Perhaps you’ve lived in the same house for many years and have seen the durability and appearance of your garage floor deteriorate over time. Or maybe you just moved into a new house. Typically, a garage floor is left by a builder with only the most basic elements of durability and aesthetic appeal. Either way, now is a good time to think about increasing the durability with the most durable Garage floor coating in your home.

Why is garage floor coating so critical?

Garage floors are often made of concrete and are subjected to heavy foot traffic. They are vulnerable to things like hot tires and road salt, as well as the hazards of regular traffic, such as dirt, dust, grease, automotive fluids, and household chemical spills. Let’s not forget the moisture brought into garages by rain and snow. Temperature changes also put a strain on a concrete floor, which contracts when it is cold and expands when it is warm. That’s a lot for your flooring to bear.

A neglected garage floor will begin to show its age over time by exhibiting any of the following surface flaws:

• cracks
• efflorescence, leak, and spill stains (white powder formed from mineral salt deposits)
• pitting (when a surface deteriorates and develops numerous small indentations)
• lack of uniform coloration
• spalling (when a concrete surface flakes or crumbles)

Choices for protecting your garage floor are rated from best to worst. As such, we’ve compiled a list of five common garage floor coating options for you.

1. Polyaspartic floor finish

The best option for protecting a garage floor is a polyaspartic coating, so let’s talk about that first. This high-performance coating provides lasting protection for floors because it is made of professional-grade materials and applied by trained professionals using specialized equipment.

Although many garage floor coating products rely on a superficial bond to the concrete’s surface, polyaspartic coatings go deeper into the material for increased durability.

This strengthens the foundational bond with the concrete, making it more impervious to water, chemicals, and other elements that can cause floor damage. The tough top coat of polyaspartic floor coating is virtually immune to damage from drops, scrapes, chemicals, and the heat-set stains left by “hot tire pickup.” You’ll notice less dust in your garage if you invest in a good floor coating that will last longer than bare concrete.

And any dust that accumulates from floor wear and normal, everyday use will be barely visible. Before the top coat of polyaspartic floor coating is applied, decorative colored flakes are broadcast across the floor. This hides dust and adds a decorative touch to the interior of your garage.

2. Floor coating with epoxy

If you plan to do it yourself for your garage floor coating upgrade, you’ll most likely purchase an epoxy floor coating kit. We’ve all seen them in hardware stores. Their box advertising promises to do wonders for your garage floor and boasts about how simple the product is to use. And they promise it all for a surprisingly low price.

While epoxy coatings can protect your garage floor and update the room’s décor, they fall far short of polyaspartic coatings in every aspect of how the coating looks and protects your garage floor. When compared to professional-grade polyaspartic coating materials, the materials in any epoxy coating kit will be subpar. Any coating product application necessitates thorough preparation of the floor surface, properly mixed materials, and use of the materials within a specific time frame.

Temperature and humidity levels must also be considered when applying epoxy and polyaspartic floor coatings. Epoxies, unlike polyaspartic coatings, cannot be applied in extreme hot or cold temperatures. There is no room for mess-ups in the floor coating process; otherwise, you will be left with a visually unappealing finished floor that does not provide complete garage floor coating.

You’ll also have to return to your garage flooring project sooner than you’d like for touch-ups or a complete redo. The application of polyaspartic floor coatings is more complex and time-consuming than that of other types of coatings and thus requires the assistance of trained professionals with access to expensive specialized equipment. That’s something to consider the next time you see a cheap epoxy flooring kit.

3. Tiles for the garage floor

Using interlocking floor tiles in the garage instead of directly upgrading your concrete floor surface is another viable option. Floor tiles might be a better fit for your flooring upgrade budget. If you have floor damage that is too expensive to repair, floor tiles are an inexpensive way to conceal an unsightly surface. While floor tiles will not actually solve any issues with garage floor degradation, they will help to reduce further surface damage from wear and tear.

When placed on a concrete floor, floor tiles are made of plastic or stronger PVC materials for added durability. Some types require adhesives and mortar to be installed but look for the interlocking teeth type, which is much easier to work with.

In addition to their low price and long lifespan, interlocking floor tiles for your garage are appealing for four other reasons:

• quick installation
• They are versatile and can be used in basements, laundry rooms, and storage rooms. If a tile becomes damaged, it is extremely simple to replace.
• Using various tile colors and styles, you can create a unique floor look.

4. Concrete resurfacer

Concrete resurfacers are one of the products that will most likely come to mind when considering different garage floor coating options. Concrete resurfacers are composed of sand, Portland cement, polymer materials, and other additives. They are typically applied with a trowel, brush, or squeegee. An exciting new floor design is possible by adding decorative pigments to the product’s natural cement grey color. Concrete resurfacer is not the most durable Garage floor coating option out there.

The term “concrete resurfacer” implies that this product will repair a damaged floor surface. That is only partially correct. Concrete resurfacers are intended as a more cosmetic fix for worn-out garage floors, and their floor protection benefits are modest. This is mostly because of their application coat is typically quite thin when compared to an epoxy or polyaspartic coating.

Concrete resurfacers are better suited for floors that have minor, superficial damage (meaning minor cracks and pitting). Larger floor issues, such as wide and deep cracks, spalling, and extensive pitting, would necessitate extensive repairs before resurfacing.

5. Garage flooring covers

Garage floor coverings such as mats, rugs, parking pads, and trays are more commonly used in colder climates where snow falls, leaving garage floors a wet, sloppy mess during cold months. These products protect your floor, but the protection they provide is superficial and limited. The most appealing feature of them (aside from their low cost) is that they will help contain excess moisture from rain or melted snow and ice tracked in by vehicles. This helps to keep your garage floor clean.

They will need to be emptied outside on a regular basis to drain the collected water. That can be difficult because they can become heavy with all that water and be difficult to move. One significant disadvantage of these floor coverings is that if the pooled water is not emptied frequently enough, the extra moisture can increase the condensation levels in your garage.

That is not acceptable. Furthermore, if any collected water leaks beneath the covering, the cement may be damaged. Another flaw in these products is related to the gamage vehicles entering and exiting a garage can cause to the coverings to shift and need to be repositioned. Some models with anti-skid bottoms will be more stable, and using double-sided tape to anchor them may be beneficial.

Conclusion

As you can see from our list, there are many factors to take into consideration when selecting the best product to protect your garage floor. You have a variety of options to choose from according to the space and the amount of money you want to spend. Just keep in mind that going with the most affordable choice here doesn’t mean you’ll get your money’s worth. A garage coating should be durable and go hand in hand with the rest of the decor. So, spending a little bit above your budget is not always a bad thing. If you liked this article, you may also like our post on laminate flooring. Let us know what you think.