White spots on my concrete garage floor that have a jelly substance in the center of them
November 22, 2008 by admin
Filed under Floor Finishes
Here’s a great piece of advice I saw in the The Signal of Santa Clarita Valley about concrete floors:
My home is about 10 years old. I noticed some white spots on my concrete garage floor that have a jelly substance in the center of them. Do you know what it is?
Steve P.
Hi Steve,
This is reactive aggregate. It is a chemical reaction between the cement and the type of rock that was used in the concrete mix. What you’re seeing in the center of the spots is an alkali-silica gel that can expand with moisture and cause cracks in the cement of the concrete.
Depending on the amount of reactive aggregate that was used in the mix and how close to the surface it is, it could take years before seeing any signs of damage. There are ways to neutralize the reaction which may prevent further damages.
First, you would want to sand each spot and remove as much of the gel as you can. Then you would apply an acid solution of 20 percent muriatic acid and 80 percent water. You could mix it up in a spray bottle and let it set for 3-5 minutes. With this I would recommend using a respirator, gloves, long sleeves and ventilation. Be extremely careful when working with acid. It will damage your skin and lungs. Next, you would want to neutralize by cleaning the spot with a 10 percent ammonia and 90 percent water solution. Clean the spot and allow to dry. Finally, brush apply lithium silicate to the spot. Allow to soak in and dry. Then you would reapply the finish you had, if any or leave as is but these areas will show some discoloration.
Again, depending on the amount of reactive aggregate in that concrete, this procedure may prevent further damages. If left unchecked, moisture could cause expansion and cracking of the slab.
American Garage Supply and Garage Outfitters Announce Plans for North American Expansion
American Garage Supply, the leading producer and distributor of plywood garage cabinets, garage flooring, overhead storage, wall storage, garage accessories, and HandiWall, is expanding their successful regional dealer network across the United States and into Canada.
News of this growth coincides with the introduction of their new Signature Series plywood garage cabinets and garage floor coating partnership that gives them the exclusive North American distribution rights for PLEXICOAT Polyaspartic by BASF in the residential garage market. Scott Ide, president of American garage Supply, explains: “We’ve implemented a successful business model in the southeastern United States, and are excited to grow our dealer network and begin opening Garage Outfitters retail stores nationwide. We see tremendous potential for the garage storage market throughout the U.S. and Canada, offering the best home storage and garage floor coatings products in the industry.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Read full article…
The Original Garage Organizing Book Marks First Decade and the Launch of the Garage Remodeling Industry
The garage remodeling and organizing category grew to be a $3 billion industry in 2006. The desire by homeowners to get more use from their homes, create meaningful storage, and get better organized serve as motivation to make garage organizing a high priority on the home improvement list. The ability to reclaim the garage for the family car is inspiration enough for many homeowners. Industry expert Bill West believes this category has yet to hit its stride, but a shakeout is likely with a slowdown in the economy.
Most garages become Dumpsters filled to the brim with unused and forgotten items that homeowners want to forget about
Your Garagenous Zone: The Complete Garage Organizer Guide
Companies that are marginal operations who are short on working capital, lack in outstanding customer service, or basically have no business model can likely end up on the scrap heap
While the entrepreneurial spirit thrives in this new category, hope alone is no substitute for an effective business model
All in all seeing this category respond to the needs of homeowners over the last 10 years is very gratifying. After all, few people want to tolerate a dark, dirty, toxic garage
Your Garagenous Zone: Innovative Ideas for the Garage
PRWEB – For many American homeowners, their garages reflect landfills attached to the house replete with clutter that over time forces the family’s cars to remain outside on the driveway.
But Colorado REALTOR® Bill West took exception to his garage becoming a self-storage unit for unwanted junk. “Most garages become Dumpsters filled to the brim with unused and forgotten items that homeowners want to forget about,” West said. He should know. His real estate career now spans 32 years enabling him to have seen thousands of garages during his real estate sales career. West wrote the first book about garage remodeling and organizing in 1999 after he tricked out his garage in 1998 to become a multipurpose room. “Your Garagenous Zone: The Complete Garage Organizer Guide” became what West calls his ‘test-market edition’ to determine consumer interest. The book resonated favorably among homeowners.
American Garage Supply and Garage Outfitters Announce Plans for North American Expansion
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – American Garage Supply, the leading producer and distributor of plywood garage cabinets, garage flooring, overhead storage, wall storage, garage accessories, and HandiWall, is expanding their successful regional dealer network across the United States and into Canada.
