Your pristine garage floor won’t stay that way for long without a protective coating. Epoxy coatings help keep your garage floor beautiful by protecting it from oil stains, gasoline spills, and more. Epoxy coatings are also available with anti-skid additives that can be your best friend during a rough winter.
Applying Epoxy to Your Garage Floor
Putting an epoxy coat on your garage floor is easier than you might think. These simple steps can be done in a weekend and can give you a garage you’re happy to show off!
- Prepare the garage floor very carefully. Repair all cracks, potholes, and other imperfections. Make certain the floor is scrupulously clean in order to have the perfect epoxy coating when you’re done.
- Apply plastic sheeting to the lower sections of the walls and seal it with painter’s tape. Check the floor one more time to make certain it is completely clean.
- Use an etching solution on new or bare concrete. Work in small sections, and take the proper precautions around the chemicals. Allow the solution to dry thoroughly before continuing.
- Blend the epoxy paint and epoxy hardener according to package directions. Be aware that the chemicals heat up as they react; this is normal. Set the can in a cool, dark place for 30 minutes or so.
- You must use the epoxy within two hours, so work quickly to paint the garage floor. Use a wide paintbrush to cut into seams, edges, and corners. Keep the area well-ventilated!
- Roll the paint onto the floor, covering small sections at a time, just as you would paint a wall in your home. Let it dry for 12 to 24 hours before you apply a second coat.
- As you apply the final coat of paint, pause after every section to apply the colorful flakes. Sprinkle them evenly through your fingers as if you were spreading seed on the floor.
- Mix the topcoat just as you mixed the hardener and epoxy. Let it sit for 30 minutes before use. If you want to use anti-skid additives, mix them in with the topcoat.
- Apply the topcoat in the same way you applied the epoxy paint. It has a chalky color when wet, but don’t worry–it dries perfectly clear.
Wait for up to 72 hours before walking on your new garage floor. When the topcoat has finished curing, your garage floor is gorgeous and ready!
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Turn a Cold Basement into a Cozy Living Area with Radiant-floor Heating
April 8th, 2010 by admin
If you’re thinking about a basement conversion, one of the biggest issues you are likely to face is how to heat the new area.
Although the basement is where your furnace is located, most cellars are not equipped with heat vents or registers. And that can make for a cold and clammy environment.
One way to make sure your basement renovation creates a cozy space for your home is to install radiant or hydronic floor heating. Radiant floor systems installed in a concrete basement floor can translate into warm winter nights and big-time fuel cost savings. This system is ideal for all types of slab construction, which is found in most basements.
Finishing a Basement With Radiant-Floor Heating
Radiant-floor heating comes in many forms–some circulate warm water through tubes under the floor, while others use solid-state electronics to distribute the heat. One thing they have in common is that they’re all more economical than central heat. And it doesn’t just keep your feet warm; radiant-floor heat keeps the whole room warm.
One of the advantages of installing radiant-floor heat during a basement renovation is that you won’t have to face the added cost that comes with retrofitting floor heat to another floor of your house. Basement tubing can be installed in a thin, new, concrete layer to your existing basement slab floor; however, in upper floors, many types of radiant heat have to be embedded in heavy mortar slabs that often require reinforced framing to support the extra weight.
With radiant-floor heating, your concrete basement floor becomes an asset rather than a liability because the concrete helps retain heat longer. It provides what the experts call a “thermal mass” that increases the efficiency of your heating system.
A Basement Remodeling Contractor Can Save You Money
It might also be cheaper to install. Tubing in concrete can be installed 12 inches apart, while heating tubes installed in the sub-floors of upper-floor rooms must be much closer together.
A large area of lower surface temperatures–such as a radiant heat floor in a basement renovation–transfers more heat into a room that a steam radiator or heating vent running at a much higher surface temperature.
Although some homeowners elect to install their own radiant-floor heating systems, others prefer to consult a basement remodeling contractor. In-floor heating systems–particularly if they are being installed beneath wood floors or into concrete–are not simple jobs. A basement remodeling contractor likely has experience installing these systems, and the necessary tools to do the job right.
Be sure to select a contractor who has references. Check them out with the Better Business Bureau and your state contractors’ board. A good contractor can save you time and money in the long run.
About the author: Jim Sloan is a freelance writer in Reno, Nevada.
Easy Basement Renovations & Other Home Renovation Ideas
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Turn a Cold Basement into a Cozy Living Area with Radiant-floor Heating