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Garage Flooring, The Rest of the Story

August 27, 2013 by Rick Scully

2 car garage, north york - garage flooring, recycle bins, workbench

With our most recent post, the crucial steps to properly preparing the floor for the application of a new finish was thoroughly discussed. Now that the existing garage floor has been properly prepared, the actual finishing process can begin.  At this point, it is time to get into high gear and ensure best practices are followed to install the best floor finish possible.

Before we begin, here is a quick note about your choices of materials and why professional garage designers Garage Tailors Garage recommends using polyaspartic coatings.  As you probably know, there are two other popularly recommended materials for garage floors: paints and epoxy based coatings.  The challenge with both of these choices is twofold.  For one thing, both paint and epoxy only coat the top most layer of your concrete.  Whether you open the pores or not, paints and epoxy based materials essentially sit on the top of your floor. Alternatively, water soluble materials such as polyaspartic coatings actually penetrate deep down into the concrete pores.  Of course, now you can see yet another reason that opening the pores in the preparation phase is such a crucial step.

A second issue with paints or epoxy materials is that they are not so forgiving when your concrete floor moves.  You see, whether its apparent or not, your garage floor is subject to thermal expansion and contraction. The term thermal expansion and contraction means how your concrete actually swells up and expands in the heat.  In cool weather, the opposite effect occurs; your concrete floor actually shrinks or contracts.  Oftentimes, it is these expansion and contraction cycles that tend to lead to cracking and peeling from painted or epoxy coated floors.  Alternatively, polyaspartic coatings are significantly more forgiving. Polyaspartic coatings tend to move with your floor instead of breaking apart. 

Now it’s time to get back to work. At this point, the professional installation team applies the first application of your new polyaspartic coating.  One thing to note here is that polyaspartic coatings actually dry extremely fast.  Don’t be surprised if you see the installation teams pick up the pace a bit to complete the next steps before the drying process completes.  They know they have to be deliberate and focused as they work to apply the first coating.  Once this first coat is applied, the installation team brings out the color flakes you have chosen.  Remember, you have an incredible array of colors to choose from, we’ll help you with a choice that matches your garage and home exterior.  Just make sure you’ll be happy with your choice for a while.  You will see the installation team applying the color flakes as the base coat is curing. Applying the color flakes at this stage allows the flakes to become firmly and permanently embedded.  At first, it will look like your floor is covered with these color flakes.  That’s okay, though, it’s all part of a professional installation.

Next up, the floor needs to be cleaned up. You will see the installation team fetching their brooms and scrapers. Once the polyaspartic coating with the color flakes has dried, the team works to clean up any loose flakes.  First, you see the team take a broom to sweep up any excess.  Next the team carefully goes over your floor to scrape off any rough edges going both ways, that is up and own.   Now, your floor is vacuumed to remove any remaining flakes or other debris on the floor so that your floor is ready for the remaining steps in this process.

Now you are in the home stretch, where a specialized sealant is applied as the last stage in your floor refinishing project.  This sealant is carefully and methodically rolled onto all sections of your garage floor.  You will be pleased to learn this sealant serves as a final lockdown for your new floor finish. Think of it as a protective shield. At this point in your floor refinishing project, a specialized sealant is applied as a top coating.  This sealant is “rolled” on to your floor and serves as a final lockdown for your new floor finish.  It serves as a protective shield.   The sealant includes an Ultraviolet (UV) ray inhibitor which protects the floor from fading in the bright summer sun.  This sealant is allowed to thoroughly dry.   You will see the installation team conduct a final walk through to make sure the new floor finish is complete and ready for your enjoyment.

 Now that the project is complete here is a little bit more about your new floor finish.  The polyaspartic floor is good for the lifetime of your garage floor.  Unlike some of the other garage floor refinish options that must be redone every 3 to 5 years, you can count on your new polyaspartic floor finish for the lifetime of your garage floor.

Filed Under: Garage Floors Tagged With: best garage floor finish, concrete pores, contraction, drying process, epoxy based coatings, floor refinishing project, garage flooring, north york, Garage Tailors Garage, paints based coatings, polyaspartic coatings, Professional Garage Designers, professional installation team, refinishing project, sealant, specialized sealant, The polyaspartic floor, thermal expansion, Ultraviolet (UV) ray inhibitor

What is it that Professional Garage Designers Do?

June 4, 2013 by Rick Scully

professional garage interior designer, rick scully, spatial visualization, engineering, design, commercial tools, knowledge, experience

If you’ve ever undertaken a large renovation job in your home, such as the kitchen, bathroom or basement, it’s likely you’ve hired a professional to do the job. Usually only the die-hard do-it-yourselfer with a lot of experience will tackle that type of project. But when it comes to the garage, many people think a few tools and a trip to the big-box store to pick up some simple shelving, cabinets and maybe an epoxy floor coating will do. There’s nothing wrong with what they sell there, but the problem is it’s likely not going to stand up to the test of time and use. A professional garage designer has access to the most durable products specifically designed for garages and the equipment, tools and expertise to create an organized garage that will last a lifetime.

 

What to expect when hiring a garage designer?

 

Space visualization

During a consultation a professional garage designer will see the potential of the garage. After doing hundreds of garage renovations, I can easily envision what’s possible in a space. Garages are much more than just four walls and a floor. They’re rarely square and a professional will immediately spot areas to maximize storage. Often there are indentations, or areas such as space above the garage door or on the ceiling to create shelves or overhead storage.

 

Engineering skills

Your garage professional will know about weight/load capacity. Shelving can be custom-designed and built to make the most efficient use of space while supporting a maximum amount of weight and protecting your loved ones and vehicles from damage.

 

Design skills

Garages can be beautiful too. A garage professional will pay attention to the look of the space just like any interior designer would for a room inside your home. Choosing a combination of colours and finishes for the wall, floor, cabinets and shelves can really enhance the overall look of the space. Also, an experienced professional will be able to offer suggestions to solve any design dilemma.

 

Tools

If you’ve done DIY projects, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of starting a job and realizing you don’t have the right tool. A garage professional will have tools and equipment needed to complete a quality job. One essential piece of equipment for finishing the floor is a commercial cement floor grinder. In order to achieve a floor coating that will last, the floor needs to be ground down to remove pitting and other imperfections. A floor grinder is an expensive piece of equipment that is usually not available to rent. A nail gun, the right saws and screwdrivers also make for an easier job. Unless you’re doing a lot of construction projects, it’s unlikely you’ll have these types of tools on hand.

 

Knowledge

There are a lot of things involved in renovating a garage that are not always considered by the average homeowner. Garage professionals know about things such as construction codes, checking moisture levels in concrete before applying a floor coating, and have access to trades such as plumbers and electricians. They can also easily estimate how much space you’ll need to store things. You may look at all your gardening equipment and figure you’ll need a lot of storage room while an expert will know immediately that you’ll only need about six feet of space.

So the choice is up to you. Do you want a temporary solution or do you want to make an investment in your garage that will last?

 

Filed Under: Garage Interior Design Tagged With: cabinets, checking moisture levels in concrete, commercial cement floor grinder, concrete, construction projects, custom-designed, design dilemma, Design skills, DIY projects, durable products, Engineering skills, floor coating, garage equipment, garage professional, Garage professionals, garages, gardening equipment, hiring a garage designer, interior designer, investment in your garage, load capacity, maximize storage, nail gun, organized garage, overhead storage, Professional Garage Designers, renovating a garage, renovation, shelves, shelving, Space visualization, walls

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