Carpokes

Not very active here, very busy transforming “The White Box”

P_Coastal wrote: Fri May 17, 2024 12:32 pm Not very active here, very busy transforming “The White Box”

Simple and austere (for the time being). It's clean!

Take some photos of your car in there before doing anything to the space - a Zwart pic!

On Flooring --

I'm in working garage number #5 (if I include rented space), and have several experiences. The #2 and #4 had a poly coating applied professionally. By year 3 on #4, it was noticeably not pretty anymore. It got to where I was scrubbing and then adding an industrial floor sealant on top two or three times a year else it looked dirty all the time. Color beige was carefully chosen to minimize the impact of actual local dirt, and it was kept clean. But the surface damage and scuffing from working in there was more than it seemed ready to take.

On a practical basis, it was way too difficult to find small stuff that I dropped without resorting to a flashlight across the floor, looking for shadows. All the flakes looked like parts or parts shadows. Metal work projects are really tough, as cuttings or even grinding/filing dust and shavings demand immediate cleanup or risk damage just from walking. Any weld spatter melted into the topcoat.

For the current home ~~1k square-foot workbay, I decided to go with 1x2 porcelain tile with 1/8" epoxy grout. Ten years later I'm still convinced it's by far the best flooring choice I've made so far. I have some small gripes about the installation, but overall the product durability and appearance are stellar. I don't host monthly 928 clinics anymore as we did above Los Angeles, but do have half a dozen other mini events a year with locals and neighbors. Plus, we drive in the winter, with all the fringe benefits of cinders, sand, and ODOT's favorite deicer added in. So far, everything that's happened to the floor has been solved with a a hose and some powdered laundry detergent. That plus a scrub brush disguised as a medium mixed-bristle push broom, then a squeegee or wetvac to dry it, and it looks as good as the day it was placed. The narrow epoxy grout means there's no staining from stuff that ends up on the floor, a serious advantage in a working automotive workspace.

There are some minimum strength and slipperiness standards has Tom has mentioned in this thread. Do add some contrasting border areas to break up the visuals. Work with an installer who can see the whole picture, is willing to actually read and follow the suppliers' instructions, and you'll be very happy.

The total cost ended up at about 2.5x the cost of a quality poly floor. In its first ten years it's already more than payed back that difference. I get the same 'wow' effect as guests do every time I wander through. It's a busy space, a working not a show-off space, but having the great flooring elevates the total impression significantly.

Dr Bob, that is some great advice and gives me something to think about.

Reclaimed some floor space today. Thought about putting them higher, then realized that I am too weak to lift them above shoulder height And no, I never use that switch- it’s connected to some fans.

Garage makeover continues.

Lift complete

Walls/stripes 99.5%

Floors upcoming

Painting -Done
Slatwall -In Transit
Polyaspartic Flooring -Booked
Cabinets - Here, and in the way for now

P_Coastal wrote: Sun May 26, 2024 3:46 pm Painting -Done
Slatwall -In Transit
Polyaspartic Flooring -Booked
Cabinets - Here, and in the way for now

IMG_2921.jpeg

Oh heck yea... it's taking shape

GT3Twenty10 wrote: Sun Jul 16, 2023 1:34 pm Painted the ceiling…PITA

@GT3Twenty10

If this ever gets made, it's something to go with your "Endless Summer" poster!
https://www.carpokes.com/viewtopic.php? ... 240#p21468



https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a6101 ... d568259d8a

Floors are coming together.