Angie's List: Give Your Garage A Makeover
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Do you keep your car parked in the driveway because your garage is mess and overflowing with stuff? Maybe it's time to give it a makeover. In this weeks' Angie's List report, Jim Donovan looks at some things you can do to spruce up your garage.
Adding things like shelves, cabinets and hooks doesn't just help you get your garaged organized, it also makes it look nicer. But one of the most eye catching changes you can make is adding a new garage floor.
"Adding new flooring can really improve the look and feeling of your garage. A low-cost option is an acrylic sealer that's going to require more maintenance and won't last as long. An alternative is an epoxy flooring or mats, which will last much longer and are low maintenance," said Angie's List founder, Angie Hicks.
"The main reason people do it is to beautify their garage, but really the biggest advantage is how it protects the concrete and a lot of people don't realize that," said floor specialist, Fritz Klooz.
In a typical two-car garage, a quality epoxy floor with can be installed for $1,200 to $1,700 dollars and could last up to twenty years. If you decide to do it yourself, make sure you do your homework.
"Be sure you are following the directions specifically, and also pay attention to what type of epoxy you are getting. If it's not quality epoxy and isn't applied correctly, it's going to come off in the matter of a few months," said Hicks.
More from Angie:
12 Tips for maintaining your epoxy floor:
- For minor spills or vehicle drippings, simply wipe them up with a paper towel or other soft cloth.
- Routine maintenance cleaning is best achieved with either a soft bristle broom or a blue commercial dust mop (available at any home improvement store).
- For heavy cleaning of a soiled epoxy floor, sweep away any loose debris and then mop floor with a hard foam mop, hot water and clear ammonia. Four to five ounces of ammonia per gallon of water is all that is needed to adequately remove soiling.
- Some winter road "pre-treatment" compounds leave a hazy film on the floor coatings after cleaning. This can normally be removed with hot water and a deck brush (found at most hardware stores). Continuous rinsing may be required to keep the compounds from drying onto new areas of the floor.
- Some stains (including rust) may require light scrubbing with a kitchen scrubbing pad. If you're unable to remove with just hot water, we recommend using Soft Scrub. Do not use Comet or other abrasive cleaning chemicals on the coatings.
- If desired, the floor can be hosed out and squeegeed dry.
- Do not use any cleaner that contains acids (citrus cleaners or vinegar) or soap-based cleaners. Soap based cleaners leave a residue on the floor that not only detracts from the shine, but also become increasingly slippery should the floor get wet.
- Use a walk-off mat (welcome mat) inside any entry door to assist removal of snow and water from the bottoms of shoes when entering the garage. Longer mats may be required during winter weather.
- Place a computer mouse pad under a motorcycle kickstand to prevent damage to the coatings surface.
- Ensure all areas are clean before lifting heavy loads with rolling jacks.
- Place pieces of half-inch plywood under jack stands when bearing heavy loads.
- Use a welding mat when welding above the coatings.
