What Is the Best Garage Floor Coating and Why Does It Matter?

Garages are notorious for taking a beating. Whether you’re storing multi-ton vehicles on them or tracking in the elements, they need to be taken care of to ensure their long-term success.

How do you do that? Garage floor coatings.

And in this article, we’ll be answering the question: what is the best garage floor coating?

What are Garage Floor Coatings?

A garage floor coating is a thin covering that directly adheres to the concrete slabs on your garage floor. They are specifically designed to retain and enhance the longevity of the concrete.

These coverings are similar to other resinous flooring in your home, whether they have paint, sealer, epoxy, or other coating over the surface. Unlike those used in your home or on a deck, these need to be of higher durability and strength.

This means when you’re looking for coatings, don’t expect to find one described as ‘beautiful’. Coating for garage floors is all about function over form. That’s not to say there aren’t good-looking options, they will be less common for maintaining your garage.

Why Invest in a Garage Floor Coating?

There are a lot of reasons you might consider investing in a coating.

First: do you use your garage often? If so, it’s likely the concrete will wear and stain over the years.

And there are really only two types of concrete: cracked concrete and concrete that hasn’t cracked yet.

Think about every time you pull into the garage after a rainy day. All that water drains to the floor, weakening the concrete and staining it darker than the surrounding areas. A floor coating can help maintain that concrete longer.

Second: aesthetics. Yes, you’ll be avoiding stains, but you’ll also be adding a unique look and feel to your garage.

Further, a coating and covering can provide a cleaner surface than bare concrete. You’ll still need to maintain your floor like any other, but walking out onto the garage floor won’t leave dusty footprints everywhere.

Third: safety. Concrete can be slick. Many of the resins and coatings mentioned below come with textured options that reduce and eliminate slipping on slick concrete floors.

They also mean if you drop something on the floor it won’t instantly crack or break. That extra layer of protection might make all the difference.

Best Coating for Durability: POLYUREA

For our money (and likely yours), POLYUREA is the best garage floor coating. Why? Because it has incredible surface adhesion.

It’s also flame-resistant, water-resistant, and stands up against germs and bacteria.

Polyurea is applied similar to epoxy or paint and often is a two-part process for installation. The first is applying a colored base coat, followed by a clear topcoat.

There are a wide variety of polyurea coatings that can only be deemed as best of the best, coming with durable, long-lasting finishes. You can expect it to finish fully curing within 24 hours and come out with a nice, bright sheen.

Maintenance and Looks

Polyurea coatings can protect your concrete and don’t require tons of maintenance. Depending on the product used and the overall condition of your garage, you may never need to apply a new coating again.

It has a nice sheen to it and can be slick when wet. Additional color flakes are designed to give some extra traction to the coating, sprinkled into the base coat before it fully dries.

There are several color options available, though don’t expect anything crazy.

Best Coating for Aesthetics: Full Chip Polyurea Coating Systems

If you’re going for a fresh new look, this is likely the best option. There are so many colors, sizes, and options that it can be difficult to know what is best. A full chip system includes the application of colored “flakes” into the base coat, then sealed in with a clear topcoat.

But you get the benefit of choosing a look that is perfect for your home. This can be something with muted or basic colors, or more custom and bold colors. There are a lot of options that will make the floors look amazing.

The initial cost is around the same as epoxy. But a longer-lasting and more durable floor means you aren’t needing to reapply paint or epoxy every few years. This can actually be a better budget-friendly option.