Garage floor issue

[omagic12]

Hope this is the correct forum for garage flooring as there isn't a specific category for them.

I have attached images of my garage floor in it's current state. The images with the circles were foolishly made by me, a set of steel weights and bottle of Ospho http://www.ospho.com/ . The other stain is of more concern and thought it may from a plumbing leak. I turned off all faucets in the home and checked my water main and the meter was not spinning at all, so that ruled out a travelling water leak from the main line 6 feet from the foundation. The water main meets the home's incoming plumbing in a room 10 feet away from the garage and is also leak free. I was told by a plumber if it were a drain leak it would leak further into the ground and not upwards towards the garage floor.

I tried removing the rust stains with one treatment of 10 (water) : 1 (muratic acid) solution. It did remove some of the lighter rust stains but not the denser ones. I also used 80 grit sand paper and that helped remove some too. If I continue on with this I will use "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner since it's in gel form and easier to isolate. I also used the acid/water mix on two of the Ospho circles and it made it worse (pictured) in the form of a white circular area.

I taped down a 3' x 3' sheet of visqueen overnight on top of the questionable water leak stain and there was no water or condensation on the floor or the visqueen. Typically, if those stains weren't present I wouldn't do anything decorative wise to the garage floor other than clear seal it every 10 years or so. However, I am looking to sell my home soon and it my be a concern for a potential buyer. I've researched a lot concerning floor coverings and most post recommend for durability and looks to hire a professional to do a professional grade epoxy coating. I don't think I can afford that at this point and don't want to put a lot of cash into a home that I intend to sell.

I've done enough painting and read enough post to realize that if I DIY it, it's the prep work that is the most important part. I am leaning towards using a semi-transparent colored acid staining, but concerned that the stains may come through or show in the pattern. Other options would be:

24" x 24" porcelain tiles (not in budget)

Epoxy coating (regular grade)

Floor primer then two coats of top coat flooring paint

Water based stain

Seeking comments/suggestions for prepping steps and which floor covering I shoulo use and use and why. Also, if I were to use a clear sealer over those stains (after rust is removed) would they fade from white to color of the rest of the garage floor?

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[hausdok]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... -coverings

[Jim Katen]

You're getting ready to sell your house and you're obsessing over some benign stains on the garage floor?

My best advice is to re-direct your efforts to more meaningful improvements.

If this is the most meaninful improvement left to make on your house, then that's fantastic. I envy you.

[omagic12]

I've done the major improvements over the course of the 13 years I lived in it. Besides cleaning the grout in my kitchen and bathrooms the garage flooring issue is my last concern. If you were looking to buy and saw stains like that wouldn't you be concerned? I would be.

I forgot to mention I think the satin may have been caused by leaking radiator coolant., but I don't know that for sure.

[Jim Katen]

I've done the major improvements over the course of the 13 years I lived in it. Besides cleaning the grout in my kitchen and bathrooms the garage flooring issue is my last concern. If you were looking to buy and saw stains like that wouldn't you be concerned? I would be.

I forgot to mention I think the satin may have been caused by leaking radiator coolant., but I don't know that for sure.

I guess I'm the wrong person to ask. I wouldn't give a rat's ass about those stains. But then, my garage is a mess.

I honestly think that most buyers aren't going to be nearly as concerned about it as you think.

[John Kogel]

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infmur.html

[omagic12]

I hope you're right. The floor is solid and seems to be free of any hydro-static pressure issues. If a buyer raises a concern about it I can do another plastic sheet test for them or possibly find a company to evaluate it.

[omagic12]

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infmur.html

That's the article I read that gave the water/acid 10:1 ratio. Here's a good video: http://video.about.com/garages/How-to-C ... -Stain.htm

[omagic12]

If I do cover it I will clear seal those stains and buy a G-Floor roll out for $300. Quick, inexpensive, nice looking covering that has very good reviews.

Thanks for all the replies.

[Tom Raymond]

You would have better luck matching colors by treating the rest of the floor with toilet bowl cleaner.

If that sounds ridiculous, read post #5 again.

[Steven Hockstein]

You're getting ready to sell your house and you're obsessing over some benign stains on the garage floor?

My best advice is to re-direct your efforts to more meaningful improvements.

If this is the most meaninful improvement left to make on your house, then that's fantastic. I envy you.

Sounds like you are very fussy about your house and it is probably very nice. I advise you to leave the house during the home inspection or your head will explode.

[omagic12]

You're getting ready to sell your house and you're obsessing over some benign stains on the garage floor?

My best advice is to re-direct your efforts to more meaningful improvements.

If this is the most meaninful improvement left to make on your house, then that's fantastic. I envy you.

Sounds like you are very fussy about your house and it is probably very nice. I advise you to leave the house during the home inspection or your head will explode.

Well, normally I am a function over form type owner. I like to think my home is nice, but definitely not fully updated (built in 1958) and modern like some people like and I only obsess over issues that may keep it from selling . Again, my concern came about because some buyers may view the original stain as a water leak from underneath caused by a rusted pipe (of which it is not). If I were really concerned how it looked prior to putting my home for sale I would've approached it years ago.

[omagic12]

Update:

I tried to remove rust stains with "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner and it was

basically ineffective after two passes. The whitened (etched) concrete was less visible after I coated it with two coats of clear sealer. Bottom line is I would have saved myself time and trouble if I just left it alone. The experienced gained however, is that I will not bother with concrete flooring again unless I plan to do the whole floor. Thanks for all the replies.

[Jim Katen]

After you sell the house, let us know how the buyer reacted to the floor.