Cabinetry...finished product!

[Editor-in-chief: Wifey here...]
So hubbie has requested that I identify myself in this blog as I have interjected a few previous posts with my commentary - he feels this may have confused readers & for this we apologise.  He is the tech-head & details man; I am the design/aesthetic one...hope that explains a few things.

And so now I will go on to say...when they say it is the cabinetry that makes a house, it is true!

As you know we put a lot of blood, sweat & tears into the design of every aspect & it has come up as beautiful as it is functional.  Here are the top things we integrated into our cabinetry design which we loved:
1. J-scoop (or shadowline) handle-less cabinets throughout for a minimalist look (note: you will lose internal space so make sure you have sufficient storage before considering this)
2. Floating cabinetry for all bathrooms easy to clean & makes the room feel larger.  We included led strip lighting beneath - real WOW factor!
3. BLUM tandembox soft-close mechanisms used to avoid little fingers getting hurt & no more slamming
4. Vinyl wrap for all cabintery - with young kids, this was the best choice as scratches can be buffed out & it won't chip, unlike 2Pac.  We used Albedor, its slightly more expensive than the others but has the best write up in the industry.
5. Integrated Hafele waste bins
6. We designed drawers for 'tall items' in the bathroom & had the electrician install powerpoints hidden behind these drawers so electrical items could be permanently plugged in & hidden away
7. We raised the kitchen bench height to 950mm, this is just a personal preference (industry standard is 900mm)
8. We installed an AussieVac Vacusweep - automatic dustpan into the kickboard of our island bench

And here are some pics of the finished product...

Garage floor sealant

I had always planned to paint the garage floor to give it that workshop feel and since our floor had cured (it was done along with the foundations) I thought I could do it straight away. I was hoping to go out and get some paint and get it done in a day. Unfortunately I started to hear a few stories about the paint lifting after a few months and then having to go through the whole process of stripping it back and doing it all again properly. I remembered seeing a Dulux 2 part epoxy kit at Bunnings so I thought I'd go and have a closer look. It seems Bunnings have replaced the Dulux kit with a Dymark kit for $199 that covers 36-40sqm, not quite enough for us. 2 kits for $400 was getting a little expensive, so I started to look around for alternatives and wanted reassurance that these would do the job.

A 2 part epoxy system does seem to be the best type of product for this application, but the best of the best is a 2 part epoxy by Sika, called Sikafloor HS link. There are a lot of industrial references to this product and it's acceptance by Coles as the only highly durable product of it's type provide a lot of reassurance. Unfortunately I estimated this may cost between $700-$1000 to cover the entire garage floor and if it's not applied correctly you've wasted your money.

The other products I came across were concrete sealers (acrylic), that in a lot of cases may work better due to the ease of application and which do not lift like some epoxies.

Concrete Warehouse Staseal PR
An acrylic solution specially formulated to produce a hard, flexible petrol resistant coating. Ideal for mechanical workshops, garage floors, driveways and petrol stations. Available in clear, black and light grey

Nutech Pavecoat PR 210
Nutech Petrol Resistant Concrete Sealer is specially formulated for surfaces exposed to petrol and mild solvents. Available in clear and a limited colour range, Light Grey, Earl Grey and Black.

I went with Nutech PR 210 (20ltr), PR Thinners (4ltr) and non slip granules (300gm) ~ $310.

I've completed the first few steps, but will leave the painting till I've got a full weekend spare.

1. Clean oil, dirt, etc with sugar soap and stiff brush (alkaline)
2. High pressure hose
3. Acid etch with hydrochloric mix or White Knight concrete etcher and stiff brush (acid)
4. High pressure hose
5. Optional - use sugar soap again to neutralise any residual acid, high pressure hose
6. Clean, brush, vacuum
7. Paint 1st coat (thin 50% with PR thinners on smooth concrete)
8. Paint 2nd coat (add anti slip granules)