Garage Floor Finishing Options

The floor of your garage isn’t the first thing you think of each morning, nor is it the last thing you consider as you tuck into bed for the night. In fact, many people never think about their garage floors at all, leaving them dusty, grimy and covered in debris. Sometimes, though, you can improve a lot of things with just a few upgrades. A clean, polished floor may even give you the confidence to tackle other parts of your home.

Garage Floor Repairs

First things first: You need to focus on the blemishes. Otherwise, you’ll never get a smooth finish on your garage flooring when you go to apply coatings or coverings. Get out your cleaning supplies, and be prepared to invest some good old-fashioned elbow grease into removing stains and oil and filling cracks in the concrete.

Start by moving everything out of the garage. If you have an outdoor storage shed, use that for your garage gear. If not, you may need to rent a storage container. Sweep the floor thoroughly, going over sections numerous times if dirt remains. You’ll want to use a broom with stiff, short bristles to ensure an even sweep.

Next, get a bucket of hot water and add a degreasing product. Eco-friendly laundry detergent also works. Pour the mixture onto the concrete, and scrub vigorously with a bristle brush. Hook up the garden hose, and spray the concrete to remove the soapy water, working section by section to scrub and hose as you go. If you have stubborn grease stains, you may need to rent a pressure washer to blast away the caked-on grime.

Once the floor is clean of oil and debris, you’ll need to search out and fill any cracks in the concrete. Use a durable epoxy-based paste for any crack you see. Fill it, scrape the excess, and sand any roughness or uneven surfaces once dry.

Garage Floor Coating

What’s the best way to coat your garage floor? It depends on your preferences. Typically, though, you have two main options: epoxy and stain.

Epoxy

This type of coating is opaque and often dries to a super-shiny finish. You can also add decorative chips to give the epoxy definition, and you can add non-skid particles as well if you want to ensure a slip-resistant surface. Solid epoxy flooring comes in nearly as many colors as you can imagine, from yellow to red to dark gray. You can also request custom colors. Decorative chips are much simpler, usually a mixture of grays, browns or blues; although, like the solid colors, custom requests are always available.

Stain

With this type of garage floor coating, the finish is more semitransparent and the colors are often similar to wood stains. You apply the concrete stain, let it dry, and apply a second coat if desired. You will also need to apply a sealer coat on top to protect the finish.

Garage Floor Coverings

If you prefer something more versatile, you’ll likely be drawn to garage floor tiles. Floor tiles are typically available in rigid PVC, rubber and wood composite. At Boston Garage, we use Trax floor tiles made from recycled tires. They are durable enough to withstand the weight of a car for extended periods, and they are resistant to grease and oil. Other great perks include quick installation, the ability to move tiles around, and UV stable construction.

Explore your garage floor coating options in Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, and contact us today to learn more!