Blueprints for new garage

**SilverLexus** · 12-24-2004, 10:01 AM

I really think that concrete stains are the way to go. From what I hear from the concrete contractors, all epoxy paints eventually fail.

This is what I have heard as well. My neighbor is 2 years in on H&C and no problems at all. Another friend is up to 6 years of hot GA summers and absolutely no lift. Like other things, I guess surface prep is crucial.

If it`s not too personal, where is this garage located? It looks like the Southeast somewhere. Just wondered if you were close to Atlanta. Send PM if you need to.

**m4xmw** · 12-28-2004, 07:59 AM

Dean,

thats a good trade in!

Pic of your Sti in the finished garage would be good.

Mark

**JeffM** · 12-28-2004, 08:47 AM

Awesome home, i love it.

BTW i am a masonry contractor, and to do that house of of stone would be not worth the money.

A brick house like that i charge $14 bucks a sq. ft, and the coins and arches are extra.

A stone house would be 4 or 5 times as expensive.

**imported_Todd** · 12-28-2004, 08:15 PM

Originally posted by 2000_EBP_civic

k...i`ll play the devils advocate here.

I`m not crazy on the brick finish. on a house that size, the bricks look out of place. something like a nice stone finish would have set off the look nicely. something either larger or a continuous finish with a darker accent for the windows and other trim. i`m not a fan of red bricks with big flat surfaces.

i just feel the house is to divided into too many sections and doesnt really have an open feeling to it. also the idea that you can see the door to the master bedroom as soon as you walk in the house kinda bugs me. . also a single door to the master bedroom?

I`m glad you`re happy with your project and i`m sure you`ll be very happy with it when its completed but its not how i would have designed it.

JBM,

It`s nice to get feedback from a professional. Growing up in New Jersey, I always wanted to have an all-brick house. However, even the very high-end homes in NJ all seemed to have front brick facades and vinyl siding on the sides.

For some reason, in North Carolina it isn`t out of the ordinary to have a full brick exterior. Is it the lower regional labor costs? Material costs?

The above mentioned quote about having "a nice stone finish" is obviously an impractical fantasy, unless you`re talking about a pseudo-stone facade. :nixweiss

I find that brick is the ideal residential exterior finish. Beautiful, long-lasting and no maintenance.

Dean

**GearHead_1** · 12-28-2004, 08:54 PM

It certainly wouldn`t be practical to do a house this size entirely in rock. Talk to most any real estate agent, brick homes not only appreciate at a higher rate but given similar price range sell faster than the other two most popular exteriors (stucco & siding). I feel that even with these two facts the biggest plus of brick is its low maintenance. A sectioned rock surface here or there looks good but I really like the all brick look. In fact I like it so much that my brick exterior will start going up tomorrow, the scaffolding went up today. I do however have a small amount of stucco on some of my roofs narrow gables.

Dean, once again, I think you have chosen not only wisely but in very good taste. My home looks quite a bit like yours though it`s a single story with a tall roof (33 ft.), what else could I say?

**JeffM** · 12-28-2004, 08:56 PM

I used to own a masonry bus. in Mass. Most all of the brick houses i built were only on the fronts, as you have noticed. Now i am in Florida, just doing block houses.

My guess is that the brick is cheap in NC, SC, also the labor. Most costly aspect of a construction company is the workmans comp ins. Masons in florida pay 40%, mass. it was 33%. Perhaps it is relaxed in those states where masonry is more widespread.

I love your house, i love brick houses also, but never built one for myself yet lol.

Since your an autopian you might find this interesting, most people just shrug their shoulders.

Not right away, but in perhaps 2-5 years you will start to have funky green stuff growing on the bottom, especially in the corners where there is a shadow from your pictures, of your brick.

My masonry on my house in Mass. i protected with a product called "professional water proofer". When applied to the brick it actually beads like wax, dries clear, cant tell its on there.

Its silicone based, and my pal who owned the brick yeard said the salesman said, lol, it would last 5 years. I lived in the house for 2 years and it was still beading.

I did get some of that funky green stuff on the front steps, but with some detergent and a yellow handled scrubb brush it scrubbed off.

Food for thought, not terribly important, enjoy your house, its looking great. i love the driveway !

**hftw Audi 6** · 12-28-2004, 10:44 PM

Hey i just spotted this thread but wanted to wish you Good luck on your new house it`s only something i can dream to have one day!

**imported_Todd** · 01-01-2005, 10:10 PM

Thanks again to everyone for their compliments and suggestions.

