do it yourself

So you have decided on your garage floor covering. Now it’s time to decide what pattern you need to use as if choosing the garage flooring wasn’t difficult enough. Bet you wouldn’t have ever thought this could be so complicated. We’ll focus on mainly garage floor mats since with garage floor tiles most of the options have more to do with their installation & what they’re made of. Let us first take a look at ribbed garage floor covering. This info will be fairly generic for the most part although I’m sure some odd manufacturers exist that do their own thing.

The Advantages Of Every Garage Floor Covering

Before we get to the particulars about the ribbed flavors though let’s examine those advantages that you can get from just about all garage floor protectors. They’ll keep stains off a concrete garage floor for one. They’ll also prevent cracking by helping retain heat. For those that have damaged garage floors already they’ll help hide stains & cracks. And to the majority of folks a covering of any kind be it garage floor tile or just a mat looks nicer than plain concrete.

Chemical Spills And Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings

Because ribbed garage floor coverings only have ridges that go in straight lines spills will always go one particular way. For this reason ribbed coverings are probably the best option when it comes to working on vehicles. You can either lay the mat so that the ridges are horizontal which will help contain a spill or you can lay it vertically which will direct any spill out of your garage. Beware directing things like oil & coolant onto the ground outside of your garage however. This is not only illegal but also very irresponsible.

How Hard Is It To Clean Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings

Cleaning is usually easy since just about every garage floor mat resists both staining & liquid spills. A water hose to spray it down is usually all you need to clean a garage floor covering. Yet again be very mindful of contamination. Check all your local regulations & laws & always consider any nearby rivers lakes or even groundwater. No one wants to drink your used anti-freeze but that’s what will happen if you spill it on ground with a high water table.

How Much Do Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings Usually Cost?

When it comes to price this design is generally quite reasonable. Lots of companies that manufacture garage floor coverings set the prices of their ribbed design at only slightly higher than the cheapest option. Because of this you could consider ribbed mats a great value. They will do everything one might desire or need from their garage floor protector while being quite inexpensive. The only real reason to pay more would be for looks. I bet that any car guy would feel that ribbed garage floor coverings are just fine.

Check out Sweet Garage Flooring for more information to help you choose yourgarage floor.

It is quite obvious that the primary reason why people will wish to use home security cameras is to ensure that their homes are well secured against thefts break-ins as well as from burglars. No doubt you can secure your home in other ways as well but installing more than one residential security camera offers a more complete solution that will help to alert you if anything unfavorable happens.

When it concerns shopping for home security cameras you will come across many options that differ from each other in terms of price size & design & there are those security cameras that are more discreet while others are not. The indoor dome camera or mini security camera for a home is an excellent example of a discrete camera & this is also a more affordable solution as compared to the bigger sized cameras.

With the help of a small sized mini security camera for inside a home you can maintain adequate surveillance without the obvious distraction of larger cameras. These cameras come in small casings about 1 inch square & are available with color or B/W pictures. B/ W pictures may be best if your lighting conditions will be low.

A large sized home security camera will also come with additional features & so will prove to be very useful for maintaining a vigil on the outside of a home. These cameras generally cost more because they have to be weatherproof & more more robust so as to not get damaged by the elements.

However a large sized residential surveillance camera can have some very attractive features including infrared sensors that can do a better job of keeping track of movements around & inside a home even in complete darkness. Another feature that is widely desired are cameras that give you a full color picture during the day & switch to B/W at night to maintain picture quality.

Another feature that is found in both indoor as well as outdoor security cameras is that the camera can be attached to a monitor or TV for live viewing or a security DVR if you wish to record the cameras images. This is accomplished by running video & power cables from cameras location back to the TV or video recorder. Wireless security cameras are another option if running video cables or concealing them is concern.

Wireless security cameras for a home can send images to the monitor or video recorder without running a video cable. However keep in mind that they will still need to have power supplied it just the video cable you don’t need to run. If you have an outlet nearby you simply plug their included power supply into the outlet & they will transmit the video back to a receiver that you plug into your monitor or DVR. Otherwise you will need to run an extension cable or wire to them from a nearby outlet. Batteries could be used for short periods of maybe a few hours.

