Real or Rumor??

[Mr.Wizard]

This should be a fun thread! If in doubt, post it here.

It is real or rumor?

Parking a bike/trike on your concrete garage floor will effect your chrome?

Since I can remember I've been parking all of my bikes on a carpet. Was told that the concrete floor, by emitting gases, will tarnish chrome and cause metal to rust.

Real or Rumor? Anybody?

[Nana]

LOL. My hubby swears that is true! But he didn't mention "gases". He says the concrete sweats in the cold, and the resulting moisture is the issue. So he insulated, heated, and carpeted our motorcycle bay in the garage. It does make it nice for working on the bike/trike in the cold weather .

[Juju]

Wow, Nana, that must be the Taj Mahal of garages! (Can you say "Jay Leno"?)

So if this is true about concrete, I wonder whether staining the concrete would help, in the sense of sealing it?

[Mr.Wizard]

Hey Juju..

Unless your building contractor is cheap the concrete has already been sealed. Spill a little water on it and see if it penetrates.

Depending on where you live will also depend on the thickness of the slab and if you have insulation and or a vapor barrier under the slab.

Both of my garages are either stained or sealed with epoxy paint yet I keep my trike on a Persian Rug! LOL

I really have no idea if this is real or rumor but I get funny reactions when I mention it.

[The Wolf]

I must sy that this cocrete thing is funny. I had a water leak after a burst pipe and the water seeped into the concrete. As It gets so damp over here in the winter I have my trike in a CARCOON (bubble) This draws in air which is filtered and the trike is free from moisture and polutants...even away from that dreaded concrete

[adventurer]

Well just thanks a lot all you people. My trike is now mad at me because it is sitting on concrete in a non heated / air conditioned garage. I told it to be nice or I would park it outside. Didn't seem to help. It now wants a $5,000Persian rug.

Adventurer

[Mr.Wizard]

Well just thanks a lot all you people. My trike is now mad at me because it is sitting on concrete in a non heated / air conditioned garage. I told it to be nice or I would park it outside. Didn't seem to help. It now wants a $5,000Persian rug.

Adventurer

LOL... Sam's Club/ $49.95 /7' x 4'

I did have a 20' x 23' Persian Rub that cost me big.. My Australian Shepard (Darby) ate it ! Wish I hadn't tossed it out but too late now. What was left wouldn't lay flat anyway. :eek:

Here's a shot from the Post Office Wall on the "Wanted" villain.

[The Wolf]

Nice doggie.... I dare ask what happened when you took him out for a Number 2

[Mr.Wizard]

Yes, please don't Wolf

When I took her out I was prepared though..been there, done that. LOL

[bigred06]

I would guess the part about moisture coming out of concrete floor is fact. Mine has to sit on cold concrete floor in unheated garage, BUT will be heated next winter if can afford the gas to heat it. Just insulated and sheetrocked it. Mud, paint, run gas line, install furnace, ready then to keep my toys warm next winter. Also a place to hide from mama. bigred

[BlueTrinity]

To protect from both the inherent dampness and cold from the concrete garage floor, I used the roll-out G-Floor from BLT. Costco has it off and on for around $179 a roll and it takes about three rolls to do a double car garage. Lowes sell it as well, but they sell a lighter grade for more money.

Then I got the interlocking foam fatigue mats (again at Costco) and put together a mat to park the trike on. They are two mats wide back to the rear wheels and the three wide. That also provides a bit more comfort for me when working on the trike.

Attachment 354

Attachment 355

Dave

[The Wolf]

Before I had my Carcoon (bubble) I used to put a long tube electric heater underneath the trike. Maybe in hinsight this was not the best idea because of dampness

[John Luciano]

Wow u guys/gals spend a lot on a garage. I do know a CAR battery will go dead if left on a concrete floor . My ex Boss &%#^ built a new garage and stored his bike in it . The concrete was still aging and it rusted his Harley front spokes ( oxidized) they turned white. He paid $300 to have stainless steel spokes put on it.

[Juju]

Well @#$%^&*--that's something else I need to spend money on, then. I can't bring my new baby home to a nasty, hostile concrete garage floor.

First of all, we don't have an actual garage. Our house is on pilings so we have an "underneath." The "bike port" is enclosed on three sides and we cover the bikes when they're in it because we live on a bayshore. So I already know I need some kind of trike cover--any recommendations?

Second of all, we raised our foundation slab a few years back, and while I'm not sure, I don't think the concrete guy sealed it. So now I'll have to go buy either a "Persian" rug or a bunch of those foam mats. On the other hand, at Target today I saw indoor/outdoor area rugs that might work--only $55.99. Hmmmm....

Good thing my tax refund is on its way.:eek:

[Mr.Wizard]

Juju, it's just a never ending money hole.

I did some research on the subject.. don't ya just love Google?

Interesting results. Yes, it is moisture but it is in a gas form that seeps from the concrete and condenses on a cold object. Says, concrete is full of moisture and the moisture contains specific acids that will corrode chrome and rust metal.

Recommendations are to place carpet or rubber insulated mats that at minimum are the same length of the auto/trike/bike from fender to fender. There was no mention, that I can remember reading, of any sealant or epoxy paint as a protection.

Sooooo.... Real !

[The Wolf]

Juju Get an outside Carcoon for your treasure. I am afraid it will cost you quite a few bucks but it will be well worth it

[John Luciano]

My understanding is if it is more than 10 years old that the amount of gas is less likely to cause a problem . A thick sheet of Plastic would work also . The kind farmers use to cover crops. Also the cover . It is suggested that u use a breathable cover for storage. An Old sheet comes to mind.

[Mr.Wizard]

moved to a new thread

[Mr.Wizard]

My understanding is if it is more than 10 years old that the amount of gas is less likely to cause a problem . A thick sheet of Plastic would work also . The kind farmers use to cover crops. Also the cover . It is suggested that u use a breathable cover for storage. An Old sheet comes to mind.

That could very likely be. What I also read is "if" your concrete floor has metal re-bar or alike the acid emissions are far worse than a standard concrete pour. Concrete also will continue to emit moisture that it sucks up from under the foundation unless it has a poly barrier.

Strains the imagination.. my head already hurts.

I really like the carcoon idea too!

Can you post pics?

[Juju]

That could very likely be. What I also read is "if" your concrete floor has metal re-bar or alike the acid emissions are far worse than a standard concrete pour. Concrete also will continue to emit moisture that it sucks up from under the foundation unless it has a poly barrier.

Strains the imagination.. my head already hurts.

I really like the carcoon idea too! Can you post pics?

Here's the link to their USA site:

Carcoon USA

Wolf, what size did you get for your trike?

They're awful proud of those carcoons. I'm not sure I can't do just as well with some kind of floor mat, as BlueTrinity mentioned, and a breathable trike cover, since the trike will not be right out in the open really. There's only one wall open, with top, bottom, and three sides enclosed. It's mainly this concrete floor thing that's making my head spin.

Reksul, you called it--a neverending money hole.

Oh well, you can't take it with you, right?