Garage/Shop Floors

[Grape]

Labor to prep with a $45,000 shot blast machine which requires bringing in a 10kw generator to operate. At minimum 3 coats of material with a full scuff in between each coat. Lots and lots of labor. Pour concrete, use unskilled labor to run a trowell over it, of course it costs more to coat it. How much is sheet metal for a car vs labor to paint it?

[akfodysvn]

That's true, but it seems like (if there were more people doing their garages, etc) that someone could come in and underbid them easily and still make a healthy profit, but again there aren't nearly as many jobs as concrete work.

Get real on coating and scuffing as hard work, it's brainless work just like concrete, any monkey can do it. Look me in the eye and try to tell me that these epoxy guys are any better than flat work guys. Running a squeegee and roller is not rocket science, just takes practice like concrete does. Most of the time the company that does epoxy is a concrete based company in the first place... SAME GUYS I've prepped more wood in homes for finishing than I ever care to do, which takes 10x more care than a fucking floor that's wavy to begin with and when it's done. 5 coats of poly on solid wood doors and windows w/ sanding/prep, filling, tacking... not trying to barg at all, but just have some similar experience.

I've never shotblasted anything so it wouldn't be fair for me to speak on that. Not trying to argue at all, just honestly asking why its so expensive. Never for me, because I'm not wealthy, would it make sense to pay such a senseless amount. I guess it also matters if you enjoy doing work yourself or just having someone do it for you and have it be over with.

[KBScobravert]

I was quoted $4.50 a foot installed by a guy from garagejournal. I wished I would have done it before I moved into the garage but now that I have to much stuff in there to want to fuck with it.

[Grape]

That's true, but it seems like (if there were more people doing their garages, etc) that someone could come in and underbid them easily and still make a healthy profit, but again there aren't nearly as many jobs as concrete work.

Get real on coating and scuffing as hard work, it's brainless work just like concrete, any monkey can do it. Look me in the eye and try to tell me that these epoxy guys are any better than flat work guys. Running a squeegee and roller is not rocket science, just takes practice like concrete does. Most of the time the company that does epoxy is a concrete based company in the first place... SAME GUYS I've prepped more wood in homes for finishing than I ever care to do, which takes 10x more care than a fucking floor that's wavy to begin with and when it's done. 5 coats of poly on solid wood doors and windows w/ sanding/prep, filling, tacking... not trying to barg at all, but just have some similar experience.

I've never shotblasted anything so it wouldn't be fair for me to speak on that. Not trying to argue at all, just honestly asking why its so expensive. Never for me, because I'm not wealthy, would it make sense to pay such a senseless amount. I guess it also matters if you enjoy doing work yourself or just having someone do it for you and have it be over with.

all valid points, but what has killed the pricing for this is government and military jobs as well as the aircraft industry. The people have money to spend, therefore the companies that build the prep machine create a tool that is outrageously priced and it goes on from there. Bottom line, i started my business 11 years ago in this field because nobody wanted to mess with small jobs (home garages/shops) and now i see why.

Trust me, it pisses me off watching some chick who decided she was going to be an interior decorator with a garden sprayer and a gallon of kemico stain charge a $1000 min to do a kitchen floor.......who hasn't a clue about proper surface prep.

if anybody is interested in installing their own stuff, here's the website for the correct application tools. www.midwestrake.com

[akfodysvn]

all valid points, but what has killed the pricing for this is government and military jobs as well as the aircraft industry. The people have money to spend, therefore the companies that build the prep machine create a tool that is outrageously priced and it goes on from there. Bottom line, i started my business 11 years ago in this field because nobody wanted to mess with small jobs (home garages/shops) and now i see why.

Trust me, it pisses me off watching some chick who decided she was going to be an interior decorator with a garden sprayer and a gallon of kemico stain charge a $1000 min to do a kitchen floor.......who hasn't a clue about proper surface prep.

if anybody is interested in installing their own stuff, here's the website for the correct application tools. www.midwestrake.com

Grape, had no idea you were in the business or else I may have just kept my mouth shut. I meant no disrespect. You hit the nail on the head w/ gov't work, we overpay for EVERYTHING... and every hangar I've ever been in has it, not to mention all of our shops. We were paying $7-10ea for screws, bolts, and nuts

I will say that the floors you showed look amazing compared to DIY jobs. Keep dominating that residential market!

[BEARY]

Update:

After about 40 man hours of prep time, using a floor sander, degreasing (allot of scrubbing) and etching a few times, Grape came by last week and felt the floor ready for application.

Grape got by this morning and we got the 1st coat put down. We'll let it cure for a few days then come back in and rough it up and lay the 2nd coat.

Many thanks Grape!

[BEARY]

[BEARY]

[akfodysvn]

looks good, wish I would had spike shoes. Sounds like you got a hell of a deal having him come out and help you out...

[BEARY]

No doubt, Grape is the man! Knows his shit and is a real good guy in my book!

[KBScobravert]

Awesome...what is your price per foot so far?

I have roughly 900sqft and would really like to ditch our "painted" garage floors.

[BEARY]

Awesome...what is your price per foot so far?

I have roughly 900sqft and would really like to ditch our "painted" garage floors.

It's hard to put a "price per square foot" on this, as you have to determine what your time and other people's time is worth, that have helped in the prep work and application...I've no idea what a professional company charges per man hour...I know my pops, another guy and I spent about 19 hours x 3 men (47 hours), for prep work (sanding/degreasing/etching) and then me another 2 hours to take care of the cracks..bringing it close to 49 hours...then it took Grape and I about 30 minutes to apply....not to mention the time running to get xylene, drill, mixer (I forgot to bring to home and had to go get it, costing Grape about 30 extra minutes of his time)...Then, if Grape wasn't such a great guy, you would be looking at handles, roller frames, roller pads, squegee and spiked shoes...

Materials (not including roller pads, frames, handles, spike shoes, squegee)

Epoxy: $350.00/$400.00 (don't remember exactly)
Xylene - 1 Gal: $20.00
Sander/Pads: $75.00
Body/Seam Filler: $40.00
Sanding Screens: $14.00
Labor for prep @ $25/Hr: $1,225.00
Application: 30 minuntes: My time + Grape's

Above is for the first coat only (hoewever epoxy is included in there) and we still have to scuff the floor, which requires a buffer (borrowing from friend) and sanding screens. Would assume the scuffing will take 30 minutes, then rinse and squegee out (10 minutes) and then another application, 30 minutes.

$1,774 / 220sqft = $8.06 per sqft (not including mine & Grape's time to apply 1st coat and still have to scuff and put down 2nd coat)

That's all I can really give you, again, since I don't know what the going labor rate is for this type of work. However, it looks like Grape was pretty dead-on for the $8/$12 per sqft.

[SS Junk]

$8.06 per sqft (not including mine & Grape's time to apply 1st coat and still have to scuff and put down 2nd coat)

Yeesh.. that would equate to over 7g's for my floor. Bare it will stay!

[BEARY]

CORRECTION: SQFT of garage is 440, not 220...my bad....

[BEARY]

Yeesh.. that would equate to over 7g's for my floor. Bare it will stay!

Cut that in 1/2, as I had the wrong footage in my initial calculation. Also, the stuff I got does 600 sq/ft per application, so you wouldn't be looking at as much as you think.