The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support JNZ Tuning
Please Support ExtremePSI

Garage renovation

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

gsxitement

20+ Year Contributor
1,887
1,665
Dec 9, 2002
DOBBS FERRY, New_York
So, I decided to start a thread to document and discuss garage upgrades and improvements. The garage as it sits is a two and a half car. The only things that go in it are my 98 GSX Time Attack car, my trailer and all my tools, work benches and assorted supplies/material and assorted wall accoutrements.

The good: decent space. Should’ve never told my wife the trailer fit in there, but that’s another story. It’s next to the house, still attached, but no way to get in the garage from the house itself. Which I’m fine with.

The Bad: the floor is absolutely trashed. Definitely a void underneath causing the middle of the floor to sag. When we get very heavy rain, the drain in front of the garage can back up, water gets in the garage, makes it’s way through the garage floor and into the basement, which is finished. So….not ideal. The floor is so warped, that we needed an insane amount of shims to get all the scales even. So, as you can guess, a floor that warped is not the best for setting up a track only racecar.

The plan: break up the old floor, install radiant heat (I live in the northeast and I definitely spend more time in there in the cold months than the warm, just because there’s more of them LOL), pour a super flat and level floor, so some type of floor coating (not sure the route I’m going to go with in that yet. All Suggestions will be considered, add outlets in places and add more lighting. We’re getting ready to do a bunch of remodeling on the house and included the floor as part of the remodel. Work begins August 30th, so step one is getting all my junk out of the garage.

That’s where I’m at at this point. Hopefully it all goes well and I can be back in the garage before it gets really cold out. My last race is at Lime Rock on October 16th, so the car has to be prepped and ready to go before it leaves the garage. If you follow my build thread, you’ll know what that just entailed these last few weeks after our wins at NJMP in July.

I’ll add some pics for context LOL
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.


Just for context, that pic of the scale on all those shims, the right side scale was on the floor. No shimming at all. So that’s the height difference from one side of the car to the other. Kinda crazy.
 
I'm still working on my current garage but I'll share this. The last house I built I decked the garage out and the biggest game changers were LOTS of lighting. Like more than you think you would need. In a 3 car garage I had 7 fixtures each with 4-4" T8 bulbs. The other game changers are more difficult to add if you're not in the build process. Lots more electrical outlets and circuits and if the budget allows multiple 220 outlets on their own circuits for welder and compressor. Lastly a utility sink. I didn't wash parts in it or anything but just having it available was super nice.
You have a lot of usable vertical space. I currently have 4 wire shelving racks in a 2 car garage 18" deep and 4' wide. I stack stuff in black and yellow totes to the ceiling and they are labeled. I built an 8" long workbent out of 2x4s with no shelving underneath. I store larger stuff under it, battery charger, shop vac etc. I also have one large 56" toolbox top and bottom. If I had to do it again I might do bottoms only and run two side by side under the workbench so I have more floor space. Lastly I have cabinets above the workbench and all misc fluids, cans, small parts etc all go up there. Very convenient and tidy. I snatched some gladiator cabinets on sale one time but if not on sale they are pricey. Gladiator rails and hooks are awesome compared to 2x4s and nails. They're reasonable around black friday or search for used. I've bought a bunch at garage sales etc. I didn't have a radiant floor but Oklahoma winters aren't that harsh. I did insulate the garage and added a small radiant gas heater and it was plenty. Without the heater the garage was typically 50 degrees. Biggest problem was being insulated I should've cooled it too. It was murder in the summer. I have a non insulated garage now with the same heater and it's OK during winter but not great but summers are better. Before I could walk around in the garage at zero degrees outside and I'd be in shorts and a tshirt if I wanted.
 
Cool car, I’m headed to check out your build thread.

Here’s my work in progress. No electricity or lift yet.
I was unfortunately rushed in due to issues found on my house that required me to empty the garage so I could have some work done.

My favorite quote from my wife about this project:

“So, we need a $20k shed for a $600 car?”

