Let’s admit it: most garages don’t have the most appealing floors. There’s oil, chemicals, or water, spillage everywhere, pieces of equipment lying carelessly on the floor, and busy people walking in and out of the garage.
Adding a garage floor coating helps maintain and enhance your floors’ beauty and durability. If your concrete floors are covered with quality coatings like urethane, polyaspartic, or epoxy coatings, they will be less likely to chip, crack, or pit.
Types of garage Floor Coatings
The good thing about floor coatings is they come in different colors, and most have decorative vinyl chips that help the floor look more attractive. It’s okay to be confused about garage floor coatings, as many are on the market. Let’s look at the best types of garage floor coatings.
- Epoxy coatings: If you’re looking for garage epoxy in Baltimore or any other location, one thing you need to know is that it’s easy to apply, and with the right tools, you can do it yourself. The material is harder and more useful on high-traffic floors.
- Polyurethane Floor Coatings: More like epoxy, but it’s softer and elastic. It also requires a respirator to apply.
- Polyaspartic Floor Coatings. A subset of polyurea and a common alternative to epoxy and polyurethane. It’s mixed with a catalyst to facilitate the hardening process and thus may require expertise to install.
Factors to Consider Before Investing in Garage Floor Coating
Now that you know the most common types of flooring to choose from, let’s look at the factors to consider before investing:
Strength and Durability
There are two types of epoxy floor coatings–a one-part and a two-part epoxy coat. A two-part epoxy is more stable than a one-part epoxy paint because of polymerization, a chemical bond reaction where molecules bond and form chains.
Although the two-part epoxy paint is more expensive, it has superior strength and durability. This feature makes it more complex to apply.
Ease of Application
Above everything, choose simplicity. Choose a coating that will not make you regret your life’s choices. Solvent-based paints are more challenging than polyurethane or water-based epoxy paints. It’s because of the low-odor formulas and easy cleanup.
Some garage floor coating products are more forgiving on uneven surfaces, you know, those with potholes and permanent stains. As a result, the finishing is aesthetically pleasing. Did you know having a well-coated garage floor can boost your mood because it’s clean? Something psychological.
Resistance to Stains and Chemicals
Spillage is usual in a garage; consider the many things people like storing in the garage as opposed to inside the house—we’re talking about motor oil remnants, paint, car fluids, old batteries, etc. Caustic materials like salt, motor oil, gasoline, and battery acid can damage the floors if left unwiped for long periods.
Choose a garage floor coating that’s easy to clean and resistant to stains and chemicals. Always clean up any spillage, regardless of your floor coating. Don’t hesitate to ask when unsure about the best coating. They say Google is your friend, so look for the most accurate answer for the phrase “epoxy garage floor near me” or any other type of coating that interests you, and you’ll surely land the best expert in town. Be sure to compare the cost of installation and customer reviews to know who does it the best.
Final Thought
An additional layer of protection for your garage protects your concrete floors from chemicals and spillage. It also improves your garage’s aesthetics, making it a wholesome workplace.
Preparing your floor is a vital step when applying a garage floor coating, as it can affect the entire process and even the lifespan of your floor. Use a detergent to remove oil and dirt if the floor is dirty. Then, apply an etching solution and a concrete cleaner. Let the concrete floor cure for at least 30 days and ensure it’s dry and clean. To help smooth the surface, you can grind the surface.
Generally, most floor coatings last for ten years. However, it depends on how often you go in and out of the garage and the quality of your installation. Aggressive abrasion and hot wheels are the most common culprits of wear and tear on garage floors.