Garage Coating

There was a time when no one thought a garage deserved a garage coating. A garage, in the past, was considered a grease and oil-stained place where you haphazardly stored the grill, outdoor furniture, other miscellaneous household items, and occasionally parked your car.

These days, homeowners are realizing that their garage can be an extension of their home with beautiful floors made possible with a garage coating. No longer do you have to be ashamed to let visitors into your garage to see an ugly, gray, stained interior.

Usually, a garage coating is an epoxy floor coating that bonds to the floor to create a barrier from fluids, salt, wear, and tear. Epoxy floor coatings are self-leveling and leave a beautiful, glossy shine.

A garage coating can be completed in just one weekend. It takes around 24-48 hours to cure once applied. Some steps must be completed before applying the garage coating. You must thoroughly clean the floor first, removing the grease that will prevent your coating from adhering to the floor. Then, you will etch or rough up the floor. This allows the coating to bond to the concrete.

After cleaning and letting the floor dry, apply a primer with a roller according to the directions and allow it to dry thoroughly. A base coat is next, which is generally epoxy or urethane. Last, is aliphatic polyurethane, which is UV resistant, or epoxy coat to finish. A slip resistant aggregate can be added to increase traction, if desired. Allow 48 hours to dry before walking on the floor and 5 days before driving a vehicle onto the floor.

A garage coating comes in many styles and colors to match any décor. You can get your coating with flecks of acrylic paint chips, which offers a design of resembling a terrazzo or granite floor.

When preparing to complete a garage coating, you must wear a mask to keep from breathing fumes from the different layers of primer, base coat, and epoxy. Keep the area as ventilated as possible without letting in too much dust that could mix with the coatings.

There are other garage coatings on the market that are made of vinyl or other hardy materials and can be cut to fit your garage, such as planks or tiles. You would have to have tools for cutting and measuring to install a floor that is laid instead of poured.

Although garage coatings are easy to clean and very stain-resistant, you must remember that, they are not impervious to all damage. For example, battery acid will damage your floor. If you do take care of your garage coating, it will last for many years to come.