Epoxy Garage Flooring Difficulties and Alternatives

When it comes to Epoxy Garage Floor installtion, it can be a difficult and extremely time consuming. The results can be beautiful if all things "come together correctly" or devastating if somthing goes worng. Why take the chance? Leave your garage epoxy floor installation process to your local garage floor specialist, Garage Shapeups. Garage Shapeups takes great pride in properly assessing each floor, prepping each floor with high speed grinders (equipped with dust control systems) and using the right chemical mixes to insure that your garage floor will cure, bond, and perform correctly in the climate of our Huntsville Area. Garage Shapeups is your local dealer for Monkey Bar Storage Systems.

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Article Title: Epoxy Garage Flooring Difficulties and Alternatives

By Guest Author:  Kelley McIntyre

When it comes to garage flooring, many of you may have heard or seen the epoxy floor coverings that are available today, possibly even on TV. You see what looks like a simple process and beautiful results. What you don't see or hear is that most epoxy floor coverings fail and the process is extremely time consuming and difficult. The biggest reason the epoxy garage floors fail is adhesion, they simply don't stick well unless the surface has been properly prepped. That doesn't sound bad, right? Wrong. Here are some of the things you need to do to "prep" for an epoxy floor:

• Be sure the concrete is dry. This does not mean to the naked eye but truly dry.
• Remove ANY and ALL chemicals, grease, oil, etc. Remember, we are talking about a garage. All of these items are abundant in the garage and VERY difficult to remove.
• If the floor was previously painted, all the paint should be removed. A labor intensive job.
• The garage surface may need to be ground down to expose the clean concrete underneath.

If you decided you still want an epoxy garage floor and you think you can handle the hours of surface preparation necessary to do the job, there are some other areas of concern you may want to consider. Even if the surface has been properly prepped and cleaned there is still a good chance the floor will fail. Here are some other possible problems associated with epoxy floor failures:

• The concrete was not completely dried. Water is a major problem with epoxy garage floors.
• Humidity can cause problems with epoxy and cause the floor to fail.
• The epoxy must cure quickly. If not, blisters in the floor may appear.
• Salts that are deposited from the concrete as it cures can effect the bonding of an epoxy garage floor.
• Surfaces generally expand and contract with heating and cooling. These expansions and contractions can cause cracks in the epoxy flooring. Once there are cracks the floor loses its protective coating and it nice appearance.

The good news is that there are other alternatives to epoxy garage floors that are simple to install, durable, easy to clean and offer anti-fatigue benefits that epoxy garage floors do not. Rolled garage flooring is available in many colors and styles that can suit anyones needs. These floors are generally inexpensive, beautiful and made to last. The best part is they are easy to install and perform well under most conditions.
Some of the advantages to using rolled garage flooring are:

• Easy to install. Surface preparation is minimal for rolled garage flooring and basically includes simply sweeping the floor and wiping up any spills or chemicals for installation
• Long lasting.
• Easy to clean. Simply wipe up spills and your done. You can even spray down the floor with a garden hose. Because the rolled garage flooring is a floating floor, you can bring it outside for a good cleaning and drying and simply set it back in the garage.
• It looks great!

It is quite clear that epoxy floors are not for everyone. But if you want an easy to install, long lasting, professional looking garage floor, rolled garage flooring products may be the best choice for you.

The Rolled Garage Flooring products mentioned in this articles are available online at StoreItWell.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelley_McIntyre


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1403457

Garage and Basement Flooring: All About Polyurea Floor Coating

How much can a new floor covering improve the looks of a garage and home?
These pictures show how amazing the difference in looks is after the job.

Garage Shapeups, LLC is the company to call when you want to give your garage or home a total new look with a new floor covering. Visit http://www.GarageShapeups.com or call 1-800-214-4311. They have a dealer/installer in your area that will come to your home for a free consultation and estimate. Give them a call now.

By Guest Author: By Richard Schulman

You can have the most organized garage or basement in the world, but an unattractive concrete floor can keep you from having your perfect dream garage. There are a number of options on the market for covering your garage or basement floor, including an epoxy coating or a roll-out rubber mat, but the most durable and one of the most attractive is a polyurea coating. Considering the seasonal conditions, you want garage and basement flooring that will be resistant to harsh temperatures as well as chemicals. Polyurea is considerably more durable than an epoxy floor covering (about four times more durable), and is flexible, which makes it more natural and comfortable.

Using polyurea as a floor covering is a newer idea, but polyurea has been around for the past couple of decades as pipe coating, sewer lining coating, and in any other place that demands the most durable coverage. It is the perfect choice for garage floors especially, because it is resistant to temperature damage, chemical erosion, staining, chipping, and tire indentations. The environment can be extremely damaging to any flooring, particularly flooring that is not protected from the elements as well, such as basement and garage flooring.

