So last summer I decided to finally tackle that awful gym floor in my garage gym. The concrete was so worn down and dirty you could barely see the lines anymore. I figured waxing it would make it look sharp again, but man did I have no idea how much this simple project would end up costing me.
First step: Google fails me
I typed “gym floor wax cost” into my phone expecting a clear answer. Big mistake. Results jumped all over: some sites said $200, others claimed $800. Nobody could agree whether they were talking DIY or pro jobs. Got so frustrated I threw my phone on the couch.
Hardware store reality check
Dragged myself to the orange big-box store. Found the floor care aisle and grabbed:
- Industrial cleaner jug ($25)
- Concrete sealant tub ($38)
- Two gallons of commercial-grade wax ($85 each!)
- Applicator mop and bucket set ($40)
Cashier rings it up and I almost choke when she says “that’ll be $273 please”. Had to put the protein powder back to afford this.
The sweating starts
First day: Scrubbed that damn floor for three hours straight. Used half the cleaner getting years of grime off. Back was killing me when I finished.
Day two: Applied the sealant with the mop. Realized halfway that one tub barely covered half my garage gym. Had to buy another $38 tub. Bonus discovery: that stuff reeks like chemical death.
Waxing nightmare
Opened the first wax bucket thinking it’d be easy. Wrong. That goop was thicker than peanut butter. Mop dragged like I was pulling cinderblocks. Finished one gallon and it looked patchy as hell.
Needed both gallons for one coat, and suddenly realized you’re supposed to do three freaking coats. Drove back to store cursing while buying two more gallons. Another $170 gone.
Final tally sticker shock
Let me do the math for you:
- Cleaner: $25
- Sealant: $76 (two tubs)
- Wax: $255 (three gallons used)
- Equipment: $40
- My sanity: Priceless
Total damage: $396 plus four full days labor. Floor looks great now though! Moral of the story? Don’t trust Google – just call a damn professional next time.