If you find that you are not able to afford to buy & install security cameras in your home then you will need to be inventive & innovative in finding alternative ways to secure your home. Why not instead install a dummy security camera or two that is fake camera that can be placed where it visible to everyone. In this way you can show that your property is under surveillance & this in turn will help deter criminals from trying to break into your home. This way you get to secure your home & also save your hard earned money.

Mike Ward owner of Protection Depot is available to help you with your security cameras needs. For more information about security cameras digital video recorders & accessories please visit Protection Depot.

Quikrete is by far the most popular of all garage floor coatings. Maybe this is due to the catchy name or maybe they’ve just built a good reputation based on good products but no one else even comes close. I suppose it just makes sense then that Quikrete Concrete Stain would often be looked at as the premier garage floor stain available.

There Are Two Different Quikrete Concrete Stains And Neither Use That Name

Believe it or not there’s any specific product called “Quikrete Concrete Stain”. For those that aren’t in the know this can lead to some confusion as when searching for Quikrete Concrete Stain the results you get will be either Quikrete Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain or another staining product Quikrete Etching Stain. You need to be careful when you decide too as the two products are going to give you very different results. Let’s take a look at the Quikrete Etching Stain. In time I’m sure I’ll get to the Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain but not now. Oh don’t get so upset I’ll do it eventually. And don’t forget to eat your vegetables.

Quikrete Says To Use Etching Stain For Your Garage Floor

Actually to be more exact Quikrete doesn’t recommend you use anything other than etching stain in your garage & for good reason. Etching involves nothing short of melting the top layer of your concrete garage floor with acid so that you can scrape texture into it while in this case adding the stain as well. The result is garage flooring with improved grip for both car tires & human shoes or feet as well as an old world classic stone look.

Etching Is Not As Complicated As It Sounds

Etching concrete is not difficult. Actually Quikrete says that their etching stain is one-coat application. They also make it very clear that a sealant must be used though so that pretty much kills the one coat idea. Still the complete install is much easier than epoxy garage floor paint & after you apply the sealant there will be some protection which stain alone can’t claim. Also don’t forget that you will need to thoroughly clean the garage floors & if your floor has oil or grease stains you’ll want to use a stain remover. One coat huh?

Is Staining Cheaper Than Epoxy Garage Floor Coating?

Usually but not in this case. My guess would be that it’s due to the acids needed for the etching process but a can of Quikrete Etching Stain will likely run you over $300 & that’s without cleaner or sealant. That’s pretty darn expensive even moreso than some of the higher quality garage floor tiles. However garage floor tile won’t make your concrete look like marble. Is it worth it? That depends entirely on you. If protecting your concrete is your top priority I would say no although once sealed there is some protection. If your main goal is to make your concrete look different than any of the other garage floor finishes though then this will certainly do it.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.

Most people apply epoxy garage floor paint because they want to be sure that their concrete garage floor will be protected. It looks really nice & makes you happy to be in your garage. I bet you never thought garage flooring could brighten your day so much But then it happens. A tool falls insert slow motion footage slams into the epoxy garage floor coating leaving a dent & sending a chip of epoxy flying. Thankfully repairing cracks & chips on epoxy garage floors isn’t very difficult.

Many times etching is overlooked when people are applying garage floor paint. However etching is necessary if you want your garage floor coating to be the best that it can be. Contrary to what some would say most garage floor coatings are usable without any etching at all but not only will the epoxy paint not last nearly as long you will also be losing some of the best features.

What Is Etching?

To etch is basically to cut in to the surface of. A good example outside of garage flooring is glass etching. Glass is generally etched for decorative purposes although the results can also result in better grip. When it comes to garage floors etching is not so much for decoration although the texture that is produced is considered by most to be preferable to a mirror finish.

Why Should I Etch Before Applying Epoxy Garage Floor Paint?

You don’t have to etch your concrete garage floor when applying epoxy but there are some very good reasons why you will probably want to. For one the increased traction that epoxy can provide comes from etching & it will be absent if the floor is not etched. This can cause slips falls & other assorted chaos & driving on such a slick surface can also be irritating. If the intention is to do a lot of work in your garage etching is definitely the way to go.

What If My Epoxy Garage Floor Paint Kit Says Etching Is Not Required On The Label?

