Supposedly the guy spend $10K to get trained and buy equipment to
resurface pitted concrete slaps with that epoxy coating and fleck painting.

Says he can restore a floor that's pitted up to a 1/2" deep, which is
what is needed. 75% of the floor is badly pitted and getting worse.

Western NY on the shores of Lake Ontario. Well, not exactly *on* the
shore...about a mile inland. ;-)

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Thoughts?

On Jul 7, 7:44*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Supposedly the guy spend $10K to get trained and buy equipment to
resurface pitted concrete slaps with that epoxy coating and fleck painting.

Says he can restore a floor that's pitted up to a 1/2" deep, which is
what is needed. 75% of the floor is badly pitted and getting worse.

Western NY on the shores of Lake Ontario. Well, not exactly *on* the
shore...about a mile inland. ;-)

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Thoughts?

Are you balancing contractor price vs do-it-yourself. If so, you can
probably do it for $200-400 depending on size of floor and condition.
Actually, patching is not horrible but the epoxy kits can get a little
pricey.

There are other, less expensive, concrete finish options.

RonB

On 07/07/11 8:51 PM, RonB wrote:
On Jul 7, 7:44 pm, wrote:
Supposedly the guy spend $10K to get trained and buy equipment to
resurface pitted concrete slaps with that epoxy coating and fleck painting.

Says he can restore a floor that's pitted up to a 1/2" deep, which is
what is needed. 75% of the floor is badly pitted and getting worse.

Western NY on the shores of Lake Ontario. Well, not exactly *on* the
shore...about a mile inland. ;-)

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Thoughts?

Are you balancing contractor price vs do-it-yourself. If so, you can
probably do it for $200-400 depending on size of floor and condition.
Actually, patching is not horrible but the epoxy kits can get a little
pricey.

There are other, less expensive, concrete finish options.

RonB

I guess it all depends on one's troweling/floating skills.

Never having done much masonry work myself, I would how a DIY job would
look compared to a contractor with both the tools and the experience.

I'm pretty sure the guy who needs this done has not done much (if any)
concrete work. He's pretty handy, but not experienced in that type of
work, as far as I know.

DerbyDad03 wrote:

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Doesn't sound outrageous to me. If it's a good two part epoxy, with two coats
put down, including the side foundation up to drywall, in a standard residential
garage, you are looking at over $200 just for materials alone. Porportionately
less for fewer stalls.

Second, as with most paint work, prep is 80% of the job. Removing oil spills and
acid etching the floor takes a lot of effort, so labor won't be cheap.

Folks had an acryllic coating put down in their two car garage. Looks similar to
epoxy, but slightly thicker and fills in any dimples or small cracks. Was around
$2000 as I recall.

On 2011-07-08, Robert Neville wrote:

Doesn't sound outrageous to me.

Curious. Sounds totally insane to me.

What the fsck are you gonna do on this garage floor? Eat dinner off
it, sans tableware? It's a freakin' garage floor, ferchrysakes!

Fer ppl this braindead, YES! ...have the garage floor epoxied. Have
it chromed! Have it glassed! Better yet, have it jammed up yer ass!

nb

On 07/07/11 9:12 PM, Robert Neville wrote:
wrote:

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Doesn't sound outrageous to me. If it's a good two part epoxy, with two coats
put down, including the side foundation up to drywall, in a standard residential
garage, you are looking at over $200 just for materials alone. Porportionately
less for fewer stalls.

Second, as with most paint work, prep is 80% of the job. Removing oil spills and
acid etching the floor takes a lot of effort, so labor won't be cheap.

Folks had an acryllic coating put down in their two car garage. Looks similar to
epoxy, but slightly thicker and fills in any dimples or small cracks. Was around
$2000 as I recall.

Actually you're right on the money. The "estimate" was from a mason who
said his friend does the jobs. He said that the last time he helped him
it was for a 2 car garage and the cost was $2K, so he estimated that a
single car garage would be about $1200.

We're not sure the garage is worth a fancy flecked paint finish, but
something needs to be done to prevent further deterioration.

I used to store a trailer in a neighbor's garage where the slab had
deteriorated so badly the dirt underneath was showing in many spots. I
laid plywood down to bridge the gaps so the trailer wheels didn't drop
into the holes!

On Jul 7, 9:22*pm, notbob wrote:
On 2011-07-08, Robert Neville wrote:

Doesn't sound outrageous to me.

Curious. *Sounds totally insane to me.

