Cleaning garage floors

[Franks]

Hi all

I want to get into cleaning garage floors. Most of them are underground and over 10.000 sq ft.

After reading some of the posts I am pretty sure I need a surface cleaner (a big one I guess) and hot water.

One question though: is pressure washing those floors more efficient than using a floor scrubber?

Thanks

[nb]

 

[Dan S]

where ya from Franks?


why does everybody like to hide? are they afraid ............You get a much better answer when we know who we are talking to.

 

[Franks]

I've just edited my edited profile

Better now?

[flag]

 

[Dan S]

holy rip you are a half a world away !!!!!!!!

Oh ...... buy a surface cleaner you wont be sorry !

and a hot p/wer..

or you can just rent a good scrubber untill you get those jobs and then buy your own.......... take care @@@@@@@@

 

[Franks]

Hi Dan, thanks for replying

For the time being, I can rent a walk behind scrubber but not a surface cleaner.

But when the day when I have enough money to buy comes, I wonder if a should get a mobile PW rig or a ride on scrubber to do the cleaning.

I am totally unaware of how a surface cleaner performs vs a ride on scrubber taking in account cleaness, speed and economy.

What is the prefered method where you live for doing large garages?

Thanks in advance

[help]

 

[Scott Stone]

10000 feet is not a large garage, in fact, 100,000 feet is not a huge garage. Once you get it down witha surface cleaner, you should easily be able to average about 5000 sq, feet an hour. You will have to use chemicals to get this type of productivity. A scrubber will not get the floor as clean, in my opinion.

Scott Stone

 

[Franks]

Hi Scott! Thanks for the info.

I guess I'll have to make a trip and see how clean is clean with a surface cleaner.

I've seen hydrotek's hydrotwister on the internet. I has a broom and seems to gather the best of both worlds (pwashing and scrubbing) in a single machine. If it only had vacuum!

[hand]

 

[Mark]

The Hydrotek surface cleaner has a bristled brush like attachment going around the bottom of unit , it is mainly for keeping debris from flying out and hitting something, it is not a scrubber type brush.



It is however a decent surface cleaner.

I am partial to Steel Eagle myself.

 

[Franks]

Oh! I see, Mark

Thanks for enlighting me

I like the steel eagle very much, too! (as seen on the internet of course, cause I haven't seen any field performance yet). It's got vacuum which in my opinion is a must.
I once did a garage with a wand and hot water and the grease re-deposited on the floor before it got to the drains so I ended up moving grease from one spot to another. At least generally speaking cause, of course, a lot of it went away, too. But the final result did not satisfy either the customer or myself.
That day I understood the importance of recovering that water ASAP.

Well, I guess that's how you tell I'm a complete [nb]

OK, I'm going to [tie] now.

Cheers

 

[Craig Knight]

Franks,

I have only done one parking garage. It was almost 70,000 sq feet. So i am not an expert by any means. I know the environmentalists want you to pick up your water. I didnt. I did block the drains and used an oil water separator.

We used 4 pressure washers. Thats all the help i could drum up. (where was Dan F. when i needed him). Two of the pressure washers were hydrotek hot water units. Two were cold water units 8gpm. The key to not allowing the oil/dirt deposits from reattaching to the floor is to not let it get dry, or even close. We had two 24 inch surface cleaners going full blast. One cold water unit doing the trim work and one rinsing. The trim guy would help rinse if we ever got too far ahead, which rarely happened. We had no problems with residue reattatching to the floor.

We used a blend of sodium hydroxide and soap, injected into the surface cleaners. No dwell time unless needed. We knocked it out in 18 hours wash time. We used fire hydrants ( with permit of course) to keep water fed to all 4 machines and 500 ft of pressure hose to keep from moving the rigs, or at least to a minimum ( usually twice per floor). 8 two tiered floors.

It was a big job for me and folks that helped me, but the association management was extremely pleased. And their check didnt bounce so we were happy too.

 

[Deck Works]

Anyone ever think of finishing the floors with a garage floor enamel? I was thinking about adding that to my service list but have not really pursued it.

 

[Dan S]

I use Epoxy paint on all my garage floors ..... U just cant beat it ....

$50.00 for paint ...... $50.00 for hardner per gal.

make sure you prep and prep some more or you will be doing it over . You need to give it a good Acid bath before you even think about applying any thing on a concrete floor.

 

[Franks]

Hi Craig

The drainage was awful in that garage I did. You would have had to flood that thing in order to keep that grease flowing instead of settling in many ponds all over the place.

I still believe surface cleaner with vacuum and hot water would do the trick nicely.

Can you explain how do you inject chemicals into the surface cleaners and how do they work if there is no dwell time?

What do you do with the reclaimed water?

Deck works,

Keep us up to date if you ever do the enamel trick


Dan,

How do you tell an epoxy painted floor from a colored concrete floor?

Take care fellows

 

[Dan S]

durability.......... if it's epoxy you will know ...... once you add the hardner it is very thick...

 

[Deck Works]

Dan S - what brand do you use?

Thanks
John

 

[sneakers]

Franks,
A colored concrete floor that is painted will wear or scrub away. Try a steel brush in an odd corner so it won't be noticed. A floor with integral color will have the color mixed in to the concrete and it will not wear away, but that would be rare in a concrete garage floor.

Good Luck

Sneakers

 

[Dan S]

Franks >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Armo-seal from sherwin-Williams

MAke sure you buy the cleaner with it or you will be throwing your brushes and rollers away ............. Nothing will clean it except the cleaner made for it ... I had 1 brush soaked in gas and it still got hard as a rock......... Had another soaked in thinner....... and yet another with your typical brush cleaner and I throw everyone away ............ not to mention they were all about 12.00 $ brushes ................