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Making Your Garage Floor Look Fantastic

I install a lot of garage floors every year. Most of the new homes we pour have either an attached garage or a concrete slab close by to build the garage on.


Garage concrete floor	Garage concrete floor	Garage concrete floor

It seems like homeowners and builders are designing garage concrete flooring plans to accommodate more than just a couple of vehicles, a lawnmower, and the kids bikes these days.

Having additional space for a workshop, office, hobby area, or an entertainment area are all getting very popular.

I get asked a lot about what can be done to the GARAGE_FLOOR FINISH to upgrade the look from plain old gray concrete, to something decorative, but easy to clean and maintain.

Having one of the many GARAGE_FLOOR COVERINGS installed, or installing one yourself, will protect the concrete from chemicals, oil spills, deicing salts, and tire marks, while still giving you a terrific looking concrete floor.

THERE ARE QUITE A FEW CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO
GARAGE_FLOOR COATINGS

GARAGE_FLOOR PAINT - This is a water based epoxy floor paint. It is a one coat system with a topcoat and the least expansive.

GARAGE_FLOOR EPOXY - This is a solvent based, two part, epoxy floor paint. It is stronger than the water based, usually two coats and a top coat, more expansive, and usually takes two days to complete the installation.

GARAGE_FLOOR PROTECTOR - This is a polyaspartic polyurea coating. It is tougher than epoxies in strength, scratch, and abrasion resistance. It is very fast drying, in most cases the floor can be done in one day.

GARAGE_FLOOR SEALER - This is a clear or tinted concrete floor sealer that can be sprayed or rolled on. It is easy to install and will require recoating every few years.

GARAGE_FLOOR MATS - These are a roll on type of garage flooring. They're easy to install, very durable, and easy to clean. They're great for older, cracked and pitted concrete floors.

GARAGE_FLOOR TILES - These are PVC rubber square tiles installed on top of the concrete floor. They are very durable, easy to install, and long lasting. They work great if you are standing a lot while working in the garage.

CONCRETE STAIN - This is a concrete acid stain that chemically bonds to the surface of the concrete. It comes in many colors to choose from. When it is topcoated with a clear sealer it produces a unique mottled look that is very pleasing.

All these garage coatings come in a variety of colors to choose from. You can also throw colored chips on top of the paints when they are still wet to produce more of a decorative look.

When applying any type of coating that has to bond to the concrete, the garage floor surface preparation is the key to a long lasting finish.

CLEANING GARAGE_FLOORS is best done with a floor grinder or shot blasting machine. Etching the floor is another option but not preferred by most coating manufactures.

There are some brands that claim you can just paint them on and they will bond to the surface. Don't believe them.

Personally, I would stay away from these and expect to do some type of etching, grinding, or shotblasting, to prepare the surface for any kind of paint.

If you're thinking of turning your garage into an extension of your living area, turning that plain gray concrete floor into something beautiful is the best place to start.