What the fsck are you gonna do on this garage floor? *Eat dinner off
it, sans tableware? *It's a freakin' garage floor, ferchrysakes!

Fer ppl this braindead, YES! ...have the garage floor epoxied. *Have
it chromed! *Have it glassed! *Better yet, have it jammed up yer ass!

It would be ever so special if you could post a list of what people
are allowed to spend money on, and how much it should cost. Wot a
maroon.

My brother is a total motor head. He spends more time in the garage
than he does inside the house. First thing he did when he bought his
new house was to spend a lot of money to get the garage floor
epoxied. To me it's a big expense that I'd question if I really
needed, to him it's a necessity and worth the money to do it right.
BTW he's a contractor, and a damned good one, and he choose to hire
someone to do it because he knows what's involved to do it right.

R

RicodJour wrote:

To me it's a big expense that I'd question if I really
needed, to him it's a necessity and worth the money to do it right.

I can't tell you how many times I've sold a house where the buyer said one of
the main selling points was the epoxied floor. If the drywall is arctic white
and the floor is a medium gray, you end up with what looks like another interior
room.

On 07/07/11 9:40 PM, RicodJour wrote:
On Jul 7, 9:22 pm, wrote:
On 2011-07-08, Robert wrote:

Doesn't sound outrageous to me.

Curious. Sounds totally insane to me.

What the fsck are you gonna do on this garage floor? Eat dinner off
it, sans tableware? It's a freakin' garage floor, ferchrysakes!

Fer ppl this braindead, YES! ...have the garage floor epoxied. Have
it chromed! Have it glassed! Better yet, have it jammed up yer ass!

It would be ever so special if you could post a list of what people
are allowed to spend money on, and how much it should cost. Wot a
maroon.

My brother is a total motor head. He spends more time in the garage
than he does inside the house. First thing he did when he bought his
new house was to spend a lot of money to get the garage floor
epoxied. To me it's a big expense that I'd question if I really
needed, to him it's a necessity and worth the money to do it right.
BTW he's a contractor, and a damned good one, and he choose to hire
someone to do it because he knows what's involved to do it right.

R

I chose to ignore the idjit.

I doubt he'll go away, but we can hope.

On 7/7/2011 9:40 PM, RicodJour wrote:
On Jul 7, 9:22 pm, wrote:
On 2011-07-08, Robert wrote:

Doesn't sound outrageous to me.

Curious. Sounds totally insane to me.

What the fsck are you gonna do on this garage floor? Eat dinner off
it, sans tableware? It's a freakin' garage floor, ferchrysakes!

Fer ppl this braindead, YES! ...have the garage floor epoxied. Have
it chromed! Have it glassed! Better yet, have it jammed up yer ass!

It would be ever so special if you could post a list of what people
are allowed to spend money on, and how much it should cost. Wot a
maroon.

My brother is a total motor head. He spends more time in the garage
than he does inside the house. First thing he did when he bought his
new house was to spend a lot of money to get the garage floor
epoxied. To me it's a big expense that I'd question if I really
needed, to him it's a necessity and worth the money to do it right.
BTW he's a contractor, and a damned good one, and he choose to hire
someone to do it because he knows what's involved to do it right.

R

I'm of a mixed mind about epoxy garage floors. They sure are pretty, and
make cleanup a lot easier, and if I was a rich man building new, I'd
probably go for it. But I'm not rich and never will be, and have seen
first-hand many failed epoxy surfaces on old concrete. Nor am I a
gearhead (not since my teens at least), so I don't do any significant
wrenching any more, and don't hang out in the garage other than when I
have to. That puts a fancy floor way down on my list of things to throw
money at. But I'm not gonna slam anyone who does- different strokes, etc.

--
aem sends...

On 7/7/2011 9:33 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:


On 07/07/11 9:12 PM, Robert Neville wrote:
wrote:

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Doesn't sound outrageous to me. If it's a good two part epoxy, with
two coats
put down, including the side foundation up to drywall, in a standard
residential
garage, you are looking at over $200 just for materials alone.
Porportionately
less for fewer stalls.

Second, as with most paint work, prep is 80% of the job. Removing oil
spills and
acid etching the floor takes a lot of effort, so labor won't be cheap.

Folks had an acryllic coating put down in their two car garage. Looks
similar to
epoxy, but slightly thicker and fills in any dimples or small cracks.
Was around
$2000 as I recall.

Actually you're right on the money. The "estimate" was from a mason who
said his friend does the jobs. He said that the last time he helped him
it was for a 2 car garage and the cost was $2K, so he estimated that a
single car garage would be about $1200.