YES, yes we do.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
I'm still working on my current garage but I'll share this. The last house I built I decked the garage out and the biggest game changers were LOTS of lighting. Like more than you think you would need. In a 3 car garage I had 7 fixtures each with 4-4" T8 bulbs. The other game changers are more difficult to add if you're not in the build process. Lots more electrical outlets and circuits and if the budget allows multiple 220 outlets on their own circuits for welder and compressor. Lastly a utility sink. I didn't wash parts in it or anything but just having it available was super nice.
You have a lot of usable vertical space. I currently have 4 wire shelving racks in a 2 car garage 18" deep and 4' wide. I stack stuff in black and yellow totes to the ceiling and they are labeled. I built an 8" long workbent out of 2x4s with no shelving underneath. I store larger stuff under it, battery charger, shop vac etc. I also have one large 56" toolbox top and bottom. If I had to do it again I might do bottoms only and run two side by side under the workbench so I have more floor space. Lastly I have cabinets above the workbench and all misc fluids, cans, small parts etc all go up there. Very convenient and tidy. I snatched some gladiator cabinets on sale one time but if not on sale they are pricey. Gladiator rails and hooks are awesome compared to 2x4s and nails. They're reasonable around black friday or search for used. I've bought a bunch at garage sales etc. I didn't have a radiant floor but Oklahoma winters aren't that harsh. I did insulate the garage and added a small radiant gas heater and it was plenty. Without the heater the garage was typically 50 degrees. Biggest problem was being insulated I should've cooled it too. It was murder in the summer. I have a non insulated garage now with the same heater and it's OK during winter but not great but summers are better. Before I could walk around in the garage at zero degrees outside and I'd be in shorts and a tshirt if I wanted.
Really good info. Thanks! Yeah lighting and light colored floors and walls are on the list. The winters here in NY can get brutal, or be not bad. You never know really. A mini split for AC will probably be added in the future as well as a garage door with a pass through. Definitely want to restructure the work area. I like having separate benches for the metal/fab work and another for assembly. I build my own engines so having a clean work bench is a priority. DEFINITELY adding a bunch of outlets. The garage as it sits is just run off one crappy outlet and extension chords. Not a fan. So I’ll definitely be adding boxes around the garage. Still trying to decide on a floor coating. But great info!

Cool car, I’m headed to check out your build thread.

Here’s my work in progress. No electricity or lift yet.
I was unfortunately rushed in due to issues found on my house that required me to empty the garage so I could have some work done.

My favorite quote from my wife about this project:

“So, we need a $20k shed for a $600 car?”

YES, yes we do.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Appreciate that! Thank you! I don’t have the ceiling height for a lift, so it’ll either stay jack and jack stands or the ranger quiklift. Leaning towards the latter just cause it’ll be easier. My last race is October 16th, and after that the car is going out for a cage, so I’ll have time to get the garage in good shape for the cars return and reassembly.

My favorite pic is of your work bench, all neat and tidy. That's what's up 👍

I need something like that for my garage.
Unfortunately…..that’s often not the case LOL. Will do a better job of keeping it clean and organized in the new setup.
 
Stay away from water based epoxy floors. I have a kit I bought but never got a chance to install. There is heavy talk at garagejournal.com. I got the kit from one of the sites vendors. They do commercial stuff, airplane hangers etc. Not cheap but as they say you get what you pay for. If you do a new floor they would be THE time to go ahead and coat it.
 
I used rocksolid for my floor and I would not recommend it for diy over regular epoxy. I consider myself a little above average on most diy things and I struggled with it. my results fit more closely into the negative comments you see in all the reviews.
 
I just got done doing a garage renovation of my four-car garage. I'll do a write-up in the next couple of days as I need some time to sit down and remember everything that I did as well as get pictures organized.

As for the flooring options, I have considered polyaspartic coating as it has better UV protection and some other stuff as compared to an epoxy coating. Another option for you might be just polishing your new concrete floor. I haven't dived deep into the pros/cons of this, but have read of a fair amount of people who have done this and love it. The other popular option is going with a floor tile (e.g. Swisstrax). I'm still on the fence about this one with working on a car, having to pull the tiles up to clean up spills, etc. As with anything, prep is 90% of the job if you're coating your floor. With a brand new floor, your prep should be very easy if you choose to go with an epoxy/polyaspartic coating so that'll be really nice.
 
Stay away from water based epoxy floors. I have a kit I bought but never got a chance to install. There is heavy talk at garagejournal.com. I got the kit from one of the sites vendors. They do commercial stuff, airplane hangers etc. Not cheap but as they say you get what you pay for. If you do a new floor they would be THE time to go ahead and coat it.
Yeah exactly. Definitely doing the floor. And I didn’t want to do like a Home Depot epoxy cause the tires will pull that up pretty quickly. Good info! Thanks!!

I just got done doing a garage renovation of my four-car garage. I'll do a write-up in the next couple of days as I need some time to sit down and remember everything that I did as well as get pictures organized.