Organise The Garage For Winter with Pack-Mate Racor
Scott Brothers Ltd, expert in home storage solutions, offers an innovative solution for garage storage with its Pack-Mate® Racor® home storage range. The award-winning Racor range is a unique storage system for eliminating clutter in the home, garage or shed. Christmas is just around the corner, meaning more presents to find a home for so organising space in the garage or shed makes sense now. The key to decluttering is maximising existing space using clever solutions and proper planning.
Did you know having a usable garage adds to the value of a property? Garage storage solutions offer homeowners a practical and affordable way to accommodate not only the car but all the garden, sports and cycling items too. If you’re looking for a better way to organise your shed or garage this winter and to free up valuable floor space, then take a look at our Racor range.
Garage Door Upgrades
November 16, 2008 by admin
Filed under Garage Doors
Your garage door has a big impact on the function of your garage as well as the overall aesthetics of your home.
Garage doors run the full range of price and quality and it is important to speak with professionals when determining what door will work best for your home. Look for firms that repair and replace garage doors and ask for references. Manufacturing and installing large doors is a specialty and you don’t want to suffer through someone’s learning curve.
For high end architectural garage doors, look to who architects trust. Designers and architects can help with the design aspect as well as suggest vendors. Architectural Garage Door Mfg. offers a great collection unique designs and quality handcrafted wood carriage house doors for residential and commercial use. They have a diverse portfolio of beautiful work.
Designer Garage & Solutions in Schaumburg, IL 60173 also offers a great carriage house door line of products.
Protect Your Garage Floor
Raw concrete floors in garages are subjected to exposure to many harsh chemicals and physical wear and tear. An unprotected floor may result in long term damage to the concrete and result in the need for extensive repairs. To avoid costly expenses later on, it is always better to have a professional, durable protective coating applied to your concrete garage floor. Many consumers will attempt to apply inferior coatings that are available off the shelf. One drawback of this approach is that applying the these consumer coating onto your garage floor may prove to be too difficult. It can also be a very time consuming job. Preparation of concrete surfaces and the correct application of these floor coatings is very time consuming for anyone who does not do it on a regular basis. Failure to prepare the concrete surface may result in in an inferior finish, or worse a sticky mess. Our professional installers have years of experience in the garage flooring industry and are experts in proper preparation of surfaces and the correct application os our superior floor coatings. Our custom blended garage floor coating consist of liquid thermo-plastics and ceramic granules and will provide you with protection for your garage floor against the harmful effects of corrosive substances on the porous concrete flooring of your garage.
The best way to get a durable floor coating is to hire a contractor who specializes in garage floor coatings. We have experience working with all the major problems and challenges associated with concrete coating and restoration. Our trained installers will know how to deal with problems typically associated with concrete floors and apply the correct treatments quickly. Since we encounter these situations on a regular basis we are ready to deal with most problems and keep your project moving along.
Don’t use a standard porch and floor paint on your garage; they just don’t hold up. Have the contractor use a commercial grade coating, which should last many times longer than normal paints.
Protect your garage floor by giving it a seal
As the weather gets colder and the snow starts to fall, rock salt and other elements become a problem for your concrete garage floor. Besides the drips from your car such as oil and gasoline, rock salt and gravel can damage the concrete surface of the floor. But there is a solution. You can apply a sealer to the floor to help protect it against the elements. Here are the steps to do the job.
Dynamic Duo Swisstrax Garage Floors and Jay Leno are a Garage Floor Hit
Swisstrax Randy Nelson & Jay Leno PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 30, 2008 – Swisstrax Corporation, manufacturer of earth-friendly, recyclable, plastic garage floor tiles — Swiss engineered and made in the USA — was seeing stars this month when they visited Jay Leno’s Big Dog Garage in Burbank, California.
The story began when Swisstrax President Randy Nelson read an article and saw photos of Jay Leno’s Big Dog Garage in Garage Style Magazine. With assistance from Don Weberg of Garage Style Magazine, Randy proceeded to meet with the people at Leno’s garage. The first person he met was Swiss born Bernard Juchli. Juchli is a mechanical genius and keeps Jay Leno’s Big Dog Garage running on all cylinders. He’s also one of the country’s top amateur formula race-car drivers and brings home trophies from the Vintage Auto Racing Association’s (VARA) annual events.
Take charge of your garage
If the season’s first snowfall has always meant a frantic search for that long-forgotten snow shovel, it might be necessary to organize your garage before winter arrives.
But if you find your garage filled with clutter and items you’ve been saving for years, you’re not alone. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that 25 percent of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park any cars inside, and 32 percent only have room for one vehicle