Perhaps you’ve lived in the same household for numerous years and seen the slow deterioration of your garage floor. Or maybe you’ve relocated to a new house lately.
Maybe the homebuilder left the garage floor with the bare minimum as far as the surface’s visual attractiveness and resilience are concerned. In either case, it’s time you to ponder about improving the protection level of your garage floor in one of the toughest working areas of your home.
Here are several ways you can protect your garage floor. But first, why should you protect your garage floor?
Why is Garage Floor Protection Crucial?
Garage floors endure a beating.
Besides daily pedestrian and vehicle traffic, they’re predisposed to dust and dirt, household chemical spills, automotive fluids, road salt, and hot tires. And, don’t forget about the dampness that gets into the garages from the snow or precipitation.
Temperature undulations also put pressure on a garage floor. It’s because it expands when it’s warm and contracts when it’s chilly. Therefore, your floor has to withstand a lot.
Over the years, a garage floor that hasn’t been serviced will begin showing any of these surface defects:
- Fissures.
- Discolored spots from leaks, spills, and efflorescence (a white powder that comes from mineral salt deposits).
- Surface color that’s not even.
- Pitting (when the garage surface degrades and exhibits numerous small indentations).
- Chipping (when the garage surface disintegrates or chips off).
Also Check:Best Flooring for Garage: Reviews & Buyer Guide
While many things in your everyday routine can cause the garage floor to wear out, there are numerous ways you can safeguard your garage floor. Take a look.
Garage Floor Protection Options
Epoxy Floor Coating
Garage floor epoxy is the most popular option as it conceals minor flaws in the surface and efficiently repels discolored spots. Ensure that you don’t apply epoxy floor coating during extremely sultry or cold temperatures.
Here are various benefits of applying epoxy floor coatings on your garage floor:
- It lasts long.
One of the things that you’ll love most about epoxy floor coatings is that they can withstand wear and tear caused by vigorous activities. It’s sturdier and lasts longer than your traditional flooring system. What makes them better than concrete is that they don’t chip or crack easily.
- It’s anti-slip.
Epoxy floors aren’t affected by moisture and, therefore, lessens the risks of slip and fall accidents. When an anti-slip additive is added to the epoxy, it’ll ensure your safety when in the garage.
- It’s easy to maintain.
Maintaining and cleaning an epoxy floor coating is a cakewalk. Nearly all substances or liquid that spills over can be wiped easily as it has resin and a glossy finish.
- It’s appealing and unique.
Epoxy floor coatings can add some additional esthetic value to your room as they come in numerous finishes such as metallic, flake, and polished concrete.
- It’s prudent.
Dissimilar to conventional flooring options like vinyl and hardwood, epoxy is a more affordable choice. Installing an epoxy flooring system is inexpensive, not to say that it endures the test of time.
Additionally, you’ll save a lot of money from purchasing needless cleaning tools and products as dirt and stains can be managed easily.
Also Check 5 Best Epoxy Paint for Garage Floor: Reviews & Buyer Guide
Use of Polyaspartic Floor Coating
This is a high-performance floor coating that comprises professional-grade materials. The coating is applied by experts using special gear to ensure long-lasting floor protection.
Dissimilar tomany inexpensive garage floor protection products that offer a less efficient topical surface bond, polyaspartic floor coatings enter deep into the concrete.
It forms a powerful foundational bond with the concrete. This makes it more resistant to chemicals, water, and other elements that may lead to floor damage.
Use a Concrete Resurfacer
When you’re taking into account diverse garage floor protection options, one of the products that’ll possibly come up is concrete resurfacers. Concrete resurfacers comprise a mixture of sand, polymer materials, additives, and Portland cement.
You can use a brush, squeegee, or a trowel to apply them. The natural cement gray color of the product can be upgraded using decorative pigments to produce a more dynamic floor appearance.
“Concrete resurfacer†certainly indicates that the product regenerates a faulty floor surface. Designed as a more superficial fix for garage floors that require a refresh, the benefits of floor protection using concrete resurfacers are somewhat modest.
It’s partly because their application coat is typically thin as compared to polyaspartic or epoxy coating. Concrete resurfacers are more suited to floors that have light, surficial damage (that is, small fissures and pitting).
Major floor issues like broad and deep cracks, chipping, and widespread pitting would require extensive repairs before a concrete resurfacer is applied over it.
Also Check:Â 5 Best Paint for Concrete Garage Floor: Reviews & Buyer Guide
Using Floor Sealers
This is another well-known product that homeowners prefer to safeguard their garage floors. They’re also known as roll-on sealers. The floor sealers are affordable, somewhat easy to apply, and are available in latex, acrylic, and urethane.
But, do they provide adequate protection to your garage floor? Just like the name suggests, floor sealers seal the floor safeguarding it from water damage and stains.
However, roll-on sealers don’t provide the same protection level as polyaspartic and epoxy floor coatings. They don’t adhere to concrete and high-quality coatings also. Floor sealers also wear out quickly.
Clear concrete floor sealers won’t conceal imperfections from patches and repairs to the floor before the sealer is applied. Shades can be used to add a bit of color to get better visual results.
Also Check:What is the Best Sealer for Painted Concrete
Bottom Line
Other ways of safeguarding your garage floor will add to the protection offered by the various ways we’ve discussed above. Laying garage containment mats down before you park your car creates a barrier between your car tires and the floor.
It’ll also catch liquids that may drip and cause stains and deterioration. It’s also beneficial to maintain the cleanliness of your garage floor. Sweep the floor as required and hose it down more than once in a season. In case something spills, don’t hesitate to clean it up.
Contents
