Back around the turn of the century, Jeremy bought a home in Littleon with a double bay detached garage. He loved it! Not only did his wife have a place to park, but he had an area where he could keep his tools and do the hands-on work he liked to do. From carpentry to automotive, that garage was his center of home handy-man labor.
And it showed.
Over the years, Jeremy’s garage floor began to show the damage it was taking from everyday use. Cracks started to show near the entrances where water had seeped in and frozen. Oil and salt stains dotted its surface from end to end. Finally, after 15 years, Jeremy decided it was time to refinish his garage floor and so he looked his options as well as the pro’s and cons. If you are in the same boat as Jeremy, perhaps you can find some help in the list he made:
Upgrades To Your Garage Floor
Garage Floor Mats
If you don’t want headaches of installation, flooring mats might be your best option. They roll out easy and some even have absorbent material that can contain gallons of liquid. This is a good solution to protect your floors from messy cars that may drip oil or other dirt and debris. Unfortunately, they typically only come in the footprint of an automobile and do not cover the complete garage.
Garage Floor Tiles
From vinyl rolls that will cover your entire garage to 2ft square tiles, your local DIY store has quite a few options. Usually ranging anywhere from $1.50 – $2.25/ square foot, tiles are still an easy to install option. The downsides to these is that the vinyl will break down over time; creating rips and tears. Plastic interlocking tiles are more durable, but are more prone to cracks from falling objects.
Garage Floor Coatings
Paints and Epoxies have rapidly become the favorite for DIY’ers looking to improve cement floors either in the home or in the garage. Much like painting a wall or furniture, there is a bit of preparation that needs to happen before-hand to ensure that irreparable damage isn’t done to the floor. Each coating has different specific prep measures, but the vast majority require that the floor is free of oil and dust which means extensive cleaning with solvents, degreasers, pressure washers, broom, and vacuum. They also require that the cement is extremely dry and has been etched with muriatic acid to adhere and cure properly.
Additionally, the proper coating needs to be used for your specific application and cost needs. If you, like Jeremy, are using your garage hard, then it is necessary to purchase a more durable(and expensive) covering. If all you are doing is resealing a few cracks in your garage/extra storage area, then a small bag of easy-mix should do the trick.
Either way it is VITAL that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Garage coatings are not paint and may require the use of a contractor to remove if mixed or installed incorrectly.
Eventually Jeremy decided that he would use an epoxy coating and decided not only color his garage floor black, but added silver flecks to it as well. Oil spills were easy to clean and he no longer had to worry about cracks from the harsh Colorado weather. A few years later when he and his wife sold the home, they were able to increase the asking price by a significant amount because of the careful work he had put into the garage floor.
If you are looking to make repairs or resurface your garage floor, remember to do your research. An upgraded garage floor will not only improve the use of your garage, but the value of your home as well.