New Years update:

The concrete contractor just applied the solvent-based clear sealer to the acid etched concrete floors. They use the Stain-crete system, but other acid staining options exist.

I really had a difficult time deciding what to do with the concrete floors.

Bare concrete: Looks good when new. Eventually stains and darkens.

Plastic tiles (i.e. Race Deck): Looks nice but covering 1900 sq ft with a "floating" plastic floor didn`t appeal to me. I may still use these tiles in discrete areas.

Quartz ceramic tiles: The ultimate look. Way too expensive (no offense, Ultgar)

Vinyl tiles: I grew up in an old home with lifting, cracking linoleum tiles. It`s a lot of labor for a product that has dubious durability. I can just picture the unpleasant process of stripping the adhesive if it didn`t work out.

Epoxy based paints( i.e. Griots, UCoat-it) Impressive looking apllications. Solid color floors look great. Cost is reasonable. However, even when applied professionally with impeccable preparation, these finishes eventually fail. Period.

Acid stained finishes: Metallic salts in an acidic, water-based solution react with hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) in hardened concrete to yield insoluble, colored compounds that become a permanent part of the concrete. The color becomes intergral to the concrete and will not chip off. The finish has a variegated, marble-like quality...you may or may not like the look.

Acid based finishes are pretty cost effective (about $3.50/sq foot). It is usually topped off with a UV stable, solvent based clear coat that can be reapplied anytime later.

Downsides? Color options are generally limited to "earth tone" colors like tan, brown, green.

Well enough talk.

Here are the pics:

**Setec Astronomy** · 01-01-2005, 10:17 PM

That looks good Dean, the only thing I wouldn`t like about it is you can`t really see it if you have an oil spill (drip, leak, etc.) because of the color. Do they still make solvent-based clear concrete sealers? I thought they were all water-based now.

If I ever get the chance to select a finish like that, I think I would just go for the clear, even if it IS boring. Actually, I would want a light gray paint, but I agree, they always fail.

**imported_Todd** · 01-01-2005, 10:26 PM

Mike,

Water-based clear coats for concrete are available, but my contractor used a solvent based clear. The volatile fumes are incredible. I don`t think that I could work with that stuff for more than 15 mintutes without some type of respirator.

You`re right about difficulty seeing oil spills. I have a 1987 Porsche 911, so spills will occur! I think I`ll put patches of race deck tile where the some of the cars park.

With the clear coat, the contractor says it should tolerate everything but brake fluid.

Dean

**SilverLexus** · 01-01-2005, 10:47 PM

Dean,

I like the look. The floors look like some of our better local restaurants.

**Setec Astronomy** · 01-01-2005, 11:43 PM

Originally posted by Dean

Mike,

Water-based clear coats for concrete are available, but my contractor used a solvent based clear. The volatile fumes are incredible. I don`t think that I could work with that stuff for more than 15 mintutes without some type of respirator.

With the clear coat, the contractor says it should tolerate everything but brake fluid.

Dean

LOL....I sealed my garage floor about 20 years ago with the solvent-based stuff, IIRC it was half plastic, half toluene! Maybe that`s why I`m a little goofy now. Last time I did it (2-3 years ago) I researched a little and didn`t see any solvent-based, so I figured the VOC limits had killed it.

Do you have any concerns about slickness when wet? My garage floor is 45 years old, and not in the best shape, but the spots that sealed well can be really slippery when rain water from the cars, for instance gets on them. I know they mix in some traction stuff to the epoxy paint, but the downside of that is it makes it so hard to clean.

**imported_Todd** · 01-02-2005, 07:48 AM

Mike,

I am concerned about the slickness of the clear coat. My contractor assured me that there is some type of "anti-skid" finish, but that remains to be seen. I did look over some of the commercial applications of this stuff (i.e. restaurants, "Sea World" park) and didn`t think it was that slippery.

Dean

**imported_Todd** · 01-07-2005, 10:09 PM

Well, fellow Autopians, the end is near. Today we closed on the new house. Moving starts in 3 days. It will be a busy time and my computer will be down a few days.

I`m excited about the new house. It`s 90% of what I envisioned it to be. The garage renovations are only beginning. I ordered the Rotary Revolution 4 post lift today, and it should be installed in 4 weeks.

I`ll post pics of the car collection in the garage ASAP.

In the meantime, I want to thank all those Autopians with great suggestions and words of encouragement. Thanks for sharing in the process of seeing a garage go from concept to reality. I`m amazed that this thread has over 13,000 views!

Anyway....Best wishes and happy motoring!

Dean