With some possible rare exceptions etching isn’t really a requirement for epoxy garage floor coating so much as a strong suggestion. However if you’re wanting to guarantee any decent amount of life from your epoxy & your kit tells you that it needs to be done then you should definitely etch your concrete. The main reason for this is that smooth concrete will prevent epoxy paint from creating the seal that keeps it from peeling. There are some kits out there that advertise that their product does not require etching but that’s a bit of a lie by omission. These coatings aren’t meant to last long & many times etching is still mentioned in the instructions as “strongly recommended although not necessary” or something similar.

When Should I Etch My Garage Floor?

Almost every epoxy garage floor coating kit will come with some sort of etch-and-clean solution & also instructions on when & how it should be used. Unusual circumstances notwithstanding you’ll usually get the best deal by buying everything you need in one kit as opposed to separate pieces. Whichever way you go the garage flooring is usually etched before anything else is done. This is especially so if your etching chemical also cleans but if it does not you will want to read those directions to see when the concrete garage floor is supposed to be cleaned.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.

I’ve written quite a few articles pertaining to garage floor coatings & coverings but many people I know really don’t have much money to spend on things like that. Those of us without money though are the ones that are likely to be changing our own oil which is very easy way to stain garage floors. Some car manufacturers aren’t exactly helpful either; I can think of a certain Subaru that I once had on which there was a plastic cover over the oil pan that was near impossible to get off without removing the front bumper cover. Of course they included a space for the drain bolt which made it really easy to get the bolt off but the oil would never actually drain through that little hole instead spraying the flooring with a nice thick coat of used motor oil. You can imagine the mess.

Preventing The Stains From Occurring In The First Place

I should’ve probably paid the cash to get a garage floor mat to put under it or at the very least a small mat for oil changes although they may not even make a compartment mat that is large enough to protect the floor from this car’s oil sprinkler. So of course I ended up with a thoroughly stained & nasty looking garage floor.

Clean The Spill Up Quickly

One of the main things you can do to help remove the stain is to remove the oil as soon as you can once it spills. Believe me the longer it’s sitting there the harder the stain will be to remove. Have a roll of paper towels or stack of rags for this purpose & you’ll be glad later. Don’t think that only a small amount of oil is safe either because even a little dot will make a bigger darker stain the longer it left on the concrete. This is because concrete will soak up anything liquid like a very slow sponge but a sponge nonetheless. There are products that are designed to soak the chemicals up often called concrete crystals or something similar but those can get very expensive very fast if you’re very spill-happy. If you can afford them though they would certainly help since they will absorb much of the spill but never all of it. To use them you just set them on & in the spill for however long they’re supposed to sit then sweep them with a broom that you don’t mind getting nasty & throw them away. I’ve heard people say they use kitty litter & I did try that got the type that doesn’t clump & everything but I still ended up with stains & some really gross gummed up kitty litter.

Does Garage Floor Stain Remover Work?

I can honestly say that I’ve only use a few but most will agree that garage floor stain removers have a slight chance at best of working. Even when they do work they’re not very consistent. Even the absolute most expensive & best ones leave a very light mark on the concrete garage floor & well I just don’t think that is worth the trouble. However if you do a smallish bottle of stain remover can usually be had at hardware & auto parts stores for around ten to twenty dollars but if you’ve got a truly epic spill you’ll probably have to aim a lot larger.

If The Garage Flooring Just Can’t Be Cleaned…

If all else fails your next best bet will be to use a garage floor covering. This can be pretty expensive. You might be able to do an epoxy garage floor coating after you’ve cleaned the stains with stain remover but that totally depends on the garage floor coating’s directions. You can always instead buy a mat or snap-together garage floor tiles & never worry about the existing stain or future stains since garage floor mats & tiles are both stain resistant. If you have a big persistent stain avoid peel & stick garage floor tile as the adhesives tend to break down if they touch any other chemical. That oil may be stubborn about going anywhere when you want it to but it’s great about ruining any garage floor finishes.

For more information on garage flooring check out Sweet Garage Floor.

Just about every garage floor tile is either the peel & stick or self adhesive type or they are the interlocking type. Since many manufacturers & resellers of garage floor tiles do not make this clear people can sometimes get confused. Let’s go over peel & stick tile & give you a better understanding of whether or not it’s right for your garage floors.