As for the flooring options, I have considered polyaspartic coating as it has better UV protection and some other stuff as compared to an epoxy coating. Another option for you might be just polishing your new concrete floor. I haven't dived deep into the pros/cons of this, but have read of a fair amount of people who have done this and love it. The other popular option is going with a floor tile (e.g. Swisstrax). I'm still on the fence about this one with working on a car, having to pull the tiles up to clean up spills, etc. As with anything, prep is 90% of the job if you're coating your floor. With a brand new floor, your prep should be very easy if you choose to go with an epoxy/polyaspartic coating so that'll be really nice.
I was thinking of just polishing it, but I know any fluid down on that is a slippery situation. So definitely something grippy. Something that is long lasting but has elastic properties since the floors going to be heated is also a requirement.
 
I was thinking of just polishing it, but I know any fluid down on that is a slippery situation. So definitely something grippy. Something that is long lasting but has elastic properties since the floors going to be heated is also a requirement.

I'm sure there are solutions to limit that on polished concrete.
 
Paint EVERYTHING white. I'm even going to paint my floor white. And yeah, put as many lights in as you can, I have 8, looking to add more 😁

I'm still working on my current garage but I'll share this. The last house I built I decked the garage out and the biggest game changers were LOTS of lighting. Like more than you think you would need. In a 3 car garage I had 7 fixtures each with 4-4" T8 bulbs.

This!!!! Keeping everything white makes a giant difference in light as well.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
May I ask how @ErikTande did you get your car up that high.. That is very clever but I need to know how to do it correctly so I don`t kill myself in the processes....
By the way... that's:hellyeah: an awesome garage you got there.......
 
Last edited:
Started the clean up today. Still got a lot to do but the big stuff is out. Got to thank my neighbors for letting me keep my stuff in their garage.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.


You must be logged in to view this image or video.


You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
May I ask how @ErikTande did you get your car up that high.. That is very clever but I need to know how to do it correctly so I don`t kill myself in the processes....
By the way... that's:hellyeah: an awesome garage you got there.......
You are asking the guy that ties his car to a pole and does AWD burnouts how he got his car up there.....it JUMPED up there. He'll tell ya....right Erik???ROFL
On the shop subject, the best $1800 I ever spent was for the lift in my shop (and the free A/C).
I know the OP said he doesn't have space but it is such a wonderful tool.
My walls have white insulation and 12 LED lights with PLENTY of outlets and compressed air.
My shop was a dedicated project and the total on it was right at $32k. It is 30x40x12 "Pole Barn Kit" and it was built in 3 days. It was TOTALLY AMAZING what some Omish kids can do!
Photos:

You must be logged in to view this image or video.


You must be logged in to view this image or video.


You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Its an AutoLift 9000lb floor plate model. It was on sale so my best friend and I both bought the same one and built the same shops although his layout is different than mine. We got a better deal on 2 and on shipping them ($300 or so from Texas).
 
So no real big updates. Been working all week, and it’s hot as balls out, so not a whole lot of progress getting the garage ready. But my buddy down the street is going to let me keep my car and trailer at his place while all this goes on. So this weekend will be the final big push to get ready to do this upgrade. Very excited. The contractor said it’s very hard to get a zero level floor, (which I’m calling BS on) and said we might need to get a specialist in if we want it, so of course, more money. If anyone has tips on how to get a zero level floor, let me know. I mean, even if it’s just a patch of the floor, made with screed rails to get perfectly flat. I’m fine with that. But as well all know, setting a car up on a flat floor is key to getting those measurements and adjustments accurate. More updates soon.
 
Garage is empty. Took a lot of work, but we have a dumpster pile and a keep pile. The car got trailered off to my buddies place while all this goes on. Tomorrow…the work starts on the house.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
The contractor said it’s very hard to get a zero level floor, (which I’m calling BS on) and said we might need to get a specialist in if we want it, so of course, more money. If anyone has tips on how to get a zero level floor, let me know. I mean, even if it’s just a patch of the floor, made with screed rails to get perfectly flat.
I can see where what you're looking for would definitely cost more. I've never seen flatwork guys use a full width screed board in a 2 car or larger garage. . That whole idea sounds pretty unwieldy. When I wanted to have more precise grade control, they would shoot grades with a laser and put multiple iron pins in the base material, and work the screeds using the pins. Wet concrete is close to pudding, so it can move. And you have to keep screeding/checking in both directions, length and width.

The slabs I've had poured in garages I was concerned with drainage, which isn't going to happen on a flat floor. Keep that trade-off in mind.

And then you have base settling/compaction to worry about and the inevitable cracking & movement of the slab. To sum up - sorta level, easy. Pool table level that is permanent - not so easy Anyone who ever had a basement flood has seen this. Puddles and high spots everywhere on what seems like a flat floor..
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top