Polyurea is also great for the basement also because of the high moisture content that basements usually have. Concrete floors are usually unattractive, but paint is usually only a temporary fix, because paint will fade and peel due to time and moisture. Tiling or carpeting will also not last long because of moisture; carpeting also invites dangerous mold. Applying a polyurea coating will keep you from having to re-carpet, retile or repaint your basement floor every few years. Often, when a company applies a polyurea coating to your floor, it is accompanied by a lifetime guarantee. If a company does not offer a lifetime guarantee with polyurea flooring, then you may want to consider going with a different company.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a key factor in a polyurea floor coating is safety. Vinyl or acrylic chips are mixed in with the coating to provide a non-slippery surface. Even when it is wet, your polyurea garage or basement floor will not be slick, nor will moisture sink into the flooring. Additionally, polyurea is versatile; it comes in, or can be ordered in many different colors to match any décor. In many cases, you'll also have a choice about the color of chips, and the amount of chips in the coating. You may have never thought you'd be able to put so much thought in the coloring and decoration of your garage, but polyurea flooring lets you do just that! Your basement and/or garage will be transformed from dirty catch-all rooms to places that you can feel proud of, and comfortable in.

You can apply polyurea coating yourself, but you can also hire professionals to do the job. There are plenty of companies that will do garage and basement flooring, and many of them will do free consultations. Polyurea floor covering is just what you need to have the exact garage and basement you've always wanted!

Richard Schulman started White Rabbit Garage Organizers in 1988, because hed had a passion for organizing and there was a need for such a company in Chicago. Since then, White Rabbit has grown into a versatile, highly reputable business that has gained an A+ from the Better Business Bureau, received an Angie's List Super Service Award, was selected for EBSCO Research's Best Picks. Additionally, White Rabbit has appeared in major Chicago newspapers: Chicago Tribune, Sun Times, Daily Herald, and Pioneer Press and has been featured on NBC and HGTV. Richard does not expect his enthusiasm for organizing to ebb, and plans to continue writing about his company, and helping his clients obtain their dream garages, basements, and offices! You can read more about organization and about White Rabbit by visiting White Rabbit's website:

http://www.whiterabbitinc.com/ and blog: http://whiterabbitinc.blogspot.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Schulman


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6460800


Garage Shapeups installs polyurea flooring in Birmingham, Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama and Chattanooga Tennessee. Visit these site for more information:

Birmingham

http://birminghamstorageandflooring.weebly.com/

Huntsville

http://huntsvillestorageandflooring.weebly.com/garage-shelving.html

Chattanooga

http://chattanoogastoragesolutions.weebly.com/

Popular Garage Flooring Options

By Guest Author  Ted Garacci

If you are looking to spruce up the look of your garage flooring, then you should know all of the most popular options available to you. One widely considered option is epoxy paint.

Epoxy

Epoxy paint is a great solution for the people who don't want to cover their concrete. Epoxy is a special type of paint that bonds with concrete. When compared to other types of paint this type won't peel or get ruined as easily. Epoxy is perfect if you want your floor to look a certain color to go with a theme or design that already exists in your garage or home. This garage flooring option is an extremely cheap way to renovate and protect your floor. After the coating is applied, you will notice that your garage flooring is easier to clean and it should even have a brighter glimmer or shine to it.

The problem with epoxy however, is that it requires hours of preparation work. In fact it is highly recommended that you have professionals come in to do the painting. The reason for the professionals is because of all of the factors that can cause the paint to bond incorrectly. Some of these factors are moisture, weather, sealants, discoloration, oil or grease stains, and dust and dirt. If the moisture levels are not optimal in your garage then the paint can't bond correctly with the garage floor.

When I say moisture levels I mean any moisture on your floor and the moisture in the air. That's why weather is a factor: if it is too humid outside then it can throw off the moisture levels in the garage. If you have sealants on your concrete, then it may be a problem because epoxy is meant to bond with concrete, not the sealant mixture. Dust, dirt, and stains, are also major issues because the paint will look terrible if you try to simply paint over them. Not only will it not bond correctly but the paint will come out lumpy rather than smooth.

This option is still worth considering, but you need to make sure that all of the work that is involved to install epoxy paint is taken care of.

Garage Flooring Mats And Rugs

If you are not interested in hiring professionals or doing the work yourself, then you can always purchase a garage flooring mat. You can go to any local retail store and pick out a few mats to place on your floor. These mats come in a wide variety of colors and designs to fit any color scheme and they are easy to install. Once you purchase the mats you want, then you can just rest them down wherever you want. These mats are a cheap solution to cover up any unwanted discoloration or stains.

If you are looking for a solution that requires the same amount of work, but covers your whole floor, then a garage flooring rug is the best thing for you. Garage flooring manufacturers have created special rugs that go across your entire floor and won't rip or tear under the intense pressure of a car. The one problem with these rugs occurs if you have pillars or obstructions in the middle of your garage. If that's the case, then you will need to cut the rug to fit around the obstruction which may be pain but is still less preparation than epoxy.