We're not sure the garage is worth a fancy flecked paint finish, but
something needs to be done to prevent further deterioration.

I used to store a trailer in a neighbor's garage where the slab had
deteriorated so badly the dirt underneath was showing in many spots. I
laid plywood down to bridge the gaps so the trailer wheels didn't drop
into the holes!

Any slab THAT bad, the tool to reach for is a jackhammer, not a paint
roller. Too thin, and likely frost-heaved at some point. I've seen
countless cookie-cutter houses where, to save a few bucks, they did not
continue foundation under garage door opening, so slab was not supported
on that edge. Many garages have no foundation ledge to catch slab
anyway, and substrate/drainage under garage slab is often poorly done.
Seal at bottom of apron rots out, water gets under slab and freezes, and
you can guess what happens next. Doing it right only adds a few hundred
to cost of house. Do it wrong, and there is NO cheap way to make it right.

--
aem sends...

On Jul 7, 10:37*pm, aemeijers wrote:
On 7/7/2011 9:33 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:







On 07/07/11 9:12 PM, Robert Neville wrote:
wrote:

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Doesn't sound outrageous to me. If it's a good two part epoxy, with
two coats
put down, including the side foundation up to drywall, in a standard
residential
garage, you are looking at over $200 just for materials alone.
Porportionately
less for fewer stalls.

Second, as with most paint work, prep is 80% of the job. Removing oil
spills and
acid etching the floor takes a lot of effort, so labor won't be cheap.

Folks had an acryllic coating put down in their two car garage. Looks
similar to
epoxy, but slightly thicker and fills in any dimples or small cracks.
Was around
$2000 as I recall.

Actually you're right on the money. The "estimate" was from a mason who
said his friend does the jobs. He said that the last time he helped him
it was for a 2 car garage and the cost was $2K, so he estimated that a
single car garage would be about $1200.

We're not sure the garage is worth a fancy flecked paint finish, but
something needs to be done to prevent further deterioration.

I used to store a trailer in a neighbor's garage where the slab had
deteriorated so badly the dirt underneath was showing in many spots. I
laid plywood down to bridge the gaps so the trailer wheels didn't drop
into the holes!

Any slab THAT bad, the tool to reach for is a jackhammer, not a paint
roller. Too thin, and likely frost-heaved at some point. I've seen
countless cookie-cutter houses where, to save a few bucks, they did not
continue foundation under garage door opening, so slab was not supported
on that edge. Many garages have no foundation ledge to catch slab
anyway, and substrate/drainage under garage slab is often poorly done.
Seal at bottom of apron rots out, water gets under slab and freezes, and
you can guess what happens next. Doing it right only adds a few hundred
to cost of house. Do it wrong, and there is NO cheap way to make it right..

--
aem sends...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree its time to replace the floor.....

On 8 Jul 2011 01:22:22 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2011-07-08, Robert Neville wrote:

Doesn't sound outrageous to me.

Curious. Sounds totally insane to me.

What the fsck are you gonna do on this garage floor? Eat dinner off
it, sans tableware? It's a freakin' garage floor, ferchrysakes!

Fer ppl this braindead, YES! ...have the garage floor epoxied. Have
it chromed! Have it glassed! Better yet, have it jammed up yer ass!

nb

Scenario: oil covered area from old spill in walkway. Drive a snow covered
car in and the area gets wet. It is now like ice. Dangerous situation.
Epoxy the floor and you can clean up the oil spill completely. Wish I did
that to my garage floor.

Actually, the thicker acrylic coating sounds even better. My concrete man
was an idiot and put a heavy texture on the floor against my orders. Not
nice when you are crawling under a car and feeling around for tools. Much
rather have the smooth floor painted with the slip-resistant chips on it.

On 7/7/2011 11:34 PM, Michael Dobony wrote:
On 8 Jul 2011 01:22:22 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2011-07-08, Robert wrote:

Doesn't sound outrageous to me.
Curious. Sounds totally insane to me.

What the fsck are you gonna do on this garage floor? Eat dinner off
it, sans tableware? It's a freakin' garage floor, ferchrysakes!

Fer ppl this braindead, YES! ...have the garage floor epoxied. Have
it chromed! Have it glassed! Better yet, have it jammed up yer ass!

nb
Scenario: oil covered area from old spill in walkway. Drive a snow covered
car in and the area gets wet. It is now like ice. Dangerous situation.
Epoxy the floor and you can clean up the oil spill completely. Wish I did
that to my garage floor.

