Our Senior Adventure

Our garage floor looked terrible.  We decided that painting garage floors would be a fun life adventure. Painting is the process of applying a protective coating or sealant to a concrete garage floor. This is done to prevent moisture, oil, and other contaminants from damaging or staining the garage floor.  The paint forms a barrier on the floor to protect it from wear and tear.  The type of paint used on a garage floor can vary, from simple concrete paint to more a advanced epoxy coatings. The painting process typically involves cleaning the surface, allowing it to dry completely, and then applying the painting according to manufacturer instructions.

A New Project

Once our kitchen renovation was complete, we decided to tackle the garage floor. The garage floor was almost 50 years old.  We didn’t know anything about cleaning and painting garage floors.  So, we did some research and found that there were 3 main steps to painting garage floors.

– We thoroughly cleaned the floor

–  The floor needed to be primed.

– Paint needed to be applied

Our floor was a mess. We swept and power washed the floor several times.  Despite all the work, it still looked terrible.  Eventually , we were satisfied that it was clean enough to prime and paint.

Priming Before Painting Garage Floors

There are several reasons to prime a concrete garage floor.  Ultimately, we primed the floor  so that the paint would bond better to the concrete.

Our dog Sage, had a ball supervising the work.

We applied two coats of primer to the floor as soon as it was clean.  Consequently, there was no dirt or dust to prevent the paint from bonding to the cement. The primer went on easily and dried quickly because it was thin.

Painting Garage Floors after Priming

We decided to paint our garage floor for several reasons.  The floor was covered with stains. Painting the floor gave it a fresh new look.  We choose grey paint.  To protect the floor from stains, tire marks, spills etc., we used an epoxy based concrete floor paint.  Immediately, the floor became easier to clean.  It also became less slippery for wet shoes.

While we were painting we blocked the garage door so that our supervisor could watch us, but not get on the floor.

Because there are two sides to our garage, we painted both separately.  The paint instructions recommended 48 hours before allowing foot traffic.  As well, we found that we needed to wait 5 days before driving on the new paint.

Overall, painting our garage floor improved the look of  our garage.  The epoxy paint will protect the floor from all the stuff that is spilled on it.  The garage will be much easier to clean.

Tools Needed

We did not need a lot of tools for this job.  Initially, we swept the garage floor with a bush broom.  We washed the floor sever times with a power washer, but a bucket and mop would work just as well.  We were not ambitious enough to use a bucket and mop.  If there are chunks of paint, tape or other foreign stuff on your floor, you will need a scraper to remove them.  Otherwise, they will be painted onto the floor.  Finally, we used several deep mat rollers and a long handle to apply both the primer and paint.  That’s all the tools needed for this home improvement job.

If you are considering sprucing up a stained, dirty garage floor, be sure to clean it thoroughly.  Follow the directions for the primer and paint provided on the cans.  This life adventure doesn’t cost much and doesn’t take too much effort, but makes a dramatic difference in a garage.

Thanks for joining us on this senior adventure.

Our kitchen renovation adventure continued.  We had our new G E gas cook top.  After 3 weeks of getting estimates for a new countertop to go with the new cook top, we decided the  countertop we wanted was too expensive.  So, we installed our G E gas cook top in our old counter.  Installing a cook top seems pretty run of the mill.  However, the demolition and installation was another senior adventure.

                            Clearing the Cabinet for the G E Gas Cook Top

Before starting any work on the stove top, we cleaned out the cabinet.  We foundthings that had been stored and forgotten.   Incredibly, there was everything from things that a slice and dice to ancient hot plates.  We found cast iron pans and some wonderful old, pot holders made by a distant aunt. Everything was piled on chairs in the dining room.  Of course, we could no longer walk in that direction.

Once the cabinet was empty, we tried to remove the old cook top and downdraft.  How difficult can that be?  It was difficult.  We turned off the gas to disconnect the line.  Of course, this meant no heat or hot water.  Which meant a chilly house and no showers for awhile.

We unhooked the power to the old cooktop so we could take it right out.  Of course, it wouldn’t come right out.  Years of caulking around the cook top held it in place.  As well, when the counter top had been redone long ago, the cook top was glued down.  Eventually, careful work with a putty knife  cut the glue.  Finally, the old cook top came up.  We broke some trim tiles, but damage to the cabinet was minimal.

A Few Minor Adjustments for Our G E Gas Cook Top

Of course,  we ran into a few unexpected problems which delayed the stove top installation. Delaying installation delayed the gas hook up.   No gas meant meant no showers or heat.

The new cook top had a 1/2 inch gas fitting.  The old fitting was 1/4 inch.  So, I went off to the hardware store.  It just took a couple of minutes to change the fitting on the gas line.

Unfortunately, the unexpected adjustments didn’t end there.  While looking over the manual for the new downdraft, we discovered  the volume of air moved was much higher than the old unit.  Consequently, it had to have an outside vent.   Consequently, we had to cut a hole in our house.   So, I went off to a larger hardware store to find an outdoor vent and all the piping.  Cutting the hole through the wall and the stucco was a real joy… not! The outside vent cover was huge. It was designed to have the finished wall around it.  Cleaning the edges and painting will make it look a little better.

Installing the G E Gas Cook Top

Eventually, the new gas fitting, the down draft pipe and vent were installed.  The next task was installing the downdraft and cook top into the cabinet shell.  I am much better at breaking things than fixing them, so I had to be careful throughout the process.   The 24 inch long 1/2 inch gas line was easy to install.  I also capped off the electrical wires that had been to the old downdraft.  The new downdraft pipe took awhile to install.  Unfortunately,  we had to cut the interior cabinet wall and the outside wall for the outside vent to be installed.

The G E gas stove top itself was 3/8 inch too big.  I couldn’t believe it.  It must pay to have good eye sight when reading a tape.  Fortunately, the grout line between the stove and the tile edging was about the right size.  The edging broke when the old stove top came out.  Without the grout, the new one fit.

When we unpacked the new downdraft, it looked far too big with its motor and fan to fit into the counter.  With some angling and some technical language,  the downdraft fit.  As it turns out, this one is far more powerful than our old one.

The new G E gas stove top and downdraft were in.  We are still trying to figure out what to do about the countertop.  That’s another adventure.