Installing Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile

The installation for peel & stick garage floor tiles is as straightforward as it obvious. You peel the backing off then you stick them too the concrete garage floor. Of course before you even begin the floor must be thoroughly cleaned. After all you wouldn’t want your new tiles sticking to something other than the concrete like say dust. In fact with the exception of an epoxy garage floor coating no other solution takes as much cleaning to get right. One advantage over epoxy garage floor coatings though is that you can take as long as you like to complete the install as long as you re-clean the floor before you begin sticking things to it again. Of course as always follow the directions with your particular product.

Isn’t a garage floor stain a bad thing you ask? Doesn’t that mean that someone needs to start cleaning? Usually yes that’s true but staining garage flooring is not always a bad thing. Many people understand the concept of staining wood so just apply that same idea to garage floors. Yes it’s true you can add a colored stain to pretty much any masonry concrete garage floor included. Wondering why anyone would want to? Then keep reading.

Can Garage Floor Stain Protect My Concrete?

It’s very simple garage floor stain does not protect your concrete. Now that being said there are some products that label themselves as stain that say they include some sort of protection. For the most part those products are a combination of two chemicals in one package garage floor stain & some sort of sealant. This is very good thing for the buyer because even after you have applied stain to your flooring you will definitely want to use a sealant so buying it in one package with directions to match just makes sense. However keep in mind you don’t have to stain your concrete to get the sealant. Clear garage floor sealing products are also available separately.

Epoxy Is Hard To Apply…Is Garage Floor Stain?

Nope not at all. In fact aside from throwing a garage floor mat down staining is the easiest of the garage floor finishes to apply. Of course just like with any garage floor coating the concrete does have to be spotless before you start if you want everything to come out right. Otherwise applying stain is more like painting than applying garage floor paint. For the most part you just roll it on with a paint roller then wait for it to dry.

Does Garage Floor Stain Cost A Lot?

Stain is very inexpensive making all of the other garage floor coatings look downright outrageous except when you add the cost of sealing it afterward. Actually even then stain usually compares in price to epoxy garage floor paint as long as you figure both being installed by yourself & if you do need to have someone do the install stain is still much much cheaper. This is due to the one coat application of most garage floor stain products as opposed to the multiple coats & all the mixing that is required for an epoxy garage floor coating.

Why Do People Use Garage Floor Stain Instead Of Something Else?

The only real reason to stain flooring be it in the garage or inside the house is to make it look nicer. Although they have no real need protection aside from defending against the elements most people do like things that look unique & garage floor stain is definitely one of the more unusual finishes to be found in a garage. Just be sure that before you go through the trouble of applying it staining will accomplish what you need your garage floor coating to do.

For more information on garage floor stain check out Sweet Garage Floor.

Many people are choosing to stay & upgrade their existing homes these days rather than try to sell their houses & move to another home. In most cases it much more affordable to improve an existing house instead of moving but the cost of a large home remodeling project can still be surprisingly expensive.

Most large home remodeling projects are simply too expensive for anyone to pay for all at once without some financial assistance. By the same token home improvements have become much more involved & complex & often entail completely changing a room rather than just replacing a light switch & applying some new paint. Here are some budget-friendly ways you can make paying for a home improvement much easier:

Break It Into Smaller Jobs There’s no point in doing the entire project at once if you really don’t have to. For example what if you need to replace the windows in your home? Instead of paying to replace all the windows at one time why not replace a couple at a time over the next few years? You’ll spread out the costs still save money on your energy savings & you won’t break the bank.

Hardware Store Credit Cards A lot of home improvement stores such as Lowe’s & The Home Depot offer low interest rate credit cards with zero interest or no payments for a limited amount of time. If you’re able to buy all the materials from one of these stores with a credit card you may be able to spead the costs of the home improvement out over many payments making it much more affordable.

Do The Work Yourself Completing a home improvement by yourself is great way to build your confidence feel a sense of pride in your home & save yourself a ton of money It’s estimated that 50% of any home improvement project pay for labor so you could definitely save yourself some serious money if you chose to complete the project yourself. Be sensible only do work that you’re comfortable doing. There’s no sense in doing something dangerous or potentially harmful to your home just to save a few dollars.

Let’s face it we all want a great house to live in but that sometimes comes at a pretty steep price. By spreading out the payments & trying to do some work yourself you can save lots of money & turn an expensive home upgrade project into an affordable series of smaller payments. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your current house can become your dream home

These are just some of the ways you can pay for home improvements. There are also lots of different options to modify a home loan that may free up extra money for those home improvements.