Author Topic: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym  (Read 3814 times)

Emergo

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Hey guys, i was wondering if i could get help here.

My mom's garage has a floor thats disgusting because she cooks stuff in there sometimes. What would you guys do in my shoes? I want to turn it into a mini gym. Which means my palms will be touching the floor sometimes if i want to do pushups or other exercises.

Thank you

TrMama

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2016, 03:54:36 PM »
I'd probably need a home gym too, if my garage was roast infested. Sounds delicious ;-)

Is the floor sticky with sugar based mess? or grease? If it's grease, get a jug of degreaser and a scrub brush from the hardware store. Use that to clean any greasy mess. If it's something else, regular floor cleaner will probably work. Clear everything else off the floor so you can rinse it all out with the hose.

Once it's less gross, get a workout mat to put on the floor so you're not right on the concrete.

abhe8

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2016, 03:57:17 PM »
I agree... Scrub the floor, and the roaches will likely leave.

GrowingTheGreen

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2016, 05:58:19 PM »
First hose it off and sweep out everything you can. After that mix a 5 parts water, 1 part Simple Green solution in a 5 gallon bucket. Scrub floor with a stiff-bristled brush and the solution. The Simple Green will dominate grease. Hose out the garage one more time to get the Simple Green out and you should be ready to rock and roll.

If this isn't working, rent a floor prep tool from Home Depot. $100 for 4 hours. It will essentially sand the top layer of concrete off. If you do this, follow it with sealer.

BudgetSlasher

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2016, 07:59:19 PM »
The roaches are there because there is a food source for them, in this case it is the mess left by your mom's cooking. It is likely that if you clean well the problem will be greatly reduced. I say reduced because I grew up where roaches were controlled and it was near impossible to eliminate them.

If your mom cooks in the garage after you have cleaned it up and does not clean up after cooking . . . well the roaches will return.

I would recommend sweeping/vacuuming (shop vac) the garage first. Then I would probably use trisodium phosphate to clean the concrete.

Honestly even after cleaned I would invest is some foam or rubber floor maps to put down the gym area. Concrete is unforgiving to your joints and to any place you make contact with it (think sit ups or floor press). Not to mention that it can and does chip if you wind up dropping heavier weights with pointed corners (think dumbbells) on to it. It might not be a concern depending on the garage or it might turn out to be a point of argument when it happens.

Emergo

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2016, 10:08:30 PM »
Thanks guys, great advice in here. Seems like a lot of work scrubbing. My mom will probably continue to cook there, but she only needs half the garage. Any ideas on what to put on her side of the floor to prevent it from being icky again or at least better manage it? I wish i could put the garage in space and get rid of all the dust of the items that will be left in there. Lol.

FINate

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2016, 10:28:28 PM »
Thanks guys, great advice in here. Seems like a lot of work scrubbing. My mom will probably continue to cook there, but she only needs half the garage. Any ideas on what to put on her side of the floor to prevent it from being icky again or at least better manage it? I wish i could put the garage in space and get rid of all the dust of the items that will be left in there. Lol.

Think of scrubbing and cleaning the floor as part of your workout - a warm up, if you will.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2016, 06:53:26 AM »
What kind of stuff is your mom cooking that gets all over the floor?  This may be one of those "ounce of prevention" situations.

BudgetSlasher

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2016, 09:58:12 AM »
Thanks guys, great advice in here. Seems like a lot of work scrubbing. My mom will probably continue to cook there, but she only needs half the garage. Any ideas on what to put on her side of the floor to prevent it from being icky again or at least better manage it? I wish i could put the garage in space and get rid of all the dust of the items that will be left in there. Lol.

What is she cooking and how is she cooking it that stuff gets all over the floor? Hopefully it isn't something like frying over a propane burner, because the that goes wrong . . .

It sounds like better cooking technique and proper equipment may go a ways to reduce the mess at its source.

You could also put down towels/plastic tarp/canvas painter tarp or anything on the like prior to cooking to catch the splatter before it gets onto the concrete (and then soaks in).

Finally if there is still a problem you could consider sealing the concrete in some manner to make spills less prone to sinking in.The high end of that range would be one of the epoxy garage floor paints; it is a fair bit of work with a garage in the best of conditions and there is more and more work the dirtier the floor is, or any damage that needs to be repaired prior to painting.

Dicey

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2016, 11:39:09 PM »
Hmm, I'm reading your subject line and scratching my head. How many roasts is your mother cooking anyway?
Serioudly, if you want people to take the time to help you out, a little proofreading might go a long way. Just sayin'.

Uturn

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2016, 07:36:32 AM »
If professional kitchens in restaurants can manage to keep the floor clean, I can't believe that one woman in a garage makes such a mess that it is insurmountable. 

Yes it's a lot of scrubbing.  But not putting in the work to clean the floor for workouts is much like folks that can't bicycle to the gym.

If you decide to put some sort of rubber padding down, don't spend money on "gym floor" material.  Horse stall mats are much cheaper and more durable. 

Le Poisson

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Re: Sticky floor, roast infested garage that I want to turn into a mini gym
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2016, 08:14:39 AM »
I'm more worried about the cooking than the workout space. Please be sure your Mom is safe. Lately there have been a lot of garage fires around here as families try using charcoal or propane burners in the garage. Without a vent hood or floor, your Mom is asking for trouble. I know in many places a spice kitchen is used to keep smells and grease out of the house while cooking, but a garage is not a spice kitchen. Do you rent or own? Is there an opportunity to properly convert the cooking space?

For your workout area, I would rent a steam power cleaner, and blast the whole floor on a warm day, then leave the garage open to dry out for a few hours. You can get cleaning additives to start with degreasing (I like simple Green) but the water pressure will do a lot of the work to remove the problem.

Once the garage is clean and dry, buy a roll of subfloor pad and a box of laminate flooring and make a pad big enough for your exercise area. The Laminate should be the cheapest you can find - around here its about $0.75/sf. You just want something to get you off the floor. The padding beneath will insulate and cushion.

In the cooking area, I would consider a rubber mat to catch the spills - something you can drag outside to scrub down when it gets gross. Alternatively, consider a sheet metal tray that the roaster/burner can sit in to catch the grease. You may be able to buy the steel and manufacture this yourself.