Actually, the thicker acrylic coating sounds even better. My concrete man
was an idiot and put a heavy texture on the floor against my orders. Not
nice when you are crawling under a car and feeling around for tools. Much
rather have the smooth floor painted with the slip-resistant chips on it.
I had my new concrete floor covered with epoxy last year, and posted
questions and comments in this forum at that time. My two car garage is
roughly 27 by 24 feet.

The job was bid by several experienced epoxy painters, and the bids
averaged out to a little over $2K. The job was awarded to a guy at $1900
cash.

The work took 3 days given that the surface had to dry before a topcoat
and abrasive sand layer were added. The job was mostly a one person job.

The price did seem a bit high but I was not looking for a cheap job,
rather I wanted a great job.

The benefits of the epoxy immediately showed up last winter:

I no longer have ugly stains of salt and dirt staining my concrete. The
new floor can be so easily cleaned, and absorbs NOTHING....... Oil and
dirt and road salt from the winter sit on the top surface of the epoxy
and are easily removed.

One word of caution:

Be sure to have adequate abrasive / sand material added when the floor
is applied. The epoxy will be very slippery unless a knowledgeable
person applies the sand in the proper quantity. Mine is quite good
although I would have preferred a bit more traction as my wife and I are
senior citizens looking for a safe and stable surface to walk on.

Installers hesitate to use too much since the sand makes the floor more
susceptible to retaining dirt. I would rather have some dirt which can
be easily washed away then have a surface which can become slippery.

We wound up adding some LL Bean "WaterHog" rubber runners to the walking
area to add more traction, "just in case".

On Jul 7, 10:37*pm, aemeijers wrote:
On 7/7/2011 9:33 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:







On 07/07/11 9:12 PM, Robert Neville wrote:
wrote:

It's the first estimate my friend got and he's wondering if this guy is
even in the ballpark.

Doesn't sound outrageous to me. If it's a good two part epoxy, with
two coats
put down, including the side foundation up to drywall, in a standard
residential
garage, you are looking at over $200 just for materials alone.
Porportionately
less for fewer stalls.

Second, as with most paint work, prep is 80% of the job. Removing oil
spills and
acid etching the floor takes a lot of effort, so labor won't be cheap.

Folks had an acryllic coating put down in their two car garage. Looks
similar to
epoxy, but slightly thicker and fills in any dimples or small cracks.
Was around
$2000 as I recall.

Actually you're right on the money. The "estimate" was from a mason who
said his friend does the jobs. He said that the last time he helped him
it was for a 2 car garage and the cost was $2K, so he estimated that a
single car garage would be about $1200.

We're not sure the garage is worth a fancy flecked paint finish, but
something needs to be done to prevent further deterioration.

I used to store a trailer in a neighbor's garage where the slab had
deteriorated so badly the dirt underneath was showing in many spots. I
laid plywood down to bridge the gaps so the trailer wheels didn't drop
into the holes!

Any slab THAT bad, the tool to reach for is a jackhammer, not a paint
roller. Too thin, and likely frost-heaved at some point. I've seen
countless cookie-cutter houses where, to save a few bucks, they did not
continue foundation under garage door opening, so slab was not supported
on that edge. Many garages have no foundation ledge to catch slab
anyway, and substrate/drainage under garage slab is often poorly done.
Seal at bottom of apron rots out, water gets under slab and freezes, and
you can guess what happens next. Doing it right only adds a few hundred
to cost of house. Do it wrong, and there is NO cheap way to make it right..

--
aem sends...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Any clue what a tear-out would cost, considering the $1.2K epoxy
estimate seems about right based on various responses in this thread?
I know it's probably a "regional thing" but since the other "$2K for a
2 car garage estimates" mentioned in this thread match what my friend
was told, a ball park number would be good enough for now.

One other thought that he had was this product: A self leveling
coating that supposedly can be just poured onto the floor. It's DIY
thing he'd (we'd) be willing to try.

http://www.quikrete.com/PDFs/SPEC_DA...Resurfacer.pdf

The fast-setting product (1249-51) specifically says:

QUIKRETE Fast-Setting Self-Leveling Floor Resurfacer can also be used
as a wear surface for light duty industrial floors.

and

Following are typical substrates:
• Precast concrete plank
• New concrete floor slabs with unacceptable finishes
• Existing concrete floors with damaged finishes

As far as I know, there are no plans to ever park a car in the garage,
at least as long as the current owner lives there. The garage is used
mainly for storage.