48 hours later, I applied the clear epoxy, which totally helped the sheen. After just the gray epoxy, if you didn't get it evenly thick, the sheen would vary from spot to spot. After the clear was put down, you couldn't even tell where it was a little thin. Well worth the extra $100 for the clear.

Almost all of the work was in the preparation and cleaning. 4 days after the clear I was able to put heavy objects onto the floor like the cabinets. Then after 6-7 days (due to the temperature being cooler) I was able to park the cars on it.

 

Amazing Matt. Keep it clean!

 

Looks like a really nice job.
I wish my garage looked like that!

 

Great job Matt.

I've always admired epoxy finish but never previously considered it could be a DIY option.

Graham

 

Fantastic. I have seen garages - including this one - in the US that are nicer than most European living rooms

 

Very nice....... but I will ask...... How much did that little lot cost?

 

Matt, very nice wtg.

I think I would have kept the plumbing for the pooper and replaced it with a urinal, it is a truely a man cave now. Wheres the mini fridge and the 60"?

 

Nice job. How slick is that floor? Will you bust your rear if you walk on it when it's wet?

 

Matt, that's a very nice home you've made for your two cats.

Just shows you, that in the US, we have our priorities strait.

 

Absolutely!

 

Well done Matt!

You did good getting rid of the "plumbing facilities". I have such in my garage and every time I go to use it the door flies open and the wife starts in on me. I'm such an irresistible attraction don't you know.

BTW Miami Edison HS in Florida were called Red Raiders too.

 

Ya done good, Matt.
I'd never use the rest of the house ...

 

Looks awesome, Matt!

How difficult was it to spread the flakes to be even?

 

Thanks alot guys for the compliments, I'm glad you like how it turned out. I'm surprised nobody commented on the xk8 banner that I scored on ebay. Its 9ft long, double sideded, and was originally hung at a dealership (obviously from the early years when it was introduced). It gives a little vintage feel to the space. Honestly, I do find myself spending most of my time out there lately, looking for things to do to the cars (adjust this and that, clean an engine bay, or just sit on the stool and spin around-n-round till I get dizzy)

Its almost exactly as I had imagined it when I started planning it a year ago. Being stubborn, and wanting to spend my 'improvement' money elsewhere, it took alot longer than I wanted. I wish I could have found some pictures of how it used to look, with that 25-yr old decor, the bathroom that was the previous owner's cat litter box area (still reeked after 9 yrs!), aged off-white paint, and turf-type carpet that had been through a ruptured water heater and various xk8 fluid leaks (power steering, oil, and tranny), peeling at every seam, fraying and darn-right itchy when working while lying on my back. You have no idea how nice it is to lay down on this new floor under the car and not worry about what is touching my clothes/skin.

I did all of the work myself, except for the popcorn ceiling patchwork where the bathroom walls were, there is a limit to my average construction skills. I won't mention the electrical mistake I made which has a wall receptacle and a second light switch dependent on another switch position. I'll have to correct that in the Spring.

Jon, I learned alot about epoxy coatings while doing this. If I were to use the chips that came with the box, a wet floor would still worry me. The chips with the kit are 1/4" in size and were limited in quantity. I ordered 4 bags of the 'micro' chips (1/16") and used it in a medium-heavy sprinkle pattern, and since they sit above the grey coating, but under the clear, they roughen up the feel of the clear to give the surface a texture and therefor it doesn't lend to slip-n-sliding. I haven't slipped yet, and the car has been through snow and rain, and its puddled in the garage. Rustoleum promotes the sale of their abrasive admixture to add to the base coating, and I image it would work on the same principle - smaller particles in denser quantities to provide a texture.

Rick, I hadn't considered converting the toilet to a urinal, probably because I like to do alot of my work on the cars with the garage door open during the day. Neighbors would either frown on that or it would increase the foot traffic from the housewives on my street. I almost left it as a drain, but it was on that upper ledge and I thought to myself... A) that's never gonna catch ANYTHING, and B) that's gonna just stink up the garage w/o a pea trap inline.

Tarheal, you need to install a lock on the privy door you have claimed as your own; you'd think the family would understand you're actually doing them a favor by using that distant and isolated (and quickly vented) restroom.

I forgot to thank Richard (translator) in my original post for his advice on removing/cutting the copper water lines. After talking to him, I wasn't as worried about doing that part of it myself instead of calling a plumber.

XKRacer, I've totaled up my expenses for this, and here is how it stacks up.

1. Wall paint & related supplies - $50
2. Lights - $74
3. Wire & conduit - $40
4. Jag banners and parking sign from ebay - $100
5. (the coolest mod, seriously!) - $40
6. Popcorn ceiling patchwork (my neighbor) - a Christmas gift from her, but I insisted on her taking $100
7. Floor paint (Rust-Oleum Professional Epoxy and Rust-Oleum Premium Epoxy Clear), supplies and custom color chips - $275
8. Cabinets and work bench - $1825 shipped
9. Floor grinder rental - $250

I am hoping this also increases my home value if/when I sell (which could be as soon as late-2013); if all cabinets remain with the home, I'm thinking it can add $5k over another home of equivalent size, age, condition and location.

 

Thanks John! Well, I was wary about this too. In using the 'micro' chips, I was even more concerned about an even spread, so I tested multiple strainers from the cabinet (no wife, so no worries) and found one that 'shaking' armstretched didn't release too many at once. Speaking with other painting contractors in my normal job afterwards, and they say they use the 'throw up in the air' method. The higher the ceiling, the better and more even the spread becomes. lol

For my floor, I applied the color chips during the clear application phase, as I wanted them as close to the surface as possible. I rolled the clear in a particular section, sprinkled the chips, then w/o dipping the roller again, I went over the chips I just spread, and they didn't budge one bit, and I got a nice clear layer of epoxy over them. That stuff is super-sticky, once the chip hits the paint and/or clear, no going back for it.

 

Superb job Matt! I am very jealous. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time but just never seem to get around to.