There are other options available to you but these options may be perfect for you. Garage flooring tiles are another option that you may want to consider. If you do decide on an option, then make sure that you know the positives and negatives of that option so you can make sure that it is the best choice for you.

Written by Ted Garacci, an expert in home remodeling. For more great information on Garage Flooring, be sure to visit http://bestgarageflooring.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Garacci

Check Out These Garage Shapeups Website & Blogs

Birmingham Alabama Garage Makeover Websites & Blogs

http://birminghamstorageandflooring.weebly.com/

http://birminghamgarageflooring.blogspot.com/

http://birminghamgaragestorage.blogspot.com/

http://www.monkeybarstorage.com/birmingham-metro

Huntsville Alabama Garage Makeover Websites & Blogs

http://huntsvillestorageandflooring.weebly.com/

http://huntsvillegarageflooring.blogspot.com/

http://huntsvillegaragestorage.blogspot.com/

http://www.monkeybarstorage.com/northern-division

Chattanooga Tennessee Garage Makeover Websites & Blogs

http://chattanoogastoragesolutions.weebly.com/

http://chattanoogagaragestorage.blogspot.com/

http://chattanoogagarageflooring.blogspot.com/

http://www.monkeybarstorage.com/chatanooga

Garage Shapeups of Alabama

http://www.monkeybarstorage.com/northern-division

http://garageshapeups.weebly.com/

http://garageshapeups.blogspot.com/

Other Monkey Bar Storage Websites:

http://www.monkeybarstorage.com/golf-coast-division

http://www.monkeybarstorage.com/central-division

GARAGE FLOORING TIPS & TRICKS FROM THE PROS

Grinding vs. Acid EtchingWe have found that the most efficient way to prep a concrete floor for coating is by mechanical grinding. Our installers use a diamond encrusted floor grinder with a powerful dust collection system that removes a thin surface layer of the concrete. When complete your stained or painted concrete will be white, porous and ready to accept the epoxy coating. A typical 2 or 3 car garage can take up to 2-4 hours to grind.

Some companies will acid wash your floor if it is free of oil and paint, however the acid washing process presents its own set of problems. The acid being used must be diluted correctly or it can damage the concrete. Additionally, the process can create dangerous fumes to, not to mention that it requires proper disposal of the acid water, which can easily damage your landscaping, to include your pavers, plants, grass, etc. The acid wash also leaves behind a wet concrete dust film that must be completely removed from the pores or it could prevent the epoxy from correctly bonding to the concrete floor. This can result in defects to the coating of your floor as the epoxy cures and eventually cause delamination. Additionally the floor would need to completely dry which could take several additional days delaying the start of the applying the epoxy and extending the time to return your garage to service.

DIY Epoxy or Garage Floor Paints

In our opinion these products are nothing but glorified water based porch and floor paints. They hold up fine until it comes to hot tires or anything that drips from your car like oil, antifreeze or gasoline. They usually come with directions that tell you to use a cleaner degreaser which is simply not enough preparation for the traffic of a garage floor. If you have a previously painted floor, all the paint must be removed to insure proper adhesion. The concrete must be ground down or etched to make it porous enough to be coated properly. There are a couple of choices that you have to achieve the proper porous state. One option is to utilize paint removers, which generates fumes as well a big mess, but the industry preferred method is to remove the existing coating mechanically by grinding or shot blasting.

The mechanical methods, which is used by Granite Garage Floors, both remove the paint and grind the concrete. If you choose the paint remover route, you must still acid wash the concrete floor which comes with its own set of issues see (Grinding vs. Acid Etching). Remember, these epoxy coating products are only as good as the surface they are being applied to and, without a properly prepared surface, it will be very difficult to achieve the long-term durability and protection of a professionally installed garage floor coating system. In our opinion, the preparation is the most critical step of the entire process.

For more information or a Free Consultation call (678) 500-9537 or email us at atl@granitegaragefloors.com.
Source: http://granitegaragefloors.com/

For local epoxy flooring installtion in the Huntsville Area, please call 1-800-214-4311 or Local Rep Bill Dixon at 1-256-572-5970

Garage Epoxy Floor Covering

of Huntsville and Madison Alabama

Before and After Photos

This is a recent job that featured a "two-block"high stem wall that was covered also. This was a two day installation. The floor was prepped with a high speed floor grinder. All of our installations feature floor prep with high speed grinders to guarantee a solid floor with good adherence. Our company can do your garage floors and stem walls to give your garage a totally new look that will definitely make your garage space look much larger. This color is "White Granite".
Call 1-800-214-4311 for more information or to schedule a estimate and consultation.

This floor required extensive grinding to remove stains. The floor also had over 30 feet of cracks that were repaired before the covering was installed. Our professionals do crack repair, stem wall coverage, and epoxy floor coverings in garages, carports, basements, rec rooms, patios, and on pool decks. This color was "Desert Sand". The number to call for your free estimate is 1-800-214-4311. We can have your floor installed in most cases within two weeks after the estimate. Call now, this is our busiest time of the year. Schedule your estimates as soon as possible.